Gulf Construction Online - Barakah nuclear Unit I gears for start-up soon

UAE Focus

Barakah plant ... one of the world’s largest nuclear energy new-build projects.

Barakah nuclear Unit I gears for start-up soon

01 August 2020

UAE’s Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) said its officials are currently conducting around-the-clock inspections at Barakah power plant to ensure all necessary testing processes are being carried out ahead of the commissioning phase of Unit 1.

During a video conference, board members reviewed FANR’s regulatory oversight and inspection programme during the commissioning phase of Unit 1, planned for a start-up soon, to ensure implementation of FANR’s safety, security and safeguards requirements.

FANR issued in February the operating licence for Unit 1 for a duration of 60 years, it added.

Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the Arab world’s first nuclear energy plant located in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, is being developed by Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec), which has just completed the construction of Unit 2 of the plant.

The unit has now been officially handed to Nawah Energy Company, Enec’s operating and maintenance subsidiary, for operational readiness activities.

Unit 2 has now cleared its construction phase and the focus now shifts to completing the operational readiness preparations, testing, regulatory inspections, and international assessments required for Nawah to obtain the Operating Licence for Unit 2 from FANR.

Mohamed Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of Enec, said: “The completion of Unit 2 construction activities in adherence to the highest international standards of safety, security and quality, and the handover of all systems to Nawah for commissioning are important milestones that reflect the dedication and skill of everyone involved in the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program.”

“These achievements also highlight the benefits of building four identical reactors simultaneously, as the lessons learned during the construction of Unit 1 have contributed to the successful development of Units 2, 3 and 4 of the Barakah Plant.”

Enec continues to successfully complete the construction of Barakah Units 3 and 4, which are benefitting from the experience and lessons learned during the construction of Units 1 and 2.

The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is one of the largest nuclear energy new-build projects in the world, with four APR-1400 units under simultaneous construction. The APR 1400 is one of the most technologically advanced nuclear reactor designs in the world and meets the highest international standards for safety and performance.

Construction of the plant began in 2012 and has progressed steadily ever since. Construction of Units 3 and 4 are 92 per cent and 85 per cent complete, respectively, while the construction of the Barakah Plant as a whole is now 94 per cent complete.

Once the four reactors are online, the facility will deliver clean, efficient and reliable electricity to the UAE grid for decades to come, providing around 25 per cent of the country’s electricity and preventing the release of up to 21 million tons of carbon emissions annually – the equivalent of removing 3.2 million cars off the roads each year.