Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation hails major construction milestone at Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant
The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has announced the completion of the reactor containment building dome for Unit 4, the final unit of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, located in the Al Dhafrah region of Abu Dhabi.
The unit’s reactor coolant loop pipe welding, and the setting of key equipment have also been completed, ENEC said in a statement.
ENEC added: “The completion of Unit 4’s dome structure signifies the majority completion of the main construction activities at the Barakah Plant. This is a key milestone in the overall development of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program and the delivery of safe, clean and reliable electricity to the UAE grid.”
Built of concrete and heavily reinforced steel, reactor containment buildings are ranked among the strongest structures in the world.
Mohamed Al Hammadi, ENEC CEO, said: “These achievements highlight the significant progress being made in both the construction of Unit 4 as well as the journey towards the overall completion of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant.
“Construction of the last unit of the plant commenced in 2015, and it continues to benefit from the lessons learned and experience gained by the teams responsible for the construction of the other three units. With construction completion for Unit 4 currently standing at 67 percent, the next phase for the unit will be to start the transition from construction to testing and commissioning.”
Overall, the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is more than 87 percent complete. Unit 4 alone is more than 67 percent complete, while Units 3 and 2 are 81 percent and 92 percent respectively. The construction of the plant’s first unit has been completed and is currently undergoing a comprehensive review in preparation for operations.
All four units are expected to save up to 21 million tons of carbon emissions each year, equivalent to removing 3.2 million cars from the roads.
Source: UAE – ArabianBusiness.com