UAE: Testing begins at Barakah nuclear plant’s final unit for operational readiness

UAE: Testing begins at Barakah nuclear plant’s final unit for operational readiness

The lessons learned from the previous three units have been effectively applied to the next unit

By WAM Published: Thu 8 Jun 2023, 3:29 PM

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) has announced that Unit 4, the fourth and final unit at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi, has begun its operational readiness preparations.

The operations team at Barakah have now commenced the operational readiness testing required to demonstrate the unit is ready to receive the operating licence from the UAE's independent nuclear regulator, the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR).

The lessons learned from the previous three units have been effectively applied to the next unit, ensuring the swift and safe transition to operational readiness, with each unit passing through the phases of preparation in a more efficient manner while maintaining the same standards of quality and safety.

The news comes following commercial operations of Unit 3 earlier in 2023, which joined Units 1 and 2 in generating 30TWh annually.

Once commercially operational, Unit 4 will raise the Barakah Plant's total clean electricity generation capacity to 5.6GW, equivalent to 25 per cent of the UAE's electricity needs, delivering more than 40TWh of clean electricity per year.

The Barakah Plant has already had a transformational