UAE: Safe start-up of Unit 1 of Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant successfully achieved

T-Mag Saturday 01/August/2020 18:55 PM
By: Times News Service
UAE: Safe start-up of Unit 1 of Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant successfully achieved

ABU DHABI: The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, ENEC, today announced that its operating and maintenance subsidiary, Nawah Energy Company, Nawah, has successfully started up Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, located in the Al Dhafrah Region of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"This step is the most historic milestone to date in the delivery of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme, as part of the process towards generating clean electricity for the Nation for at least the next 60 years," the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.

The start-up of Unit 1 marks the first time that the reactor safely produces heat, which is used to create steam, turning a turbine to generate electricity. After several weeks and numerous safety tests, Unit 1 will be ready to connect to the UAE’s electricity grid, delivering the first megawatts of clean electricity to the homes and businesses of the Nation.

Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of ENEC, said: "Today is a truly historic moment for the UAE. It is the culmination of more than a decade of vision, strategic planning and robust program management. Despite the recent global challenges, our team has demonstrated outstanding resilience and commitment to the safe delivery of Unit 1. We are now another step closer to achieving our goal of supplying up to a quarter of our Nation’s electricity needs and powering its future growth with safe, reliable, and emissions-free electricity."

When fully operational, the plant will produce 5.6 gigawatts of electricity while preventing the release of more than 21 million tons of carbon emissions every year, equivalent to the removal of 3.2 million cars from the Nation’s roads annually.