United Arab Emirates' Barakah Unit 2 project reaches milestones

Some big developments in the construction at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant’s (BNPP) Unit 2 were announced on Sunday by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. (ENEC).

The company said completion of a 2,000-ton containment liner plate and the lifting of the pressurizer into place are among recently completed projects in constructing the facility, located near Ruwais in the western part of the country. The containment plate consists of a steel shell structure that forms the lining of the floors and inner wall of the containment building.

“These milestones for Unit 2 are part of the defense-in-depth safety features in the design,” ENEC CEO Mohamed Al Hammadi said. “The ongoing collaboration and commitment to safety and quality, seen in all our employees and contractors, is one of the great achievements of our program. I am pleased with how this progress shows how effectively we are driving the commitments of the UAE peaceful nuclear energy program through all levels of the organization.”

The company said that upon completion the facilities, four reactors are anticipated to have a generation capacity of approximately 5,600 megawatts, which is reported to be equivalent to a quarter of the electrical demand across the United Arab Emirates.

“Progress of Unit 2 at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant continues to proceed safely and in adherence to the highest quality standards,” Al Hammadi said.

The company anticipates that this project will be completed by 2020.