The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation today announced a historic achievement, represented in the success of the Foundation's nuclear company, which is responsible for operating and maintaining Baraka peaceful nuclear power plants, in completing the start-up of the first plant reactor.
This is the most important achievement to date in the march of the UAE peaceful nuclear program and Baraka nuclear power stations in the Al Dhafra region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Since receiving the license to operate the first station in Baraka from the Federal Nuclear Control Authority in February 2020, and completing the loading of nuclear fuel packages at the plant reactor in March 2020, the Nawat Power Company of the joint coalition between the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and the Korean Electric Power Corporation (KIPCO) has begun implementing A comprehensive and safe testing program leading to its success in completing the start-up of the first plant reactor.
The process of starting the reactor of the first station, is to produce heat inside the reactor for the first time safely in order to generate steam, which in turn rotates the turbine to produce electricity, where the experts of the approved reactor operation team at "Nawaat" focused on the safe control of this process as well as control of the energy level Resulting from the reactor .. After several tests, the first station will be ready to connect with the UAE electricity network and produce the first megawatts of environmentally friendly electricity for homes and commercial sectors in the country.
All these tests were carried out under the supervision of the Federal Nuclear Control Authority, the independent regulatory body for nuclear activities in the country, and after completing the pre-start review of the first plant by the World Nuclear Operators Association in January 2020, and before obtaining an operating license, which confirmed that the station is committed to the best Performance standards in the nuclear energy sector.
His Excellency Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, CEO of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation said: "This is undoubtedly a historic moment for the United Arab Emirates, which culminated in more than a decade of ambitious vision, strategic planning and tight management of the UAE peaceful nuclear program ... and despite the current challenges facing The world, our work teams have demonstrated a great deal of flexibility and commitment to accomplishing the first station in complete safety, as we approach another step towards achieving our goal of providing a quarter of the country's electricity needs, and enhancing the path of growth and development for the future of the country using safe, reliable and emission-free electrical energy.
He added: "Within the framework of the vision of good leadership, Barakah nuclear power plants have become an engine of growth in the UAE. The four plants, once fully operational, will produce 25% of the carbon-free electricity in the country, in addition to supporting economic diversification by providing thousands of rewarding jobs through Developing a sustainable nuclear nuclear energy sector and a domestic supply chain. "
Al-Hammadi continued: "We value the continuous support of the wise leadership that enabled us to achieve this great achievement, in addition to the support of our partners in the state and our Korean partners, and we also extend congratulations to everyone who contributed to this achievement and to the UAE's peaceful nuclear program in general."
Once the first station is connected to the state electricity grid, the operators will continue to gradually increase the reactor energy levels through a process known as "upward energy testing" during which the station's systems are monitored and tested to reach full operation according to the regulatory requirements and in accordance with the highest safety, quality and security standards in the world ..And when this process is completed within several months, the station will produce abundant amounts of electricity and its maximum capacity, to support economic growth and social prosperity in the country for decades to come.
For his part, Eng. Ali Al Hammadi, CEO of Nawat Power Company said: “The start of operating the first station is a major achievement for Nawat Energy Company, which fulfills its obligations to operate and maintain the plant in accordance with the highest international standards of safety and quality ... Today we are proud of the dedication of our work teams and close cooperation with our Korean partners. And many international organizations that have significant experience in this sector, which enabled us to achieve this achievement, which also reflects our commitment to applying the highest standards of safety, quality and transparency in all stages of the completion of the plant until the start of its operation while taking advantage of international experiences in the peaceful nuclear energy sector.
He added: "We are particularly proud of our competencies of Emirati nuclear engineers and technicians who have contributed to the completion of construction operations for the first plant, along with Emirati reactor operators and operators who have been certified to operate the station safely, as well as global expertise in the work teams, who all work to ensure safe and sustainable operations For decades to come. "
With this achievement, the United Arab Emirates has become the first in the Arab world and the 33rd in the world, which succeeds in developing nuclear power plants to produce electricity in a safe, reliable and environmentally friendly way, as Barakah plants contribute greatly to the state's efforts to provide electric energy in conjunction with reducing emissions Carbon production from electricity production. When fully operational, Barakah Al-Arba 'stations will produce 5.6 gigawatts of electricity and reduce 21 million tons of carbon emissions annually, which is equivalent to removing 3.2 million cars from the country’s roads every year.
Since the launch of the UAE peaceful nuclear program in 2009, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation has cooperated closely with international institutions and bodies specialized in the nuclear energy sector, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Association of Nuclear Operators, and within the framework of the requirements of the Federal Nuclear Supervision Authority, where the authority conducted more than 255 inspections to ensure Baraka’s stations, personnel, and operations adhere to the highest safety and quality standards, while the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Nuclear Operators Association conduct more than 40 reviews and evaluations.
The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation recently announced the completion of the construction work in the second station in Barakah and the delivery of the plant to Nawat Energy Company in preparation for the start of the operational preparations phase, while the construction work in the third and fourth stations reached its final stages, while the total percentage of completion in the four stations reached more than 94%.