The fourth and final unit at the Barakah nuclear power station in the United Arab Emirates has begun commercial operation, marking full delivery of a project that will generate 25% of the kingdom’s electricity needs, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation said on Thursday (5 September).
Enec, which is responsible for the deployment and ownership of nuclear energy plants in the UAE, said the “historic milestone” of full operation for all four units at the station means Barakah is now generating 40 TWh of electricity per year, nearly the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of New Zealand.
“This clean and carbon-free energy is enough to power 16 million EVs annually,” Enec said. “This represents the largest decarbonisation effort in the UAE and the region, positioning the country ahead of its 2030 climate commitments.”
Construction of Barakah, the first commercial nuclear power station to operate in the Arab World, began in 2012. The first of its four South Korea-supplied APR1400 plants began commercial operation in 2021.
Enec managing director and chief executive officer Mohamed Al Hammadi said Barakah, on the Persian Gulf coast west of the city of Abu Dhabi, offers “a new model for the world” and demonstrates that nuclear energy is bankable and can be delivered efficiently.
He said the units came online within eight years from first concrete pour to fuel load and achieved a 40% improvement in schedule from start of operational readiness to commercial operations for Unit 4 compared to Unit 1.
Speaking at the World Nuclear Symposium in London on Thursday, Al Hammadi said growth in energy demand is “serious” and the nuclear industry has two options: do nothing and continue as a small industry, or “if we act and tap into this demand, we can create change”.
‘Significant Step’ Towards Net Zero
UAE president Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on social media on Thursday: “With the start of operations at Unit 4 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the UAE has taken another significant step on the journey towards net zero.
The UAE has said it wants to use nuclear power as the main source for generating non-hydrocarbon-based electricity.
Most of the energy produced in the UAE is from natural gas and oil. The country is also a major exporter of oil and gas with natural gas accounting for 63% of total energy supply in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency.
Unconfirmed press reports earlier this year said the UAE was planning to launch a tender for the construction of a new nuclear power plant station that would double the number of the Gulf state’s commercial nuclear power reactors.
Enec has said that the success of the Barakah nuclear power station project has equipped the UAE with the expertise it needs to consider expanding its nuclear programme into areas including small modular reactors and clean hydrogen production.
Al Hammadi told the 2022 World Government Summit in Dubai that the “sky is the limit” for the UAE’s nuclear energy industry with the country engaged in discussions related to “futuristic reactors” including SMRs and considering the use of clean hydrogen generated by reactors.
Enec boss Mohamed Al Hammadi said Barakah offers ‘a new model for the world’. Courtesy Enec.
