Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has stated that its operating and maintenance subsidiary, Nawah Energy Company (Nawah) has successfully started up the second unit of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant.
According to the company statement, “This highlights the significant progress being made in bringing the four units of the Barakah Plant online, in a safe and timely manner, to quickly decarbonize the UAE’s energy sector.”
This significant milestone signifies the Barakah Plant’s status as the region’s first multi-unit functioning plant, boosting the nation’s economic growth with more clean, reliable, and abundant electricity. The achievement highlights the UAE Program’s substantial megaproject capabilities in the delivery of all national regulations and international standards, as well as the Emirati-led teams’ skills, certifications, and competencies at Barakah.
Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi CEO – ENEC
“The Barakah Plant supports the sustainable growth and prosperity of the Nation. With the start-up of Unit 2, we are now almost halfway to achieving our goal of supplying up to a quarter of our Nation’s electricity needs and enabling sustainable growth and in parallel, achieving UAE climate change targets. With the support and guidance of the wise leadership of the UAE, Barakah has become a case study for the successful delivery of new nuclear programs, establishing the plant as an example for other nations considering the addition of nuclear energy as part of their energy portfolio. Seven out of ten of the world’s most sustainable nations use nuclear energy, which is not only clean, but enhances national energy security and reliability.”
Nawah, the Joint Venture nuclear operations and maintenance subsidiary of ENEC and the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), has been safely going through a rigorous testing program in preparation for the start-up of the Barakah Plant’s second nuclear energy reactor.
Eng. Ali Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of Nawah said, “It is another momentous occasion for the Barakah Plant, and we congratulate our talented team for completing the safe and successful start-up of Unit 2. Preparations will now continue as we work safely and steadily towards grid connection and eventually the start of commercial operations for the second Unit of the Barakah Plant.”
“Start-up is the first time the unit has produced heat through nuclear fission. The heat is used to create steam, turning a turbine to generate electricity. With the experience of Unit 1 start-up, Nawah’s qualified and licensed team of nuclear operators conducted numerous safety tests on the process and power output of the reactor,” as per the company.
When fully operational, the plant’s four units will generate 5.6 gigawatts of electricity while preventing the release of more than 21 million tons of carbon emissions each year, the equivalent of removing 3.2 million cars from the road each year and the emissions produced by charging 7.3 billion smartphones every day.
