Barakah Unit 1, the first nuclear reactor in the United Arab Emirates, has completed initial construction activities. World Nuclear Association Director General Agneta Rising said;
"The completion of initial construction of the first nuclear reactor at Barakah is a great achievement. I commend the efforts of all those involved in achieving this milestone."
Barakah Unit 1 is the first of four reactors being built at the Barakah site. Construction started in July 2012 and the overall project, including construction, testing and commissioning of systems, is now over 95% complete. Unit 1 is now scheduled to start operations in 2018 and ENEC aims to deliver all four reactors in accordance with international safety standards by 2020.
The four reactors will have a total capacity of 5.6 GWe and will position the UAE as a leading newcomer country in developing low-carbon sources of electricity while addressing growing energy demand.
More than 20,000 people are currently working on the Barakah site, and it is expected that 2,500 employees of ENEC and its subsidiary in charge of operations, Nawah Energy Company, will be needed to operate and maintain the plant once all four units are fully operational. When completed the four reactors will supply sustainable low carbon electricity that will meet up to 25% of the UAE's needs.
The reactors under construction at Barakah are four of sixty units under construction worldwide. The global nuclear industry's Harmony target calls for the construction of 1000 GWe of new nuclear build by 2050. Agneta Rising said;
"These four reactors will be among the first of 1000 GWe of new nuclear capacity that must be built worldwide so that nuclear energy can supply 25% of the world's electricity needs by 2050."
UAE delays launch of first nuclear reactor until 2018
The United Arab Emirates on Friday delayed the start-up of its first nuclear reactor until next year for further safety checks because regulators have not yet granted an operating licence.
The reactor, one of four being built at the $20-billion Barakah plant west of Abu Dhabi by a consortium led by Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), had been due to begin operating this year.
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