South Korean conglomerate Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction said Thursday the company was celebrating the delivery of nuclear reactors designated for the United Arab Emirates' future generating station in Barakah.
The company toasted the event with a ceremony at the Doosan Chanwon manufacturing plant in South Gyeongsang. South Korean President Park Geun-hye and other high-ranking officials attended the event. U.A.E. Ambassador to Korea Abdulla Al Romaithi also attended, as did Doosan Group Chairman Park Yong-man, Business Korea reported.
The delivery of the pressurized light water 1400 MWe reactors is a major milestone that represents some heavy lifting. The APR-1400 reactors are 48.5 feet long, 23.3 feet high and 15 feet in diameter. They weigh 460 tons.
The first of four planned reactors at Barakah, part of a $20 billion contract, is expected to go online in 2017. The completed facility will total 5.6 Gwe. Construction divisions of Hyundai and Samsung started work on the site in July 2012 with construction of a second unit begun in May 2013.
The total cost of the project, including financing, is expected to reach $32 billion, but the Korea Electric Power Company, which heads the build consortium, expects to recoup costs with a plan to jointly operate the facility for 60 years.