Abu Dhabi: The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has stated that its operating and maintenance subsidiary, Nawah Energy Company, has completed the process of loading fuel assemblies into Unit 4 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant.
Nawah has received the Operating Licence for Unit 4 from the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), the independent nuclear regulatory body of the United Arab Emirates. With this accomplishment, the UAE is one step closer to having its entire fleet operating at Barakah, the region’s largest single source of clean electricity.
Unit 4, the Plant’s last unit, will allow Barakah to produce 25 percent of the UAE’s electricity needs continuously for the next 60 years once it comes online.
The three current commercially operating Units at Barakah, delivered in three consecutive years, are already generating more than 30TWh of zero-emission electricity every year. Unit 4 will raise the Barakah Plant’s total clean electricity generation capacity to 5.6GW, delivering more than 40TWh of clean electricity per year, once commercial operations begin.
Barakah is already preventing millions of tons of carbon emissions, the leading cause of climate change, every year.
The operations team will safely progress through a comprehensive testing program prior to completing the start-up of Unit 4. Testing is undertaken under the continued oversight of FANR.
Once Unit 4 is connected to the national electricity grid, the operations team will continue to gradually raise power levels, known as Power Ascension Testing (PAT). The phase will be continuously monitored and tested until maximum electricity production is reached while adhering to all regulatory requirements and the highest international standards of safety, quality, and security.
The Barakah Plant has had a transformational impact on the UAE’s energy landscape, spearheading the rapid decarbonization of the UAE’s heavy industries and hard-to-abate sectors. With Unit 4 due to start up in 2024, ENEC is now focused on capitalizing on the full value of the UAE’s investment in the nuclear energy sector, working closely with key global partners and technology companies to identify the right technology and meet the growing demand for clean electricity and molecules.
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