Barakah nuclear power plant explained

Barakah Nuclear Power Plant
Name Official:محطة براكة للطاقة النووية
Coordinates:23.9678°N 52.2317°W
Country:United Arab Emirates
Location:Approx. 50km west of Ruwais
Status:O
Construction Began:Unit 1: 19 July 2012
Unit 2: 16 April 2013
Unit 3: 24 September 2014
Unit 4: 30 July 2015
Commissioned:Unit 1: 3 August 2020
Unit 2: 14 September 2021
Unit 3: 10 October 2022
Unit 4: 23 March 2024
Cost:US$ 24.4 billion
Owner:ENEC
Np Reactor Type:PWR
Np Reactor Supplier:KEPCO
Ps Cooling Source:Persian Gulf
Ps Units Operational:4 x 1345 MW
Ps Units Manu Model:APR-1400
Ps Thermal Capacity:4 × 3983 MWth
Ps Electrical Capacity:5600 MW

The Barakah nuclear power plant (Arabic: محطة براكة للطاقة النووية) (BNPP) is the United Arab Emirates' first nuclear power station, the first nuclear power station in the Arabian Peninsula, the second in the Persian Gulf region and the first commercial nuclear power station in the Arab World. It consists of four APR-1400 nuclear reactors. Total nameplate capacity is 5600 MW which is intended to supply up to 25% of UAE's electricity needs.[1] [2] The site is in the Gharbiya region of Abu Dhabi, on the coastline between the Persian Gulf and the E11 highway, 50 km west of Ruwais.

History

Contracting

In December 2009, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) awarded a coalition led by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) a $20 billion bid to build the first nuclear power plant in the UAE. Barakah was chosen as the site to build four APR-1400 nuclear reactors successively, with the first scheduled to start supplying electricity in 2017.[3] [4] [5]

In 2011, Bloomberg reported that following detailed finance agreements, the build cost was put at $30 billion and financed with $10 billion equity, $10 billion export-credit agency debt, and $10 billion from bank and sovereign debt. South Korea may earn a further $20 billion from operation, maintenance and fuel supply contracts.[6] A later Bloomberg report indicates the price as $25 billion.[7]

As of 22 March 2018, the project's total cost was refined to $24.4 billion to complete. Startup of Unit 1 was delayed to late 2018.[8] The project was then further delayed, with commercial operation of the first reactor only achieved in April 2021.[9]

Timeline

The plant's ground-breaking ceremony was held on 14 March 2011, including Korean President Lee Myung-bak. It has four units.[10] Construction of the first unit was begun in the afternoon of 18 July 2012,[11] [12] ahead of its scheduled date in late 2012. This happened despite delays being mooted in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.[13] In May 2013, construction started on the second unit, which was then expected to take five years.[14] The first safety-related concrete was poured for Unit 3 in September 2014.[15] Unit 4 started construction in September 2015.[16] [17]

In 2014, the Barakah 1 reactor vessel was delivered onsite and site preparation works for Barakah 3 and 4 started.[18] [19] Meanwhile, the concrete-and-steel reactor containment building for Barakah 1 was completed in January 2015.

In March 2015, ENEC applied to Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) for operating licences for Units 1 and 2.[20]

In September 2015, first concrete was poured for Unit 4. More than 18,000 staff were then working on the construction of all 4 units.[21]

In December 2017, the rebel Houthis group claimed to have fired a cruise missile in the direction of the Barakah plant, but the Emirati authorities said that no missiles had actually reached the UAE.[22]

In December 2018, it was reported that voids were found in the concrete containment buildings for units 2 & 3. Grease was found to have leaked through the unit 3 containment, which may have been due to a crack in the concrete.[23]

Unit 1 was declared complete in 2018. However it was not expected to begin operations until late 2019 or early 2020.[24] In January 2020 it was announced that fuel loading would commence that quarter, about 2.5 years later than the original planned date of August 2017. FANR had raised 400 adverse findings in a review requiring rectification of various technical, organisational and management issues.[25]

In March 2020, ENEC announced the completion of the fuel assemblies loading into the Unit 1 reactor.[26] The reactor started generating electricity in August 2020 and entered commercial operation in 2021.[27]

Unit Type Construction start Commercial operation
(scheduled) 		Construction time (years)Notes
Barakah 1 19 July 2012 1 April 2021[28] 9[29] [30] [31]
Barakah 2 APR-1400 16 April 2013 24 March 2022[32] 9[33]
Barakah 3 APR-1400 24 September 2014 24 February 2023[34] 9[35] [36]
Barakah 4 APR-1400 30 July 2015 (2024) [37]

Completion

Criticism

In March 2019, Qatar lodged a letter of complaint to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regarding the Barakah nuclear power plant, stating concerns about its safety and lack of co-operation with regional states on the project as well as that it poses a serious threat to regional stability and the environment.[43] The UAE denied that there are safety issues with the plant stating that Barakah adheres to the highest standards of nuclear safety and security.[44]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: UAE completes construction of Barakah 2. 22 July 2020. World Nuclear News.
  2. News: Barakah: UAE starts up Arab world's first nuclear plant . BBC News . August 2020 . 1 August 2020.
  3. News: UAE Nuclear Power Plants . 5 May 2010 . BBC News . 27 December 2009.
  4. Web site: Quarter of UAE's power from nuclear energy by 2020 . 17 March 2011 . Emirates 24/7 . Dubai Media . 22 March 2011 .
  5. Web site: Barakah plant delay sets back clean energy target. gulfnews.com. 19 February 2019. en. 19 March 2019.
  6. News: U.A.E.'s Nuclear Power Program Said to Cost $30 Billion . Ayesha Daya and Stefania Bianchi . Bloomberg Businessweek . 24 November 2011 . 28 November 2011.
  7. News: Abu Dhabi Said to Revive Debt Plan for First Nuclear Plant. Bloomberg. 28 December 2015. Matthew Martin Arif. Sharif. 3 September 2015 .
  8. Web site: Arab world's first nuclear reactor delayed again over training. 22 March 2018. nasdaq. 19 April 2018.
  9. Web site: Third Barakah unit begins commercial operation : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News . 2024-01-18 . world-nuclear-news.org.
  10. Web site: Pres. Lee Attends Groundbreaking Ceremony for UAE's Nuclear Plant . 14 March 2011 . . 22 March 2011 .
  11. Web site: Construction under way at Barakah . 19 July 2012 . World Nuclear News . 19 July 2012 .
  12. News: ENEC Starts Construction of UAE's First Nuclear Energy Plant . 20 July 2012 . Gulfnews . 19 July 2012 .
  13. Web site: UAE's Nuclear Watchdog Says To Review Atomic Energy Plans . 22 March 2011 . Zawya Dow Jones . 22 March 2011 .
  14. News: UAE pours first concrete for Barakah 2 . Nuclear Engineering International . 29 May 2013 . 29 June 2013.
  15. News: Construction starts on third Barakah unit . . 8 May 2012 . World Nuclear News . 11 March 2015 .
  16. Web site: Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates . . 2015 . power-technology . 1 August 2015.
  17. News: UAE's fourth power reactor under construction . . 2 September 2015 . World Nuclear News . 2 September 2015 .
  18. News: Barakah 1 reactor vessel delivered . World Nuclear News . 30 May 2014 . 10 March 2015.
  19. News: Work to start on third and fourth Barakah units . World Nuclear News . 12 February 2014 . 10 March 2015.
  20. News: UAE's ENEC submits plan to run first two nuclear reactors . Arabian Business . 28 March 2015 . 5 April 2015.
  21. News: UAE's fourth power reactor under construction . World Nuclear News . 2 September 2015 . 17 September 2015.
  22. News: UPDATE 1-Yemen's Houthi group says fires missile toward Abu Dhabi nuclear reactor . Reuters . 3 December 2017 . 15 December 2017.
  23. News: Cracks found in containment building of UAE nuclear power plant built by S. Korean companies . The Hankyoreh . 17 December 2018 . 22 January 2020.
  24. News: Cold testing complete at Barakah 3 . 4 April 2019.
  25. News: More delays for Barakah nuclear plant . Nuclear Engineering International . 9 January 2020 . 10 January 2020.
  26. Web site: Fuel loading completion marks UAE's entry onto global nuclear power stage.
  27. Web site: UAE's first reactor starts supplying power . World Nuclear News . 20 August 2020 . 19 August 2020.
  28. Web site: First Commercial Nuclear Plant In Arab World Begins Commercial Operation . 6 April 2021 . 6 April 2021.
  29. Web site: Barakah 1 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161023133853/https://www.iaea.org/PRIS/CountryStatistics/ReactorDetails.aspx?current=1050 . 23 October 2016 . 21 October 2016 . Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) . International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) . 22 October 2016.
  30. Web site: Nuclear Power in the United Arab Emirates . July 2016 . Information Papers: Country Briefings . World Nuclear Association (WNA) . 22 October 2016 .
  31. News: Major components installed at final Barakah unit . 15 August 2017. World Nuclear News. 14 August 2017.
  32. News: Barakah / Unit 2 Begins Commercial Operation At Arab World's First Nuclear Station . Nucnet . 24 March 2022.
  33. Web site: Barakah 2 . Power Reactor Information System . IAEA . 3 November 2021.
  34. Web site: Third Barakah unit begins commercial operation . World Nuclear News . 26 February 2023 . 24 February 2022.
  35. Web site: Barakah 3 . 10 October 2022 . PRIS . IAEA . 11 October 2022.
  36. News: Grid connection for third Barakah unit . 2022-10-10 . 2022-10-11 . Word Nuclear News.
  37. Web site: Barakah 4 . 21 October 2016 . PRIS . IAEA . 22 October 2016.
  38. Web site: Construction Program. Construction Program. en-GB. 15 August 2019.
  39. Web site: 7 April 2021. Commercial Operations Begin At Unit 1 Of Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210607004531/https://www.utilities-me.com/news/17068-commercial-operations-begin-at-unit-1-of-barakah-nuclear-power-plant. 7 June 2021. 7 April 2021. Utilities Middle East.
  40. Web site: Third unit completed at Barakah : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News. www.world-nuclear-news.org.
  41. Web site: 2023-02-26. World Nuclear News. 2022-07-21. Barakah 4 completes hot functional tests.
  42. News: Fourth Barakah unit connected to grid . 3 April 2024 . World Nuclear News . 25 March 2024.
  43. News: Exclusive: Qatar asks IAEA to intervene over 'threat' posed by UAE.... 20 March 2019. Reuters. 21 March 2019. en.
  44. News: Qatar says UAE nuclear plant is threat to regional stability. https://web.archive.org/web/20190330051612/https://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL8N2175GH. dead. 30 March 2019. Reuters. De Clercq. Geert. 20 March 2019.

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