Unit 1 of the Barakah nuclear power station in the United Arab Emirates, the first commercial nuclear energy facility in the Arab world, has been successfully started, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) announced on 1 August 2020.
Enec said the start-up of Unit 1, one of four Generation III+ APR1400 at the $24bn facility, marks the first time that the reactor has safely produced heat, which is used to create steam, turning a turbine to generate electricity.
After several weeks and numerous safety tests, Unit 1 will be ready to connect to the UAE’s electricity grid, delivering the first megawatts of electricity to the UAE. Testing has been undertaken with the continued oversight of the UAE’s independent nuclear regulator, the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), and follows the World Association of Nuclear Operator’s (WANO) completion of a pre startup review in January 2020.
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