Unit 2 at Barakah Nuclear Power Plant to begin commercial operations in 2022, FANR says

Abu Dhabi: The head of the UAE’s nuclear regulator said the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant’s second reactor is expected to begin commercial operations sometime this year.

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) also expects to issue the operating license for the third reactor in 2022, Christer Viktorsson, director general at the FANR, told media at a virtual briefing on Wednesday.

“In March 2021, FANR issued the Operating License for Unit 2, which is currently under commissioning phase in preparation for commercial operation expected this year. FANR is currently reviewing the Operating License Application for Unit 3 and planning to issue it this year once the Nawah Energy Company…meets all regulatory requirements in terms of nuclear safety, security and non-proliferation,” Viktorsson said.

“If there are any unexpected events then it might take a little bit longer, but if everything goes smoothly, [the operating license for Unit 3] will certainly be issued this year. For Unit 4, the original plan is one year after that of Unit 3, and that is still in our mind [and] in our planning,” he added.

In 2021, the UAE became the first Arab country to generate nuclear power, with the startup of the Barakah plant’s first reactor, Unit 1. The reactor, which began commercial operations in April last year, is now supplying 1,400 megawatts of clean electricity to the national grid.

The plant is owned by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), and operated by Nawah Energy Company. FANR regulates all nuclear activity in the UAE, and therefore oversees the development and operations of the plant.

Robust security

Addressing questions regarding the plant’s safety in light of recent Houthi attacks on the UAE, the official said the Barakah plant is protected by the highest safety and security measures.

"We have robust security in the country. The plant is designed according to the highest security principles. We have issued regulations for physical security and cyber security, and we work with other national authorities on this. We at FANR…make sure that we have regulations in place in order to protect the power plant, and particularly [that] the sensitive part of the power plant is well protected for any event,” Viktorsson said.

Latest safety regulations

“There are regulations for physical security and cyber security [of the plant]. So, there are strong barriers for physical protection, which is the normal practice in different facilities. There is a strong physical barrier, and there are sources available from law enforcement agencies who are trained in cases like this. And in the cyber security area, we have cooperation with many different authorities and in other countries in order to make sure that we can manage this. The safety and security of the plant is the responsibility of the operator, and we are the regulator making sure that we have the latest updated regulations according to international best practices. And that we expect to make sure that they are reinforced at the power plant,” he added.

When fully operational, the plant will produce 5,600 gigawatts of carbon-free electricity for more than 60 years to come, meeting as much as 25 per cent of the UAE’s power needs.

“FANR carried out over 40 inspections (covering nuclear safety, nuclear security and nuclear non-proliferation) in 2021 to the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant to ensure it meets regulatory requirements. FANR will continue to conduct the regulatory oversight of the four units of the nuclear power plant to ensure its safety and security,” Viktorsson said.

Emergency preparedness

The official also highlighted the UAE’s focus on nuclear emergency preparedness.

“In 2021, the UAE, in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and national entities, hosted the largest nuclear emergency exercise, ConvEx-3, to test the emergency preparedness and response system to address any nuclear or radiological emergency. Over 75 countries, 12 international organizations and 11 national and local emergency centres, as well as 700 participants in Al Dhafra region, took part in the exercise. The IAEA and international counterparts expressed their positive feedback and the IAEA report will be issued this year, providing recommendations on the exercise. In addition, FANR continued its emergency preparedness by conducting and taking part in 17 drills nationally and internationally, as well as organising 16 training workshops through its state-of-the art Emergency Operations Centre,” Viktorsson explained.