Arab World’s first ever nuclear reactor starts its operation

Oil-rich Gulf state UAE finally starts its first-ever nuclear reactor “Barakah” at Abu Dhabi on the Gulf coast. Barakah was expected to start its operation in 2017. However, due to various safety issue, it kept on getting delayed.


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Barakah in Brief

Developed in a joint venture with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) Barakah means “blessing” in Arabic. In association with KEPCO, the nuclear reactor power plant has begun the process of nuclear fission in one of its four reactors. The energy in the reactor plant will be generated by 1,400-megawatt pressurised water reactors, designed in South Korea, called APR-1400. For now, only one of four reactors are working, however, the aim of the country is to have its all four reactors set to the operational mode by 2023. This will produce around 5.6 gigawatts of the energy which will be enough to serve a quarter of the country’s need for electricity in a safe, reliable and emission-free way.

Other Developments

The watchdog of Nuclear Industry (IAEA) International Atomic Energy Agency in its praising tweet wrote that the “plant’s Unit 1 had achieved its first criticality – that is, generation of a controlled fission chain reaction. The oil-rich Gulf state UAE is seen investing heavily in solar power. A couple of weeks ago the country sent a probe on a Mars Mission which is also one of its first kind in the Gulf region.

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