6 Aug (NucNet): Hot functional testing has been completed on Unit 2 of the four-unit Barakah nuclear power station under construction in the United Arab Emirates, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) said in a statement.
Enec is the company behind the $19bn project to build four South Korean 1,345-MW APR-1400 reactors at Barakah, about 240km west of Abu Dhabi city.
The testing consisted of almost 200 individual and integrated tests performed on major systems to check their performance under normal operational conditions, but without nuclear fuel in the reactor.
It was the first time most of the reactor’s systems were operated at the usual operational temperature of nearly 300 degrees Celsius and operational pressure of more than 150 kilogrammes per square centimetre, the equivalent of 1,500 meters below water. It was also the first time the turbine was spun at its maximum speed of 1,500 RPM.
The testing incorporated lessons learned from the same tests on Unit 1, Enec said. The company said keeping construction progress approximately one year apart for each of the four units at Barakah makes it possible to implement lessons learned from one unit on subsequent units.
Unit 1 at Barakah has been completed and turned over to Enec subsidiary Nawah for preparation to operate, pending regulatory approval, Enec said. Unit 2 is 93% complete and the facility’s four units are 89% complete overall.
