Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) announced on Saturday that Unit 3 of Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has been successfully connected to the UAE national power grid after achieving successful start-up on 22 September 2022.

Once it starts commercial operations, Unit 3 will add another 1,400 megawatts (MW) of zero-carbon emission electricity capacity to the national grid, ENEC said in a press statement.

Unit 1, which started commercial operations in April 2021 and Unit 2, which started in March 2022, together supply a total of 2,800 MW to the national grid.

Last month, ENEC said that the 1,400 MW Unit 4 is in the final stages of commissioning prior to completion of construction. Unit 4’s Hot Functional Test (HFT) was successfully completed in July 2022.

The Barakah Plant is one of the largest nuclear energy plants in the world, with four APR-1400 units with a total generating capacity of up to 5,600MW, according to past press statements. Once fully operational, the Plant will produce up to 25 percent of the UAE’s electricity needs and contribute 25 percent of the country’s National Determined Contributions (NDCs) to climate action.

SDC Code: 4216790158

(Writing by SA Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)