All about the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Abu Dhabi
After the joyous holiday of Eid Al Adha, the start of August 2020 brought great news for the UAE. The first of four nuclear reactors at Barakah Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Abu Dhabi became operational on August 1, 2020. This nuclear power reactor is the first-of-its-kind in the Arab world – a milestone that puts the UAE at the forefront of futuristic development and powers the country’s nuclear energy ambitions.
WHAT IS NUCLEAR ENERGY?
To put it simply, nuclear energy is the product of a nuclear reaction. There are two basic types of nuclear reactions – nuclear fusion and nuclear fission.
Nuclear energy uses processed, ground-based uranium as its primary source of fuel to produce steam that drives large turbines to generate electricity.
Nuclear energy is both rare and powerful. It is the only source of renewable energy that produces large quantities of electricity without causing any harm to the environment.
ABOUT THE NUCLEAR PLANT IN ABU DHABI, UAE
In line with the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, the country has been striving to use alternative sources of energy to meet the rising demand for electricity in the UAE.
The primary function of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, the first nuclear power station in UAE, would be to diversify the already available renewable energy sources in the UAE to supply electricity for companies, homes and government organisations.
Once completed and operational, this nuclear plant is expected to cater to one quarter of the country’s power generation requirements. Besides meeting the UAE’s electricity needs, this nuclear power plant will help:
- Reduce the country’s carbon footprint by 21 million tons (tantamount to carbon emissions from 3.2 million cars)
- Support economic development in Abu Dhabi with energy diversification
- Create job opportunities in the energy and specifically nuclear sectors for UAE citizens.
BARAKAH NUCLEAR POWER PLANT LOCATION
The UAE’s first nuclear power station, the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant is located in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafrah region, 53 km south-west of Ruwais city. Under construction since July 2017, the plant has been developed along the Arabian Gulf.
This huge energy project in the UAE is made up of four advanced nuclear power reactors, one of which was recently completed and made operational. The other three reactors are still under construction, with two of them reportedly being more than 90% complete. The exact completion date for the Barakah Nuclear Plant in Abu Dhabi is not known.
THE BARAKAH NUCLEAR POWER PLANT DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
The four nuclear reactors in the Barakah Power Plant are designed using the APR1400 – the most advanced nuclear power reactor design technology. This 3rd generation power plant meets the highest standards of international performance safety.
The APR1400 is a pressurised water reactor with a capacity to produce up to 1,400 megawatts of power with an expected service life of 60 years. With four APR1400 reactors installed, the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant would hit up to a maximum of 5,600 megawatts of electricity production.
The UAE APR1400 reactors have also been modified to adapt better to the extreme weather conditions in the region. Out of the various changes Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) made to the original reactor, the most prominent ones include:
- Sea water intake and cooling systems to bring down water temperatures
- Reinforced air-conditioning and ventilation system to combat excessive heat, dust and sand in the surroundings
- Water purification system to protect marine life.
THE BARAKAH NUCLEAR POWER PLANT VIRTUAL TOUR
While physical visits to the plant may not be made available, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation provides a complete virtual tour of the Barakah Nuclear Plant. You can see it all – the turbine room, the reactor building and the control room, where all the action happens!
All you need to do is download the ENEC 360 app available on Google Play and the App Store on your Google Cardboard or Samsung VR device and you’re set.
The app gives you access to a lot of other insights into the nuclear power generation process. Among other things, you can learn how the electricity is generated, how the nuclear fuel columns are refilled and how the nuclear fission process takes place.
That brings us to the end of this post on the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. As you can already guess, the biggest purpose of this NPP in the UAE is to produce clean energy.
The UAE is working on several other projects to achieve eco-friendly power generation. The Dubai Solar Park for example, will be able to produce 5000 MW of electricity once it’s completed.
Additionally, the UAE is using recycling in Dubai and the Tadweer services in Abu Dhabi to convert waste into energy – an ingenious solution to reduce wastage and produce electricity.
With all that happening on the national level, it pays to do our part, no matter how small it is. Residents of Dubai and the rest of the UAE can always look into the different ways to make their homes eco-friendly – small changes go a big way towards making an impact.
*Cover Image Courtesy: Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation official website
