ABU DHABI: Nawah Energy Company has been given the go-ahead to operate a unit of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant by the UAE’s independent nuclear regulator.
The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation has issued an operating licence for unit 3 of the facility to the subsidiary of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation.
The licence, with an estimated duration of 60 years, authorizes Nawah to commission and operate Unit 3 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant.
“This is another historic moment for the UAE, being the first Arab country in the region to operate a nuclear power plant and culminating efforts of 14 years in building such a programme,” said Ambassador Hamad Al Kaabi, UAE’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency and deputy chairman of the Board of Management of FANR.
“The decision announced today follows many years of intensive work and collaboration with national and international stakeholders such as International Atomic Energy Agency, Republic of Korea and other international regulatory bodies,” Al Kaabi added.
In February 2020 and March 2021, FANR issued the licences for Unit 1 and Unit 2, respectively, of Barakah Nuclear Power Plant and maintained its regulatory oversight until the commercial operations of the units.
The UAE is currently building four units at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, and the project’s overall construction rate is 97 percent as follows: Unit 1: commercially operational; Unit 2: commercially operational; Unit 3: commissioning phase; Unit 4: 92 percent.