UAE issues reactor licence for first Arab nuclear power plant – News of Bahrain- DT News

UAE issues reactor licence for first Arab nuclear power plant – News of Bahrain- DT News

The United Arab Emirates said yesterday it has issued a licence for a reactor at its Barakah nuclear power plant, the first in the Arab world, hailing it as a "historic moment".. The Barakah plant, located on the Gulf coast west of Abu Dhabi, had been due to come online in late 2017 but faced a number of delays that officials attributed to safety and regulatory requirements.. But the national nuclear regulator has now approved the operating licence for the first of four reactors at the plant, said Hamad al-Kaabi, the UAE representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). ". The plant is a regional first -- Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, has said it plans to build up to 16 nuclear reactors, but the project has to materialise.. Abu Dhabi authorities said in January that the plant would start operating within a few months.. The plant is being built by a consortium led by the Korea Electric Power Corporation at a cost of some $24.4 billion.. The remaining three reactors are almost ready for operation.. No enrichment programme The Barakah plant is situated on the Emirates coast, separated from Iran by the troubled Gulf waters.. Residents