The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation has announced the completion of construction works for the second plant within Baraka Barakat peaceful nuclear energy stations, the first of its kind in the Arab world and being developed in the Al Dhafra region in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, as well as the completion of the delivery of the plant to the Nawat Energy Company, which is affiliated with the institution and is responsible for operating and maintaining stations Baraka to start the operational preparations stage.

This strategic achievement comes after the completion of the construction works phase in the second station, and the transition to the stage of operational preparations and major tests for the station systems, as well as oversight inspections and international reviews, which pave the way to obtain a license to operate the second station from the Federal Nuclear Control Authority, the regulatory body responsible for organizing The nuclear sector in the United Arab Emirates.

And before the completion of the construction works, the second station passed the thermal performance test in August 2018, in addition to passing the structural safety and leakage rate integrated tests in March of 2019, where these important tests that precede the operation stage showed a typical performance of the second station in terms of structural safety. It also demonstrated that all plant systems are fully capable of performing its role reliably and safely once the operational phase commences according to the highest international safety standards.

Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, CEO of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, said on this occasion: "The completion of construction work in the second plant and the handing over of all its systems to Nawat Energy Company according to the highest international standards for safety, security and quality, is the result of dedication and a high professional level for all workers in the peaceful nuclear program. These achievements also highlight the importance of developing four identical stations simultaneously, as the experiences and lessons learned during the construction phase of the first station contributed to the development of the second station, as well as the third and fourth stations within the Baraka stations project.

Al-Hammadi added: "These great achievements highlight the wise vision of the rational leadership and its unlimited support for the leadership role of the UAE in the transition to environmentally friendly energy sources in the region. These achievements also confirm the success of joint cooperation between the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and its partner in the joint coalition and the main contractor for the project, Korean Electric Power Company (KIPCO).

Al Hammadi concluded by saying: “The UAE peaceful nuclear program is an engine for economic, social and scientific growth in the UAE, through its contribution to enhancing energy security, diversifying the economy and providing rewarding jobs for the citizens of the country. Today we are one step away from securing a more sustainable and brighter future for future generations.”

The second station in Barakah has passed many specialized tests for its systems individually and jointly, such as the cold water balance test, thermal performance test, structural integrity and integrated leakage rate, within the framework of the first stage of a series of comprehensive tests known as the "preliminary testing program" which aims to ensure Development of the second station in the Barakah project in accordance with the highest international standards in quality and safety and maintaining this high level of performance for decades to come.

In addition to the "Initial Examination Program", the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, the Korean Electric Power Company (KEPCO) and the Nawat Power Company are conducting comprehensive tests in preparation for the operational phase in order to ensure that the teams at the plant adhere to the highest standards of efficiency and operational readiness.

According to the nuclear law of the United Arab Emirates, the construction and operational operations of peaceful nuclear power stations are subject to the regulatory systems of the Federal Nuclear Regulatory Authority, and upon the confirmation of the nuclear company of the readiness of the second station, and the relevant work teams, programs and procedures, "Nawaat" will submit to the authority a request to agree to start a process The first nuclear fuel packages are loaded into the plant's reactor and primitive. This step is preceded by the Federal Nuclear Supervision Authority undertaking comprehensive inspections and confrontations of all aspects related to the plant and operational processes in preparation for the issuance of the operating license.

In addition to the comprehensive and extensive review procedures of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Supervision, and in line with the principles announced by the UAE government in 2008 regarding adherence to the highest standards of safety, security, nuclear non-proliferation and operational transparency, the second station and the operational team will be subject to numerous assessments by experts of the World Association of Nuclear Operators.

In conjunction with these steps and despite the challenges posed by the spread of the Corona virus, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation continues to supervise the development of the third and fourth stations, and to apply the experiences and lessons learned from the first and second stations.

The Barakah project for peaceful nuclear energy is one of the largest new peaceful nuclear energy projects in the world in terms of developing four identical plants simultaneously, each of which includes an advanced "PR-1400" reactor. This reactor is one of the latest and most technologically advanced nuclear reactors designs in the world, and it adheres to the highest international standards for safety and performance, and was approved by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2019, where the design of the APR 1400 contains advanced safety systems that ensure the closure of the reactor Safely and automatically, removing heat and preventing radiation in unusual conditions.

 It is noteworthy that the construction works on the Barakah nuclear power plants project started in the year 2012, and has witnessed continuous progress since then, where the overall completion rate in the four stations reached more than 94%, while the completion rate in the third station reached more than 92% and the fourth To more than 85%.

Upon operation, the four stations will provide up to 25% of the UAE's needs for safe, reliable and environmentally friendly electrical energy, and will reduce 21 million tons of carbon emissions annually, equivalent to removing 3.2 million cars from the roads annually.

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