UAE: Barakah unit 4 prepares to obtain an operating licence

Workers at the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates have begun preparations to obtain an operating licence and fuel loading permit for unit 4. The four-unit plant, which uses APR-1400 reactors, will cover around a quarter of the country's electricity consumption. Construction of the first unit began in 2012, with the others following at roughly yearly intervals.

Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) announced that the fourth and final unit of the Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi has begun preparations for the operational phase. Workers are aiming to obtain an operating licence from the nuclear regulator and a permit to load nuclear fuel. ENEC believes it will draw on its previous experience commissioning the first three units.

“In the UAE Year of Sustainability, we are showing the real, rapid and transformative impact nuclear energy can have on decarbonising the energy sector. Since 2020, we have brought another unit online every year, supplying the grid with 10 TWh of emissions-free energy 24/7. With unit 4 now moving towards commissioning, we will soon fulfil our mission of generating 25% of the country's electricity,” said ENEC's managing director and CEO, Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi.

Once unit 4 enters commercial operation, it will increase the Barakah plant's total installed capacity to 5.6 GW. The plant will then generate around 40 TWh of clean electricity a year and cover about a quarter of the country's electricity consumption.

Already, the first three units covered almost half of electricity consumption in the emirate of Abu Dhabi during the winter. The emirate's gas consumption has since fallen to an 11-year low thanks to the nuclear power plant. The UAE plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and nuclear energy is expected to make a significant contribution.

Building a 5.6GW plant in 11 years

ENEC began construction of the first Barakah unit in July 2012. The other units followed in April 2013, September 2014 and July 2015. The first unit entered commercial operation in April 2021, just under nine years later, followed by unit 2 in March 2022 and unit 3 this February. Unit 4 is expected to be commissioned later this year. The UAE therefore took 11 years to build and commission the entire four-unit plant, with a gross installed capacity of 5.6 GW.

“Barakah is a clear success story ahead of the upcoming COP 28 in Dubai, where participants will be looking for solutions to the climate crisis. At the same time, they are increasingly recognising the vital role proven nuclear technology will play. We are inspiring a new generation of climate champions while accelerating the decarbonisation of the United Arab Emirates on the path to carbon neutrality by 2050,” Al Hammadi added.