On Monday, February 17th, the UAE Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) announced the issuance of a license to operate the first unit of the Barakah nuclear power plant.
Hamad Al-Kaabi, Vice-Chairman of the Board of FANR and the Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said during a press conference held in Abu Dhabi: “The Board of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation has approved the issuance of operating license for the first unit of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant,” He explained that the plant operator, Nawah Energy Company, has been granted a 60 years operation license, and the it will start the period of preparations for commercial operation.
Abu Dhabi authorities had announced last January that the first unit would start operation within “a few months”.
Thus, the UAE became the first Arab country in to operate a nuclear power plant. The Barakah NPP is the first nuclear plant in the Gulf region, and by its completion, will include four reactor units with a total capacity of 5600 MW, and is expected to provide about 25% of the state’s electricity needs when fully operational.
Construction work on the plant began in July 2012 by a consortium led by the Korean company KEPCO, according to an agreement worth more than $ 20 billion US. The first nuclear reactor was scheduled to operate in late 2017, but was delayed several times.
