UAE: Final unit of Barakah nuclear power plant receives operating licence

The nuclear regulator in the United Arab Emirates has issued an operating licence for the final unit of the Barakah power plant. The four-unit plant is equipped with APR-1400 reactors, and its completion fulfils a goal set by the government in 2008. Nuclear power will soon cover around a quarter of the country’s electricity consumption and is expected to play a major role in achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.

The United Arab Emirates’ Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) announced that it had issued an operating licence for unit 4 of the Barakah nuclear power plant. The 60-year operating licence follows a comprehensive review of documentation and safety inspections of the APR-1400 unit. Technicians can now begin commissioning the unit for commercial operation. Among other steps, unit 4 must be loaded with nuclear fuel.

"The review of the operating licence application for unit 4 was carried out by a team made up of 90% Emirati nuclear experts. This demonstrates the success of FANR’s strategy to build the capabilities and skills of our people to regulate the nuclear sector and ensure its safe operation," said Christer Viktorsson, FANR’s Director General.

FANR also assessed the organisational and staffing readiness of the plant’s operator, Nawah Energy Company. The inspections found that the unit complies with regulatory requirements. The Emirati regulator has also issued certificates to a total of 215 reactor operators, 78 of whom are UAE nationals.

A quarter of electricity from nuclear power

The UAE government made the strategic decision to invest in nuclear power in 2008. Construction of the first unit officially began in 2012, and it entered commercial operation in 2021. With an installed capacity of 5 380 MW and a total cost of 20 billion dollars (in 2009 prices), the project will cover around a quarter of the country’s electricity consumption once fully operational.

"Today is a historic moment for the United Arab Emirates as it realises its vision, launched 15 years ago, of becoming the first country in the region to use peaceful nuclear energy. The success of the UAE’s nuclear energy programme, and its delivery in record time while meeting international standards, has made the country a model for others embarking on nuclear energy development," said Ambassador Hamad Al Kaabi, the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency and Vice Chair of FANR’s Board of Management.