Unit 1 of Barakah nuclear energy plant achieves 50% production capacity

The reactor of Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has achieved 50 per cent of its electricity production capacity, Nawah Energy Company (Nawah) has confirmed.

This follows the synchronisation of Unit 1 to the national power grid and the dispatch of the first megawatts of clean electricity last month.

Read: UAE’s Barakah nuclear power plant connects to the national grid

Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, chief executive officer of ENEC, said: “The UAE is now producing clean, baseload electricity through Unit 1 of the Barakah Plant, and the Unit has now achieved 50 per cent power as part of the Power Ascension Testing our teams at Nawah are currently undertaking. Safety and quality-led progress is continuing to be made across all four Units of the Plant.”

Ali Al Hammadi, chief executive officer of Nawah, said: “This is a proud moment for everyone involved in the delivery of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, as we mark the continued progress being made at Unit 1. We are operating Unit 1 of the Barakah Plant with an absolute commitment to safety and quality as we advance one step further towards commercial operations.”

Nawah is gradually raising the power levels of Unit 1 of the Barakah Plant – over a number of months – as a part of the ongoing Power Ascension Testing (PAT). Throughout this process, the Unit’s systems are tested in line with national regulatory requirements and best practices as the operations team moves towards full electricity production.

Once the process is completed, Unit 1 will enter commercial operations and deliver abundant baseload electricity for up to 18 months prior to refuelling, demonstrating the reliability of nuclear energy at generating clean electricity 24/7.

The PAT is conducted under the oversight of the UAE’s independent nuclear regulator, the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulations (FANR), which has now conducted more than 280 inspections since the start of Barakah’s development.

This is in addition to more than 40 missions and assessments by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO).