U.A.E. Nuclear Power Plant Reaches “First Criticality” in First for Arab World

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On Friday, the U.A.E. started up Unit 1 at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, in what is the culmination of a decade of planning and construction. Unit 1 at Barakah subsequently reached “first criticality,” which is when the nuclear chain reaction within the reactor is self-sustaining. Eventually, when all four reactors at Barakah are up and running, they will provide for a quarter of the U.A.E.’s electricity needs. As of July 2020, construction of Unit 2 is complete and Unit 3 and 4 are 92% and 85% complete respectively. The development of the U.A.E.’s nuclear program was made possible by the landmark “123 Agreement” between the U.S. and the U.A.E. Please see below for key stories about this historic moment.

 

UAE’s first power reactor achieves criticality
1 August 2020
Associated Press

A nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates successfully started up its first reactor, authorities said Saturday.

The Barakah nuclear power plant in the Emirates’ far western desert near the border with Saudi Arabia reached what scientists called its “first criticality” on Friday. That’s when the nuclear chain reaction within the reactor is self-sustaining.

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Emirati nuclear plant successfully starts up first reactor
1 August 2020
Associated Press

Since receipt of an operating licence from the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) in February, and the completion of fuel assembly loading in March, Nawah has been progressing through a testing programme, prior to completing the start-up of the unit.

Mohamed Al Hammadi, chief executive officer of ENEC, said this was a “truly historic” moment for the UAE. “It is the culmination of more than a decade of vision, strategic planning and robust programme management. Despite the recent global challenges, our team has demonstrated outstanding resilience and commitment to the safe delivery of unit 1. We are now another step closer to achieving our goal of supplying up to a quarter of our nation’s electricity needs and powering its future growth with safe, reliable, and emissions-free electricity.”

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UAE starts up Barakah nuclear power plant
When fully operational, Barakah nuclear power plant will produce 5.6 gigawatts of electricity
1 August 2020
Arabian Business

The United Arab Emirates on Saturday announced the start-up of its Barakah nuclear power plant, a first for the Arab world.

Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) announced that its operating and maintenance subsidiary, Nawah Energy Company, has successfully started up Unit 1 of the Barakah plant, located in the Al Dhafrah region of Abu Dhabi.

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UAE Launches Start-Up Operations at First Nuclear Power Plant
1 August 2020
Reuters

The United Arab Emirates has begun start-up operations in the initial unit of its first nuclear power plant, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) said on Saturday.

The Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi, a major oil producer, is being built by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). The plant was originally due to open in 2017 but start-up of its first reactor was repeatedly delayed.

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U.A.E. Becomes First Arab Nation to Open a Nuclear Power Plant
The launch is raising concerns about the growing number of nuclear programs in the volatile Middle East.
By Vivian Yee
1 August 2020
New York Times

The United Arab Emirates became the first Arab country to open a nuclear power plant on Saturday, raising concerns about the long-term consequences of introducing more nuclear programs to the Middle East.

Two other countries in the region — Israel and Iran — already have nuclear capabilities. Israel has an unacknowledged nuclear weapons arsenal and Iran has a controversial uranium enrichment program that it insists is solely for peaceful purposes.

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UAE Starts Operation of Arab World’s First Nuclear Power Reactor
Federation joins 30 countries with nuclear power capacity
By Mahmoud Habboush
1 August 2020
Bloomberg

The United Arab Emirates switched on the Arab world’s first commercial nuclear power plant after loading fuel and conducting comprehensive tests, the prime minister said.

With the start-up of the Barakah reactor, the UAE — a seven-member federation that includes commercial hub Dubai and oil-rich Abu Dhabi, where the reactor is located — joins a club of 30 countries that can generate nuclear energy. The country’s watchdog had given the go-ahead to run the plant in February.

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