The reactor vessel (RV) for the third unit at the Barakah nuclear power plant project has been installed successfully, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) said Thursday.
The reactor vessel is one of the largest critical components of a nuclear power plant. This RV weighs over 400 metric tons and stands almost 50 feet high. It will eventually contain the controlled nuclear reaction. As such, it is also the first line of defense in containment and fission control at the plant.
As of this month, the four-reactor power plant was considered more than 65 percent complete with the operational start up date for the final Korean-designed unit expected by 2020. As of this summer, Unit 1 was considered 88 percent complete, with Unit 2 considered 72 percent complete. Units 3 and 4 were estimated to be 50 percent and 31 percent completed, respectively.
Critical structural testing has been completed for Unit 1 at Barakah. In early July, the Structural Integrity Test (SIT) and the Integrated Leak Rate Test were completed after several weeks of performance reviews. “Both of these tests demonstrated the integrity and robustness of the structure in terms of force and leak tightness and the structure's ability to perform safely under normal and extraordinary circumstances,” ENEC said at the time.
The SIT evaluates the strength of the Reactor Containment Building (RCB), the structure that houses the reactor and major components. The ILRT simulates pressurized dynamics to test the tightness of the RCB.
ENEC's teams worked closely with the Korean Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) and the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) to complete the tests.
Other recent commissioning milestones completed on Unit 1 include Reactor Systems Flushing, Turbine Lube Oil Flushing and Cold Hydrostatic Testing, which verified that the reactor coolant system and other associated systems met regulatory specifications.
When the four reactors are completed, the plant is expected to provide the United Arab Emirate with 25 percent of its electricity, while saving up to 12 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year.
Installation of the Unit 3 RV was celebrated with an event at the plant attended by ENEC Chief Executive Officer H.E. Mohamed Al Hammadi with guests of honor H.E. Saeed Eid Al Ghafli, Chairman of the Executive Office and H.E. Awaidha Murshed Ali Al Marar, Chairman of the Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport and a member of the Executive Council.
Officials from ENEC, FANR, the Regulatory Supervisory Board, Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, the Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority, Western Region Municipality and the Korean Ambassador to the UAE also attended.
The RV installation is the third of four for the plant. RVs were installed in Unit 1 in 2014 and in Unit 2 in 2015.