Nuclear energy from Barakah plant now lights up your life

Nuclear energy from Barakah plant now lights up your life

It's official: The clean, emissions-free electricity from Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant is now in your home, as the facility has started commercial operations.

The authorities on Tuesday announced that the Barakah plant — the Arab world's first nuclear power station — is now providing constant, reliable, and sustainable electricity to the UAE's households and businesses through its first 1,400MW unit.

Commercial operations mean the testing phase of the Unit 1 nuclear reactor is over. It has met all national requirements and international standards, and electricity can now be delivered round the clock, seven days a week for the next 60 years. The only halt will be every 12 to 18 months for refuelling.

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Today, Unit 1 is the largest single generator connected to the UAE grid, generating thousands of megawatts of carbon-free electricity every single day. And once the other three units at the plant are fully operational, 5,600MW of electricity will be produced, which is enough to power 574,000 households in the UAE.

The four units will eventually power 25 per cent of the country's electricity