The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation announced that its subsidiary Nawah Energy Company, which is responsible for operating and maintaining the Barakah peaceful nuclear energy stations, and in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Transmission and Control Company (TRANSCO) of the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), has completed the secure connection of the first Barakah power plants. Al-Salamiyah nuclear power plant is associated with the main power grid of the United Arab Emirates, after aligning the plant with the requirements of the network and starting the production of the first megawatts of environmentally friendly electrical energy.
This is the first time that the first station in Barakah has been connected to the electricity grid in the UAE, after the success of «Nawah» in starting the operations of the plant at the end of July 2020, as the operation team of the reactor has since started conducting a series of tests, and steadily raising the energy level Gradually, until reaching the production level of the first megawatt of primary load electricity from the Barakah stations project, which is being developed in the Al Dhafra region.
Connecting the first station to the electricity grid represents a very important achievement during the development of the UAE’s peaceful nuclear program and the Barakah peaceful nuclear energy stations, which are the cornerstone of the program, in accordance with the highest standards of safety, security and quality.
In this regard .. His Excellency Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, CEO of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, said: “Connecting the first peaceful nuclear energy plants to the UAE’s electricity transmission network securely represents the moment in which we have already begun to fulfill our mission to support growth in the country, through Producing environmentally friendly electrical energy around the clock ».
He added: “This marks the beginning of a new phase for the Barakah stations project after years of preparations and commitment to the highest international safety and quality standards. We are confident that the work teams and technology used in the stations will be able to continue progressing towards achieving the goal of providing about 25 percent of the state’s needs. Electric energy for the next sixty years, as Barakah plants, along with other environmentally friendly energy sources, are one of the most important pillars of the transition to environmentally friendly energy in the region and the world, which puts the country on a new path for sustainable development and reducing carbon emissions from the production of electric energy. He emphasized:
His Excellency expressed his pride in the Emirati competencies of engineers and specialists in nuclear energy, who contributed to the construction and completion of the first plant, in addition to the Emirati operation managers and reactor operators who have undergone advanced training programs around the world, which enabled them to have sufficient knowledge and experience to manage the plant, in addition to expertise. Global and reach this milestone, represented by supporting growth in the UAE, by providing safe and reliable electrical energy to the electricity grid.
The Transco Company played a pivotal role in the interconnection process, as it established a network of 952 kilometers of overhead lines, with a voltage of 400 kilovolts, to connect the first peaceful nuclear power stations to the Abu Dhabi electricity grid, to ensure that the electricity produced by the first plant in Barakah was safely and reliably delivered to Beneficiaries across the state.
On this occasion, Dr. Afif Saif Al-Yafei, CEO of the Abu Dhabi Transmission and Control Company (TRANSCO), said: “TRANSCO plays an important role in promoting a more sustainable energy future in the UAE, and with the progress witnessed in the country in terms of environmentally friendly energy projects. , TRANSCO continues to work to effectively ensure the alignment between its infrastructure and these projects, with the aim of providing safe and stable energy supplies to the community, and the completion of the alignment process with the first peaceful nuclear energy plants of Barakah is an important step towards increasing the ability to produce environmentally friendly energy and connect it to the electricity grid.
He added, “Transco, a subsidiary of TAQA, which specializes in transport and control, is proud of its partnership with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and its subsidiary Nawah Energy Company in such a strategic project for the UAE, and we look forward to strengthening our partnership for the next stages of the project.”
With the completion of the connection and connection of the plant to the main network, the nuclear reactor operators in the first plant will begin to gradually raise the power level of the reactor, in what is known as the progressive energy test, during which the systems of the first plant will be monitored and tested, to ensure that they adhere to international best practices, while continuing the safe progress towards electricity production. In full.
Upon completion of this process, the first plant will produce abundant quantities of primary load electricity, reaching its peak energy production, in order to support the growth and prosperity process in the UAE for decades to come.
The progressive energy test will also be conducted under the continuous supervision of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, which has conducted more than 280 inspections at the Barakah peaceful nuclear power plants since the start of their development, in addition to more than 40 evaluations and reviews carried out by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Association of Operators. The nuclear.
While electricity is one of the fastest growing energy sources in terms of demand in the world, as it is increasingly used in multiple aspects of our social and economic life, the Barakah peaceful nuclear energy plants contribute to supporting the UAE’s efforts to produce abundant electrical energy and reduce carbon emissions in the sector. Energy, in addition to contributing to the diversification of the economy by providing thousands of remunerative jobs, through establishing and developing a peaceful nuclear sector and a local supply chain.
The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation had recently announced the completion of the construction work in the second plant, in addition to the start of the Nawah Energy Company in operational preparations, at a time when the construction work in the third and fourth stations reached their final stages, with the completion rate in the third station reaching 93%, and the station The fourth is 86%, while the overall achievement rate of the four stations reached 94%.
