UAE’s nuclear plant receives fuel assemblies as it readies for launch

The UAE’s nuclear power plant in Barakah has received fuel assemblies required to generate electricity from its first unit, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) said in a statement.

The fuel assemblies have been stored in Barakah until the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) approves the operating license for units 1 and 2, which will allow the generation of the first megawatts of emission-free electricity, the statement said.

Construction of Barakah plant’s Unit 1 began in 2012 and is more than 95 percent complete, the statement said. All four units are now 80 percent complete.

Once the four reactors are online, the facility will deliver up to a quarter of the UAE’s electricity needs and save up to 12 million tons in carbon emissions every year, the ENEC said.

Made by Kepco NF, a South Korean firm, the new fuel assemblies were transported to the plant in highly protected rigid structures to guarantee their integrity.

“The successful transportation of the first fuel assemblies to the Barakah plant is a major success for ENEC and the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program,” Mohamed Al Hammadi, chief executive of ENEC, said in the statement.