The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) said on Tuesday that the final of the UAE's four nuclear reactors, Unit 4, has been finished and that fuel assemblies have been placed into it.
The operational licehnce for Unit 4 was recently granted to Nawah Energy Company, an operating and maintenance subsidiary of Enec, by the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR). The UAE is now one step closer to having Barakah, the greatest single source of clean power in the region, operate its entire fleet after reaching this milestone. Unit 4 will allow the plant to provide 25% of the power required by the UAE continuously for the next 60 years once it becomes active.
Presently, three Barakah plants are producing over 30 trillion watt-hours of emission-free power annually on a commercial basis. When commercial operations start, Unit 4 will increase the Barakah plant's overall capacity to generate clean power to 5.6GW, producing more than 40TWh of clean electricity annually. Unit 4 will allow the plant to provide 25% of the power required by the UAE continuously for the next 60 years once it comes online.
Millions of tonnes of carbon emissions are already being kept out of the atmosphere by Barakah. Before Unit 4 is fully started up, the operations team will now go through a thorough testing process. Testing is done under the FANR's ongoing supervision. The Barakah plant, which is leading the fast decarbonisation of the UAE's heavy industries and difficult-to-abate sectors, has had a revolutionary effect on the country's energy landscape.
Enec is currently concentrated on maximising the value of the UAE's investment in the nuclear energy industry, working together with important international partners and businesses to select the optimal technology and satisfy the rising demand for clean electricity. Unit 4 is scheduled to begin operations in 2024.
Enec, the sole authorised nuclear energy developer in the United Arab Emirates, is collaborating on technology and project partnership prospects with foreign partners while also engaging with domestic stakeholders to identify deployment routes.
One of the biggest nuclear energy facilities in the world, the Barakah plant is a major player in the worldwide nuclear energy market and has four APR-1400 units. The UAE's ambitious objective of reaching Net Zero by 2050 and its shift to sustainable energy are greatly aided by the facility.
