The Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) began test operations of reactor No. 1 in March this year. This is the UAE’s first nuclear energy plant, is currently under construction, and will benefit from the application of Korea's top-notch nuclear technology.

This is also Korea’s first overseas nuclear plant. It is one of the largest nuclear power plant construction projects in terms of scale, as the four power plants are all being built at the same time. The Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) has been working on the project since December 2009 when it signed a contract with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) to build a nuclear energy plant. The project will include four 1,400-megawatt advanced power reactors (APR) made using Korean technology.

The project involves other Korean companies, too, such as Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, Hyundai Engineering & Construction and Samsung C&T Corporation. As the prime contractor, KEPCO will be in charge of the project and take charge of the design, the establishment, construction, test-operating and managerial support.

Currently, more than 19,000 workers are employed at the construction site. The four reactors and other related buildings are now approximately 60 percent complete.



Construction of reactor No. 1 began in January 2010. The reactor was finally installed in May 2014. In February this year, KEPCO underwent testing of the structural integrity of the core system of reactor No. 1. KEPCO further plans to load nuclear fuel in October this year. When reactor No. 1 is finalized in May next year, it will become the first nuclear reactor to be operating in the Middle East.

Reactor No. 2 was also successfully installed in June last year.

KEPCO will build each of the following reactors through to 2020. Once all the reactors are finalized, the plant can produce about 5,600 megawatts of energy, about 20 percent more energy than the UAE can currently produce.

KEPCO greatly values the symbolism of the Barakah nuclear power plant construction project, and considers it to be a miracle in the UAE desert. A KEPCO representative said, “A power plant can be operated for 60 years in general. If we expand that lifespan, it can last maybe 100 years. So this is a 100-year project. It takes 10 years to construct the plant. If it runs for 100 years, it can bring an enormous amount of ripple effects, backed by its sustainability.”

The UAE government and the ENEC both praise Korea’s technological prowess. Ali Al Zaabi, director of the corporate program management office at ENEC, said that, "KEPCO is building one of the best nuclear power plants in the world, and at a remarkable record rate of progress. KEPCO also has excellent training programs that will strengthen the capability of our local employees.”

The National, a UAE daily, has focused on the technological prowess involved with the Barakah nuclear plant construction project. The daily said in an article titled “Training the UAE’s nuclear pioneers at the Barakah plant,” dated Feb. 18, 2016, that, “There have been 7,500 dedicated safety training sessions since the beginning of the programme.”

It also said that, “All four units will save up to 12 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year,” highlighting the state-of-the art technology in construction and safety, and the future effects of the plant in terms of preserving the environment.

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: KEPCO
arete@korea.kr