The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. (ENEC), has announced the installation of two Korean-built steam generators at the Unit 3 reactor at the Barakah nuclear plant project.
The reactors, which took four years to manufacture, were made by Doosan Heavy Industries in South Korea. They have been set in place, although plumbing work continues to fully connect the generators to other operating systems, including the turbines and condenser, ENEC said.
The generators contain nickel-chromium-iron alloy tubes as part of the process that uses water heated by the reactor to produce steam in a secondary circuit. The alloy used for the tubing is customized to resist corrosion from heat and high pressures, the World Nuclear Association reported.
“The complex installation – the third installation of steam generators at Barakah – is another great achievement for all the teams involved. This success is a result of ENEC's extensive collaboration witho ur prime contractor, the Korean Electric Power Corporation, and the robust culture of safety we have fostered,” said Mohamed Al Hammadi, ENEC's chief executive officer.
“We are dedicated to creating this new industry and sustaining it long into the future as a vital element of the UAE's low-carbon economy,” he said.
The Barakah nuclear plant is the first for the United Arab Emirates. It is estimated that the four-reactor build is 68 percent completed based on significant construction milestones. As of this summer, Unit 1 was considered 88 percent complete while Units 2, 3 and 4 were considered 72 percent, 50 percent and 31 percent complete, chronologically. The reactor vessel for Unit 3 was installed in late July of this year.
Unit 1 is expected to be in service in 2017, while the following three units are expected to be completed by 2020.