The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has granted a 60-year operating licence to the first unit of the Barakah nuclear power project in Abu Dhabi. The first reactor was originally due to start up in 2017 but commissioning has been delayed several times. The plant’s operator, Nawah Energy, is now authorised to load fuel into the reactor and start the commissioning phase of Barakah-1, which is expected to start operation in 2020.
The first nuclear power plant of the UAE is developed by Nawah Energy, a joint venture of ENEC Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco). Kepco's subsidiary Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) started to build the project in 2013. The Barakah nuclear power plant consists of four 1,400 MW APR1400 units, which should all be operational by the end of 2020. The construction of Barakah-2 is 95% complete and Nawah Energy will now apply for an operating license too. Once complete, the power plant will cover almost 25% of the domestic electricity needs.
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