Unit 1 of UAE’s Barakah Plant starts commercial operations

The Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has started commercial operations, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) announced today.

Nawah Energy Company (Nawah), the operating and maintenance subsidiary of ENEC, has commenced operations of Unit 1, a 1400 MW unit, which is now providing constant and sustainable electricity around the clock, with three further units to begin generating in the coming years.

The start of commercial operations follows a period of extensive testing, overseen by the independent national regulator – the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), official news agency WAM reported.

The start of commercial operations at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is a historic milestone for the UAE that significantly enhances the sustainability of our entire power sector. We are grateful to those who made this possible and thank them for their diligence and hard work.

— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) April 6, 2021

Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of ENEC, said: “The UAE set a clear roadmap with solid principles to ensure this project’s development in accordance with the highest international industry standards of safety and quality with full transparency.”

“Our investment in pioneering technologies and the decarbonisation of our electricity production not only advances the UAE’s clean energy leadership but also produces tangible socioeconomic and environmental benefits.”

“After more than a decade of strategic planning, programme development and construction, today we are confidently marking the start of a new chapter in for the UAE’s transition to cleaner energy sources,” said Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, chief executive officer, ENEC.

Barakah One Company, ENEC’s subsidiary in charge of the financial and commercial activities of the Barakah project, signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) in 2016 to purchase all electricity generated at the plant for the next 60 years.

Electricity produced at Barakah Plant feeds into the national grid in the same manner as other energy plants, providing clean electricity to homes and businesses across the country.

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

FANR conducted 312 independent inspections since the start of Barakah’s development. These reviews have been conducted alongside more than 42 assessments and peer reviews by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO).

Construction of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant began in 2012 – Unit 2 has now completed the fuel load process and is working through all of the required processes prior to startup, scheduled for later in 2021.

Meanwhile, construction of Units 3 and 4 is 94 per cent and 89 per cent complete respectively. The construction of the Barakah Plant as a whole is now more than 95 per cent complete.