The construction of the first station was announced at a ceremony held on March 26 in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Despite the announcement, the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), the UAE’s regulator, still refused to grant an operating license to the joint venture between the South Korean electric power company KEPCO and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), due to training problems. Nawaat Energy Company hired 1,800 persons for the who had no nuclear expertise.
The first four reactors were supposed to open at the site of Barakah, west of Abu Dhabi, last year before being delayed until at least next year. The UAE had never had a nuclear safety culture before and should develop a full nuclear economy on the nuclear reactor project.
The UAE is now focusing on the operation of the four reactors by May 2020.
The completion rate of Unit 2 is 92%, Unit 3 is 81% and Unit 4 is 66%. The four plants will provide up to 25-27%% of the UAE’s energy requirements and reduce carbon emissions by 21 million tonnes per year.
