The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has completed the pre-operational testing of the last unit of the massive Barakah plant – inching closer towards fully operating the four-unit complex.
The Abu Dhabi-owned operator said it completed the weeks-long Hot Functional Testing of Barakah’s Unit 4, where components were checked for thermal expansion and vibration.
“The successful completion of these tests on Unit 4 of the Barakah Plant showcases our continued progress in accordance with all national regulatory requirements and the highest international standards,” Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, ENEC’s chief executive said, in a statement.
Construction of Barakah’s Unit 4 began in September 2015, three years after the plan’s first unit. Only two units are commercially operating, with the third one going online “in the coming months,” the company said.
“These tests are key steps forward towards demonstrating Unit 4’s readiness to operate and brings us a step closer to having four units online to provide abundant, clean and reliable electricity, advancing the UAE’s clean energy transition and boosting energy security for the next 60 years,” Al Hammadi said.
The Barakah plant is a critical element of the UAE’s ambition to significantly transition to using clean energy in its mix. Once fully operational, it is expected to produce up to 25 percent of the country’s electricity needs, while preventing 22.4 million tons of carbon emissions every year.
Located in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region, the plant is expected to be the largest contributor to cutting the UAE capital’s power and water sector carbon emissions by 50 percent, generating over 85 percent of Abu Dhabi’s clean electricity.
Nawah Energy Company, a subsidiary of ENEC, is mandated to operate all four units of the Barakah plant.
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