Steam generator milestone for Barakah nuclear power plant

The UAE’s nuclear power plant achieved another milestone on Wednesday with the installation of its Unit 2 Steam Generators at Barakah in the Western Region, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation announced.

Enec finishes installing the Unit 2 steam generators at Barakah on Wednesday. The entire project has reached the halfway mark. Wam

ABU DHABI // The UAE’s nuclear power plant achieved another milestone on Wednesday, with steam generators installed in Unit 2 at Barakah in the Western Region, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation announced.

The steam generator acts as a heat exchanger, where water carrying heat generated by the nuclear reaction is used to turn demineralised water into steam. The steam produced in the steam generator is then used to spin a turbine that drives a dynamo to produce electricity.

Each steam generator contains tubes that carry heated, processed water at high pressure.

“This is an important milestone in the progress and delivery of Enec’s second unit, which is scheduled to come online approximately one year after the first unit, which will be in 2017,” said Mohamed Al Hammadi, chief executive of Enec.

“As with all of our work at Barakah, I am proud to see the team continue to deliver these significant achievements with safety, quality and performance as top priorities at all times.”

The two huge stainless steel units, similar in length to a tennis court, were made in South Korea over a period of four years by Doosan Heavy Industries.

At the International Atomic Energy Agency conference in Vienna yesterday, the UAE Permanent Representative to the IAEA told delegates of the work being carried out in the UAE.

“Since the launching of the national nuclear programme, the UAE has made significant progress in the development of its civil nuclear power programme and its associated infrastructure,” Hamad Al Kaabi said.

Mr Al Kaabi went on to say that the UAE continued to place great importance on nuclear safety – with the support of the IAEA.

“In making such progress, the UAE views the agency as a valuable partner, following its guidance, receiving required support, and contributing back to the agency work.”