Mohammed bin Rashid and Mohammed bin Zayed: We congratulate the UAE for its historic achievement, and we are proud of our national competencies
The start of the second commercial operation of the Barakah Peaceful Nuclear Energy Plants
National competencies contributed to the achievement.
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Yesterday, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation announced the start of commercial operation of the second Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, adding 1,400 megawatts of carbon-free electricity to the UAE electricity grid, bringing the total production of the first and second stations in Barakah to 2,800 megawatts, which contributes In enhancing energy security, and supporting the state’s efforts to achieve sustainability goals.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, stressed that what has been achieved is a "historic national achievement", noting the contribution of the people of the country to achieving it.
His Highness said on his Twitter page: "We congratulate the UAE for its success in operating the second nuclear power plant in the Barakah area in Abu Dhabi. I congratulate all the workers, and I congratulate 1,800 of the country's engineers, operators and specialists. I congratulate my brother, Mohamed bin Zayed, for the national achievement." Historic.”
His Highness also noted the attendance of young people at the Barakah plants, as “70% of the citizens working in nuclear power plants are under the age of 35.
We are a young country.
It is betting on its youth, and its youth is betting on its delivery to unprecedented historical horizons.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, expressed his happiness with the new Emirati achievement.
His Highness said on his Twitter page, "The start of the commercial operation of the second station of the Barakah stations is a new step in the UAE's quest to achieve the goals of the Climate Neutrality Strategy 2050. We are proud of our Emirati competencies, and we are happy with the global expertise that shared this achievement with us."
With this new achievement, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and its subsidiaries have come halfway towards fulfilling their commitments to provide up to a quarter of the UAE’s electricity needs, and to reliably support economic growth through the production of environmentally friendly electricity around the clock, seven days a week. significantly in achieving the goals of the country’s strategic initiative for climate neutrality 2050.
With the commercial operation of the second plant, the Barakah plants have become the first multi-station peaceful nuclear energy project in operation in the Arab world, and are leading the largest efforts among sectors in the region to reduce the carbon footprint, providing thousands of megawatts of carbon-free electricity every day.
The Foundation's Managing Director and CEO, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, said: "Barakah stations are among the most important pillars of sustainable development in the UAE.
The commercial operation of the second plant doubles the production of the carbon-neutral power plants of Barakah, and accelerates the process of reducing the carbon footprint of the energy sector in the country, in order to reach climate neutrality by 2050.”
He added: “The commercial operation of the second station in Barakah comes less than a year after the commercial operation of the first station, which confirms the distinctive capabilities of the UAE in managing major projects and developing an institutional knowledge base, in order to enhance the completion process according to the highest standards, and provide a role model. For other countries wishing to diversify their energy resource portfolio, using reliable and sustainable technology.”
The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation is increasingly supporting the country's strategy to diversify its energy portfolio, by moving towards environmentally friendly sources, and contributing to leading efforts to achieve the goals of the country's strategic initiative for climate neutrality 2050, by reducing millions of tons of carbon emissions, and contributing to Confronting the phenomenon of climate change, and providing solutions to this phenomenon.
When fully operational, the four Barakah plants will provide up to 25% of the country's electricity needs, and will reduce 22.4 million tons of carbon emissions annually, which is equivalent to emissions from 4.8 million cars each year.
Barakah plants also contribute to ensuring energy security in the UAE, through the production of environmentally friendly electricity, as well as promoting economic stability and social prosperity, as the plants will produce 85% of carbon-free electricity in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi by 2025, making it the largest contributor to the Reducing carbon emissions in Abu Dhabi by 50% by the middle of the decade.
The CEO of Barakah First Company, which represents the financial and commercial interests of the Barakah plants project, Nasser Al-Nasiri, said: “The achievement is a new plant, and complementary to the development process of Barakah Nuclear Power Plants, with the commercial operation of the second plant, as we are currently providing the Emirates Water and Electricity Company with an additional amount of Electricity, as part of the Power Purchase Agreement signed in 2016. We are committed to producing energy efficiently to ensure that various sectors across the UAE have access to base load electricity on an ongoing basis, for a period of 60 years.
The sale of electricity produced by Barakah plants also supports the green energy certification program in Abu Dhabi, allowing more companies to acquire sustainability credentials, and stimulating the growth of the country’s carbon-neutral economy.”
The commercial operation of the second station in Barakah was carried out with the continuous support of the Emirates Water and Electricity Company and the Abu Dhabi Transmission and Control Company (TRANSCO), which ensure the delivery of environmentally friendly electricity from Barakah stations to all parts of the UAE in a safe and sustainable manner, in addition to the two companies maintaining an infrastructure The world-class electricity grid in the country, which ensures reliable distribution of the electricity produced by the stations.
For his part, the CEO of Nawah Energy Company, affiliated with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and in charge of operating and maintaining the Barakah plants, Engineer Ali Al Hammadi, said: “The start of the commercial operation of the second plant in Barakah comes as a result of the world-class operational experience of the work teams consisting of Emirati competencies and international expertise, who possessed the skills of And expertise in the nuclear energy sector over the years, to provide reliable, environmentally friendly and sustainable electricity safely and around the clock, from two identical plants operating simultaneously.
We are committed to operating Barakah stations in accordance with the regulations in force in the UAE, and in accordance with the best international practices, during our continuous course of operational excellence.”
The second station in Barakah joins the first station that started commercial operation in April 2021, at a time when the completion of the third and fourth stations has reached its final stages, as operational preparations are underway for the third station, while the total percentage of completion in the four stations has reached more than 96%, after Work has progressed steadily since construction began in 2012.
The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the Al Dhafra region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi includes four APR-1400 advanced reactors.
As part of its vision for environmentally friendly energy through a peaceful nuclear energy programme, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation provides young Emirati competencies with opportunities to gain skills, expertise and experience that will enable them to become the future leaders of the growing peaceful nuclear energy sector in the UAE.
Mohamed Ben Rached:
• "I congratulate all the workers, and I congratulate 1,800 of the country's engineers, operators and specialists... I congratulate my brother, Mohammed bin Zayed, for the historic national achievement."
• "70% of the citizens working in nuclear power plants are under the age of 35."
Mohammed bin Zayed:
• “The start of commercial operation of the second station of Barakah stations..a new step in the UAE’s quest to achieve the goals of the Climate Neutrality Strategy 2050.”
• "We are proud of our Emirati competencies, and we are happy with the global expertise that shared this achievement with us."
Success Story
The experience of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plants is a positive success story, through fruitful cooperation and teamwork with many different organizations and bodies. The cooperation of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation with partners and stakeholders was a key factor in the development of a world-class peaceful nuclear program, of which the UAE is proud.
A report issued by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation showed that the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation reviewed more than 15,000 pages of the application for an operating license before it was granted for the first plant in 2020, and the second in 2021.
It also conducted more than 360 inspections in Barakah, to ensure that the plant meets regulatory requirements, and completed 44 reviews in Barakah from international experts, such as the World Nuclear Association and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
10 achievements
The UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program recorded 10 achievements from December 2020 until this March. In December 2020, the first plant reached 100% of its production capacity, and in January 2021, the independent review of the World Nuclear Association of Nuclear Operators confirmed the readiness of the second plant in Barakah to start operation.
During March 2021, the Nuclear Control issued a license to operate the second station, and start loading fuel, while April 2021 witnessed the announcement of the first commercial operation of the first station in Barakah, and the start of production of environmentally friendly electric power.
In July 2021, Emirates Nuclear Energy achieved 100 million safe working hours at Barakah.
August 2021 saw the start of operation of the second station in Barakah.
And in September 2021, the second station of Barakah was connected to the electricity network for the first time, while the construction works of the third station in Barakah were completed during November 2021.
During December 2021, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, was briefed, during his state visit, on the progress being made in Barakah.
Yesterday, March 24, 2022, the commercial operation of the second plant in Barakah was announced, and the production of environmentally friendly electricity from nuclear power doubled.
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