The UAE announced Tuesday that the reactor of Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has achieved 50 percent of its electricity production capacity.
This comes one month after the safe and successful completion of the synchronization of Unit 1 to the UAE transmission grid and the dispatch of the first megawatts of clean electricity.
Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of ENEC, said, "The UAE is now producing clean, baseload electricity through Unit 1 of the Barakah Plant, and the Unit has now achieved 50 percent 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."
The achievement was announced 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", state agency WAM reported.
"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," added Al Hammadi.
For his part, Ali Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of Nawah, said: "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 of the Barakah Plant with an absolute commitment to safety and quality as we advance one step further towards commercial operations."
Remarkably, a delegation from the UAE is currently participating in the 64th Annual Regular Session of the IAEA General Conference, by the time Nawah gradually raises the power levels of Unit 1 of the Barakah Plant – over a number of months – as a part of the ongoing Power Ascension Testing.
According to WAM, throughout this process, the Unit’s systems are tested in line with national regulatory requirements and international best practice as the operations team safely makes progress towards full electricity production. Once the process is completed, Unit 1 will enter commercial operations and deliver abundant baseload electricity for up to 18 months prior to refuelling, demonstrating how efficient and reliable nuclear energy is at generating clean electricity 24/7.
The PAT is conducted under the oversight of the UAE’s independent nuclear regulator, the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulations, FANR, which has now conducted more than 280 inspections since the start of Barakah’s development. This is in addition to more than 40 missions and assessments by the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, and World Association of Nuclear Operators, WANO.
