ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 09th Mar, 2021) The announcement of the issuance of an operating licence for Unit 2 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant is another example of how the UAE continues to implement its mega development projects despite the exceptional circumstances and challenges imposed by the outbreak of COVID-19.
The Barakah project has taken the development path of the UAE to advanced stages, placing the country within the "big players’ club" which fittingly complements its commitment to building a diverse national economy that is compatible with global requirements and standards that meet the challenges of climate change, preserve the sustainability of natural resources, and reduce carbon emissions.
The project is one in a series of projects that have been implemented by the UAE in recent years, through which it builds the future of the country as it enters the post-50-year era since its establishment. In this context, the successes of the UAE is being highlighted across many sectors such as space, renewable energy, and projects such as Etihad Rail, and the building of sustainable and smart cities.
Barakah strengthens the soft power of the Emirates, which has become the first in the Arab world and the 31st in the world to produce electricity using nuclear technology. It has also become the first country in the world to adopt four peaceful nuclear units at once according to the highest and best international security and safety standards.
Through Barakah, the UAE has once again demonstrated the uniqueness of its methods for development, which begins from where others have ended – achieving major strategic goals in record time by relying on national cadres who have been trained and qualified to lead and operate the largest technological and knowledge projects in the region and the world.
The project includes a set of strategic goals, especially from the economic and environmental perspectives. When the four units of the plant are fully operational, they will produce 5.6 gigawatts of electricity and will reduce 21 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually, which is equivalent to removing 3.2 million cars from the country's roads every year, and these numbers reflect the size of the achievement and confirm the extent of the UAE's keenness to contribute seriously to reducing levels of global warming.
The project achieves several indirect positive returns on the national economy, foremost of which is the accumulation of technical, scientific, technological and research expertise with the national companies that participated in the stages of building and operating the project. The project also supports the UAE's globally competitive position as a regional centre for new and renewable energy projects, whether with the accumulated experience and knowledge, or by its position as the main attraction for expertise and experts working in this vital field.
Through the Barakah project, the UAE has provided a model to follow for new countries joining the nuclear energy sector or those planning to join in terms of commitment to implementing the highest levels of transparency, whereby the UAE has signed more than 13 international agreements related to nuclear energy, such as safeguard agreements and its protocol to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Nuclear Safety Agreement, as well as others.
Over the past decade, the UAE received 11 international missions from the IAEA to review and evaluate various aspects of its nuclear infrastructure, its legal and regulatory framework, nuclear safety and security standards, and the country’s level of preparedness for emergencies and non-proliferation. All these missions praised the UAE’s efforts to ensure the peacefulness of its nuclear programme.
The Barakah journey, which introduced the UAE and the Arabs to the era of peaceful nuclear technology, began in 2008, with the issuance of the UAE’s policy on the Evaluation and Potential Development of Peaceful Nuclear Energy, based on six basic pillars - complete operational transparency, commitment to the highest standards of non-proliferation, establishing the highest standards of safety and security, to coordinate directly with the IAEA and adherence to its standards, to build solid partnerships with responsible countries and institutions with experience, and lastly to ensure the long-term sustainability of the nuclear energy programme.
In December 2009, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) was established by a Presidential Decree to provide safe, environmentally-friendly, reliable and efficient nuclear energy in the UAE.
The establishment of the ENEC coincided with the establishment of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) which began its work in September 2009, as a supervisory authority responsible for regulating the country's nuclear sector.
In 2010, Barakah, located in the Al Dhafra region, was selected as the project site, after lengthy studies conducted by FANR, the Electric Power Research Institute, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) took into account various factors, including earthquake activity in the region, being located far from densely populated areas, and its proximity to water resources and electric grids.
In July 2012, the FANR approved a licence to construct the first and second units in Barakah, to start immediately pouring the safety concrete in the first unit to start construction work, and in February 2013, ENEC submitted a request to FANR to obtain a building permit for the third and fourth units.
Over the next two years, the UAE proceeded to complete the four units. However, February 2015 was a significant date in the project, as experts from the IAEA praised the progress of the UAE's nuclear regulatory framework. In March of the same year, the ENEC submitted a request to the FANR to issue a licence to operate the first and second units.
In January 2017, the FANR issued two licences, the first permitting the transfer of new, non-radioactive nuclear fuel to the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, and the second allowing the storage of this fuel in the first unit of the plant. In June 2018, the IAEA mission praised the integrated nuclear infrastructure in the UAE after reviewing it is made up of nine international experts and affiliated personnel.
In February 2020, the FANR issued a licence to operate the first unit of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, which was officially commissioned on 1st August the same year, and today, 9th March, 2021, the authority announced the issuance of a licence to operate the second unit of the station.
Qualifying Emiratis to work on the project, especially in jobs that require high scientific knowledge, was a priority for the UAE’s decision-makers. Accordingly, in 2009 the ENEC launched the Energy Pioneers Programme to attract UAE nationals, providing them with studying and training opportunities to equip them to work in the nuclear energy sector. Today, 60 percent of the workforce at Nawah Energy Company, which operates the Barakah plant, are Emiratis.
