Emergency drill involving 170 countries concludes at Barakah nuclear power plant

Emergency drill involving 170 countries concludes at Barakah nuclear power plant. Photo: Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation

A two-day emergency drill involving the UAE and international partners has concluded at Barakah nuclear power plant.

The ConvEX-3 exercise was designed to test the site’s readiness to respond to nuclear or radiological emergencies, in line with international emergency protocols.

The simulations, which took place over 36 hours, included several scenarios within units of the Barakah Plant and nearby area.

They aimed to highlight any potential areas of improvement in the safety management of the plant, and ensure it meets international standards.

A video released by Wam, the UAE’s news agency, showed workers in hazmat suits and members of the military carrying out inspections and taking samples of the sand and vegetation surrounding the site.

They were then brought back to the laboratory for analysis.

In other scenarios, the capabilities of the ambulance service and Emergency Operations Centre were tested.

Organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the drill was carried out under the supervision of the UAE National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority.

The complex exercise involved more than 170 countries and international organisations, as well as 10 local agencies, including Abu Dhabi Police, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Safety Authority, the fire service, Emirates Red Crescent and others.

Barakah is the region’s first operational multi-unit nuclear plant.

Its power generation will significantly reduce the country's use of gas-fired power stations to generate electricity.

The UAE powered up the second unit at Barakah nuclear power plant in August, four months after commercial operations began using the first reactor.

Its four reactors will eventually meet about 25 per cent of the country's energy needs, eliminating up to 21 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

That is comparable to taking 3.2 million cars off the roads each year.

Barakah nuclear plan: in pictures

The UAE has issued an operating licence for the fourth and final unit of its Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. FANR

Unit three of Abu Dhabi's Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant started commercial operations in February. Photo: Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation

A view of the Barakah nuclear site under construction in 2012.

Unit 1 being built in 2013 in the Western region of Abu Dhabi.

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation selected a Korean consortium in 2013 to build four APR-1400 reactors. Photo: Enec

Kristine Svinicki, head of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, toured the Barakah site in November 2013. Photo: Enec

By August 2014, more than 55 per cent of construction at Unit 1 had been completed. Photo: Enec

The first nuclear reactor at Barakah in 2016. Christopher Pike / The National

The UAE's nuclear energy programme is based in Barakah in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi. Photo: Enec

Trainees learn to deal with potentially catastrophic scenarios at this simulator in Barakah. Christopher Pike / The National

Khalid Naqbi was part of the first batch of resident inspectors sent to the construction site by the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation. Ravindranath K / The National