Unit 1 of UAE’s Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant achieves production capacity milestone
Milestone comes a month after Unit 1 was connected to the transmission grid
Nawah Energy Company (NEC) has announced that Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has achieved 50% of its electricity production capacity. The milestone was highlighted on the sidelines of the 64th Annual Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, where the UAE hosted a side event entitled ‘UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program: The Journey’.
NEC is the joint venture nuclear operations and maintenance subsidiary of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco).
According to a statement, reaching 50% power at Unit 1 of Barakah is an important step in the process of Power Ascension Testing (PAT). The milestone is said to have come at a historic time for the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program, one month after the successful completion of the synchronisation of Unit 1 to the UAE transmission grid, and the dispatch of the first megawatts of clean electricity from the Barakah Plant to the nation.
“The UAE is now producing clean, baseload electricity through Unit 1 of the Barakah Plant, and the Unit has now achieved 50% power as part of the Power Ascension Testing our teams at Nawah are currently undertaking. Safety and quality-led progress is continuing to be made across all four Units of the Plant, and we are delighted to participate in the IAEA General Conference to share the latest updates with our industry partners on this strategic clean energy infrastructure project for the UAE,” said Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, CEO of ENEC.
He added, “The UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program is an engine of growth for our nation, delivering abundant clean electricity to support the UAE’s economic diversification efforts, while in parallel contributing to the country’s climate change commitments.”
Engineer Ali Al Hammadi, CEO of Nawah stated, “This is a proud moment for everyone involved in the delivery of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, as we mark the continued progress being made at Unit 1. We are operating Unit 1 with an absolute commitment to safety and quality as we advance one step further towards commercial operations. The PAT process is safely and successfully on track and moving ahead in line with national regulatory requirements and the highest international standards, despite the challenging environment we are all facing globally.”
He added, “We are pleased to be part of the 64th IAEA General Conference during such a significant time in the development of the Barakah Plant, and we look forward to announcing further achievements over the coming months, as we further increase the power levels of Unit 1 and continue with our operational readiness preparations for Unit 2.”
A delegation from the UAE including Hamad Al Kaabi, UAE permanent representative to the IAEA; Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi; Christer Viktorsson, director general of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulations (FANR); and Eng Ali Al Hammadi are participating in the IAEA Conference.
