The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has announced it has achieved a new safety milestone at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. The company stated it has marked four years and more than 100m safe man-hours without a Lost Time Injury (LTI) event at the energy project, which is taking shape in the Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi.
According to a statement from ENEC, the milestone highlights its success in implementing the highest standards of safety, security, and quality in developing the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program. The milestone sets a new benchmark for industrial safety for nuclear new build projects around the world.
ENEC and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) – the project’s prime contractor and ENEC’s joint venture partner – have worked together for over a decade on implementing the highest safety and quality standards and ensuring an exceptional safety culture, the statement added.
“This extraordinary achievement is a result of our robust culture of safety and dedication to meeting the highest standards of quality and safety in the development of the Barakah Plant. Achieving 100m safe work hours is a testament to the UAE’s ability to safely deliver complex megaprojects and sets a new industrial safety record for nuclear new build projects,” said Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of ENEC.
The Barakah Plant is said to be one of the largest nuclear energy plants in the world, with four APR-1400 Units. Unit 1 began commercial operations in April 2021 and is said to have generated more than 2,100GWh of clean electricity and prevented more than 950,000 Kilotons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.
Unit 1 is the largest single generator of electricity in the UAE and is helping to lead the biggest decarbonisation effort in the region, ENEC pointed out.
He added, “With thousands of workers at the site, we have been committed to offering regular training and coaching to ensure our team places safety as the highest priority. This achievement reflects our close and extensive collaboration with KEPCO and our wider Team Korea colleagues, working together to construct and commission the Barakah Plant. With Unit 1 now commercially operating and Unit 2 undergoing preparations for start-up, we remain committed to upholding these same standards for nuclear safety and security throughout the lifetime of the Barakah plant.”
ENEC noted that the fuel load process for Unit 2 has been completed and is working through all the required processes before start-up. Construction of Units 3 and 4 are in the final stages with the Units 94% and 89% complete, respectively. Construction of the Barakah Plant as a whole is now more than 95% complete, ENEC concluded.