His Excellency Dr. Saif Al Seiari, Acting Director General, Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), as well as senior leaders from ADWEA were hosted by ENEC’s Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Al Hammadi, and executive management, during a visit to the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. The delegation was given a tour of Unit 1, which is now in the commissioning phase, in preparation for operations, in line with the highest standards of nuclear quality and safety. H.E. Dr Saif Al Seiari highlighted the substantial progress that is being made on the project in the lead up to quality-nuclear operations of the UAE’s first nuclear energy plant.
During the tour, the delegation, led by H.E. Dr. Saif Al Seiari, witnessed the progress made and milestones achieved on the project. These include the completion of initial construction activities for Unit 1 of Barakah and the turnover of all plant systems to Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP), the subsidiary of KEPCO for testing and commissioning, in preparation for safety-led nuclear operations, scheduled for 2018, pending regulatory approval. Further demonstration of the unit’s preparation for electricity production has been the successful delivery and storage of the nuclear fuel assemblies for the unit.
During the tour, the delegation met with a number of the highly-trained nuclear professionals working on the project, which is currently the world’s largest nuclear energy plant under construction. They witnessed first-hand the high-level expertise and knowledge on site, which has been a top priority for ENEC, as it continues to create highly skilled, valuable employment opportunities, in parallel driving Emiratization across the organisation, which currently stands at 60%, with 20% female employees. Skills development and knowledge transfer have been central elements of ENEC’s training programs as it has worked closely with experts from KHNP and other international nuclear energy stakeholders.
Mohamed Al Hammadi, ENEC CEO, briefed H.E. Dr. Saif Al Seiari and his team on ENEC’s prioritisation of quality and safety across all aspects of the project, in line with the highest international standards and national regulations. He also shared with the ADWEA delegation the importance of continuous improvement and the lessons learned from the construction, commissioning and operational readiness of Unit 1, that will serve to improve the delivery of Units 2 to 4.
The progress made at Barakah was commended by H.E. Dr. Saif Al Seiari who said: “It is remarkable to witness the progress being made at Barakah and the delivery of these milestones to the highest international standards. The electricity that will be provided by Barakah is of strategic importance to the Nation, as it will provide with safe, clean and reliable energy to power the growth of the UAE. We are working in close partnership with ENEC, and look forward to seeing the Units at Barakah become operational over the coming years.”
ENEC’s Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Al Hammadi, said: “We are honoured to welcome H.E. Dr. Saif Al Seiari to Barakah and to showcase the continued developments that have been made at site. Barakah is a truly international project that consistently delivers on its mission to connect safe, clean, reliable and efficient nuclear energy to the UAE. This is a role the entire team takes on with great pride and responsibility, with safety as our overriding priority. Our continuous focus on quality and safety has positioned the UAE as a trusted contributor to the global nuclear energy industry, and we are excited to work closely with ADWEA in the future and all other important stakeholders in the UAE and abroad.”
The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is the largest single nuclear energy new build project in the world, with four APR-1400 units under simultaneous construction. Construction of Unit 1 commenced in 2012 and at full operational capacity, the four units will deliver up to a quarter of the UAE’s electricity needs from carbon-free nuclear energy. The project as a whole is now 81 percent complete, with Unit 1 being 95 percent complete.