Barakah: Powering a greener future
Second unit of the nuclear plant is now connected to the UAE grid
When you turn on the television, charge your phone, dry your hair or open your fridge, you may not have realised that the power now running your homes and powering the industries and businesses of the UAE is made up in a growing and significant part from energy coming from this nation’s Al Barakah nuclear plant in Abu Dhabi emirate.
Earlier this week, Unit 2 at the site was connected to the national grid, meaning that a quarter of the energy needed to power this nation now comes from the plant. And that’s an energy that is clean, reliable and won’t add to the carbon footprint of the UAE. It is an energy that comes from renewable sources and ensures that this nation is living up to its commitment to care for the planet and negate the effects of climate change.
It has taken a decade of planning, engineering, building, testing and teamwork for the huge project run by Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) to come to fruition. The first reactor came online earlier this year and Unit 2 is now connected to the grid. When completed, the four units at Al Barakah will be one of the world’s largest nuclear facilities. It is the first in the Arab world to come on stream, marking a considerable first for this nation in the generation of clean electricity.
At every level, this project reflects the UAE’s expertise in meeting stringent national regulations and international standards, as well as the leading skills, qualifications and competencies of the Emirati-led teams, who have achieved this milestone at the plant. At every stage, this project has been transparent and underscores the commitment of this nation to harnessing the power of nuclear fusion for peaceful, humanitarian and commercial ends.
With the two units up and running, ENEC is now well on its way to providing a quarter of the country’s roundthe-clock electricity, while driving reductions in carbon emissions. Building a nuclear generating station is a highly complex engineering and technological project. Designing reactors, fuelling them, testing them and making sure they are robust is a highly complex and skilled process too.
With each passing day, the power levels are being stepped up, powering this nation with green and clean electricity. In the coming months, Units 3 and 4 will be completed, tested and brought online, underscoring this nation’s ability to think big, get things done — and make the world a greener place too.