UAE Announces Launch of Final Unit at Barakah Nuclear Plant
Barakah Nuclear Plant’s fourth unit starts operation, advancing UAE’s net-zero and energy goals
UAE Starts Operations at Final Unit of Barakah Nuclear Plant, Boosting Clean Energy Capacity
The fourth and final unit of the Barakah nuclear power plant has now started operating, the President said on 5 September.
UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a tweet, “The UAE has taken another significant step in its journey towards net zero, with the commencement of operation of unit 4 of the Barakah nuclear power plant.”
Unit 4 also adds 1,400 MW of clean electricity capacity to power the national grid. The Arab world’s first multi-unit operating plant is expected to prevent 22 million tons of carbon emissions each year, equivalent to removing 4.8 million cars from the roads.
The Baraka plant now produces 40TWh of electricity per year, equivalent to New Zealand’s annual electricity consumption and up to 25 percent of the UAE’s electricity. This clean and carbon-free energy is enough to power 16 million EVs per year.
The President added that today and tomorrow we will continue to prioritize energy security and sustainability for the benefit of our nation and our people.
Despite growing demand, natural gas consumption for power generation is at a 13-year low in Abu Dhabi, as Barakah now makes a significant contribution to Abu Dhabi’s energy mix.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, took to X to celebrate the achievement.
He said the plant would “provide 25 percent of the country’s electricity needs” and be “the largest source of clean energy in the region.”
“The Baraka nuclear power plant has added the highest percentage of clean electricity per capita globally in the last five years, with 75 percent generated by the Baraka plants,” he continued.
With this action, the UAE is putting its climate obligations for 2030 ahead of schedule and launching the biggest decarbonization program in the region.
Each unit becomes more effectively connected to the grid than the one before it when organizational knowledge and experience are subsequently applied. The delivery of Unit 3 occurred four months ahead of plan for Unit 2, and five months ahead of schedule for Unit 1, indicating the substantial advantage of constructing numerous units in a single phase.
In November 2023, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), the UAE’s mandated nuclear power developer, announced the launch of ENEC Advance, a new program to assess the latest technologies in advanced, small modular reactor and micro-reactor categories.
