The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) said that under the licence, Nawah Energy Company, the subsidiary of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) responsible for operating the plant, is authorised to operate it for 60 years
The assessment process included reviewing the plant’s layout design and analysis of the site’s location in terms of geography and demography. The assessment also included the reactor design, cooling systems, security arrangements, emergency preparedness, radioactive waste management and other technical aspects. FANR assessed Nawah’s organisational and manpower readiness.
FANR reviewed a 14,000-page operating licence application that also included Unit 4, conducted more than 120 inspections and requested additional information for Unit 3 on various matters related to reactor design, safety and other issues.
In March, Unit 2 at Barakah began commercial operation, following Unit 1 in April 2021. Unit 1 was the first commercial nuclear power plant to begin operation in the Arab World.
Barakah, in the Al Dhafra region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, is one of the largest nuclear energy new-build projects in the world, with four APR-1400 units supplied by South Korea. Construction began in 2012 and the project as a whole is now more than 96% complete.
Enec has said that when fully operational, the station will produce carbon-free electricity for more than 60 years, meeting as much as 25% of the UAE’s power needs.
