Barakah nuclear plant's first reactor reaches 80 per cent power

Once Unit 1 reaches 100 per cent capacity, it will be powered down for further testing

Some of the Emirati staff behind the nuclear project, which has been more than a decade in the making. All photos courtesy Fanr

The UAE's nuclear regulator issued an operating licence for the first reactor at Barakah in February 2020

Delivering the project has been a feat of engineering. As many as 18,000 people worked on the project at the height of construction.

Fifty-three Emiratis have recently been certified as senior reactor operators and many more will be needed in coming years

There is growing interest among new Emirati graduates to enter the nuclear training programmes

Nuclear plays a significant part in targets to reduce gas-fired power generation to 38 per cent by 2050, along with renewable energy from solar and some clean coal.

“The nuclear programme has huge upfront costs to provide a certain level of security," Hamad Al Kaabi said. "But once you make that investment in the construction of the plant, the operation and fuel cost is very minimal compared to the overall cost.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed previously said Barakah is a "new chapter in our journey for the development of peaceful nuclear energy"

"As we prepare for the next 50 years to safeguard our needs, our biggest strength is national talent," Sheikh Mohamed said.

The four huge reactors at Barakah

Hamad Al Kaabi, the UAE's permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Christer Viktorsson, director general of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, speak about the first reactor to be licensed in February. Khushnum Bhandari for The National

Barakah Nuclear Power Plant's first reactor is now operating at 80 per cent capacity.

Engineers at the facility in Abu Dhabi, the first in the Arab world, have been slowly raising the reactor power levels since it was switched on in late July.

Throughout this process, called power ascension testing, the systems of Unit 1 were closely monitored and tested to ensure they are completely safe and comply with international and national regulatory requirements.

The testing is being conducted under the oversight of the UAE’s independent nuclear regulator, the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, which carried out more than 280 inspections since the start of Barakah’s development.

These national reviews were supported by more than 40 assessments and peer reviews by the International Atomic Energy Agency and World Association of Nuclear Operators.

Once Unit 1 reaches 100 per cent power, it will be gradually shut down to carry out a check outage.

During the check outage, which takes place over a period of several months, Unit 1’s systems will be carefully examined and any planned or corrective maintenance will be performed to ensure its safety, reliability and security before beginning commercial operations.

Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, located in Al Dhafra, is the cornerstone of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme. It was built in partnership with the Korea Electric Power Corporation, where hundreds of Emiratis have trained.

Unit 1 was connected to the UAE power grid in August, when it began producing clean and environment-friendly electricity using nuclear energy.

It was a crucial first step in an ambitious journey with an ultimate goal to deliver 25 per cent of the UAE's electricity with zero carbon emissions for several decades.