According to the statement, the certification is a “key requirement” in the process of obtaining an operational licence for the plant.
Fanr said the first certified group comprises 15 reactor operators employed by Nawah Energy Company, the operations and maintenance subsidiary of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec).
The group took part in a three-year training programme, which included experience from some of the industry’s “leading engineering and nuclear energy experts”, a “discipline-focused curriculum”, and opportunities to train in South Korea, the US, South Africa, and the UAE.
Mark Reddemann, chief executive officer of Nawah, said the successful certification of the first operators’ group is “an important milestone” for the company in the development of its operational readiness programme, in advance of first fuel loading for Barakah-1.
Enec is building four South Korean 1,345-MW APR-1400 reactors at Barakah, about 240 km west of Abu Dhabi city in the UAE.
Enec said Unit 1 construction is complete and the plant has been turned over to operator Nawah for preparation to operate, pending regulatory approval.
The regulator Fanr said it is currently in the final stage of reviewing the operating licence application for the Barakah-1.
According to Enec, overall construction progress at the Barakah plant stands at 95%.
