ENEC announces the completion of unit 4 of the Barakah nuclear power plant
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He Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) announced today that its operation and maintenance subsidiary, Nawah Power Company, has completed the loading process of fuel elements in Unit 4 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, following all national regulations and the highest international standards.
He Federal Nuclear Regulatory Authority (FANR), the UAE’s independent nuclear regulator, recently issued the operating license for Unit 4 to Nawah. This milestone brings the UAE one step closer to full fleet operations at Barakah, the region’s largest source of clean electricity.
Once operational, Unit 4, Barakah’s final unit, will enable the plant to generate 25% of the UAE’s electricity needs 24 hours a day for the next sixty years.
The three units currently commercially operational at Barakah, delivered in three consecutive years, are already generating more than 30 TWh of emissions-free electricity each year. Unit 4 will increase the total clean electricity generation capacity of the Barakah plant to 5.6 GW, delivering more than 40 TWh of clean electricity per year, once commercial operations begin.
Barakah is already avoiding millions of tons of carbon emissions, the main cause of climate change, each year.
The operations team will safely progress through a comprehensive testing program before completing commissioning of Unit 4. Testing is being carried out under the ongoing supervision of FANR.
Once Unit 4 is connected to the national power grid, the operations team will continue to gradually increase power levels, known as a Power Ascension Test (PAT). The phase will be continuously monitored and tested until maximum electricity production is achieved, while meeting all regulatory requirements and the highest international standards for safety, quality and protection.
The Barakah plant has had a transformative impact on the UAE’s energy landscape, spearheading the rapid decarbonisation of the UAE’s heavy industries and hard-to-abate sectors. Since Unit 4 will begin operation in 2024, ENEC is now focused on capitalizing on the full value of the UAE’s investment in the nuclear energy sector, working closely with key global partners and technology companies to identify the right technology to meet the growing demand for electricity and clean molecules.
As part of this strategy, ENEC recently launched the ENEC ADVANCED Program to take advantage of the latest advances in nuclear technologies. The ADVANCE Program is designed to strengthen the UAE’s position as a leading nation in implementing climate action and accelerate the global transition to clean energy to meet Net Zero goals.
With Barakah nearing full completion, ENEC It also focuses on evaluating the latest technologies in the advanced categories of small modular reactors (SMR) and microreactors. These solutions can generate electrons and clean molecules, such as steam, hydrogen and ammonia, and process heat for industrial processes.
ENECthe only licensed nuclear energy developer in the UAE, is working with domestic stakeholders to determine deployment pathways and with international partners for technology and project collaboration opportunities.
The Barakah plant, a key player in the international nuclear energy sector, has four APR-1400 units, making it one of the largest nuclear energy facilities in the world. The plant is critical to the UAE’s clean energy transition and its ambitious goal of Net zero emissions by 2050.
News source: Emirates News Agency
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