UAE's nuclear energy plant "Barakah" connected to grid

The third unit of the UAE's Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has delivered its first supply of carbon-free electricity, after being successfully connected to the national grid. The latest milestone in the country's clean energy drive comes only weeks after the reactor was switched on.

Unit 3 has the capacity to supply up to 1,400 megawatts of emission-free energy, helping to power the UAE's fight against climate change. An operating license for the third unit of the Abu Dhabi plant was issued in June.

Nawah Energy Company, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation’s subsidiary responsible for the operation of the nuclear power plant, connected the unit to the UAE’s transmission grid.

Following its connection, officials will begin the process of gradually raising power levels at Unit 3, in a process known as power ascension testing. This process will be regularly monitored and tested until maximum electricity production is reached, in line with international safety standards.

The Arab world's first nuclear plant is rapidly taking shape and will be central to the Emirates' ambitious sustainability strategy for years to come. Its power generation will significantly reduce the country's use of gas-fired power stations to generate electricity.

In February 2020 and March 2021, the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation issued the operating licenses for Unit 1 and Unit 2, respectively.

Commercial operations at Unit 1 started on April 18 last year and, within a year, the energy it produced prevented the release of more than five million tones of carbon emissions. This is the quantity of emissions that would have been created if fossil fuels had instead been used to generate power.

It is the equivalent of more than “one million cars driven for a year”, Enec said in April. The four units of the Barakah plant will produce enough electricity to cover 25 per cent of the country’s energy needs.

Unit 2 of the plant started commercial operations on March 24, less than a year after Unit 1. Unit 3's construction was completed last year, while Unit 4 is close to completion.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates this week praised the UAE for its ambitious efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, highlighting the significant progress being made on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant.

Commending the UAE on its efforts, Mr Gates said the emirates was “very forward-looking” in its ambitions, and was setting aggressive goals as part of its transition to cleaner energy sources.

He welcomed the UAE's support of the green agenda in a video address broadcast at the Countdown to Cop27 event on Thursday, held at the Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi.