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UAE announces start of operations at final unit of Barakah nuclear plant
Unit 4 will add another 1,400 megawatts of clean electricity capacity for powering the national grid
The fourth and final unit of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is now operational, the President said on September 5.
In a tweet, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said, "With the start of operations at Unit 4 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the UAE has taken another significant step on the journey towards net zero."
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Unit 4 adds another 1,400 megawatts of clean electricity capacity for powering the national grid. The first multi-unit operating plant in the Arab world is expected to prevent more than 22 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, equivalent to removing 4.8 million cars from roads.
The Barakah Plant is now generating 40TWh of electricity per year, nearly the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of New Zealand, and provides up to 25 per cent of the UAE’s electricity. This clean and carbon-free energy is enough to power 16 million EVs annually.
"We will continue to prioritise energy security and sustainability for the benefit of our nation and our people today and tomorrow," the President added.
Despite growing demand, consumption of natural gas for power generation is at a 13-year low in Abu Dhabi because of the significant contribution that Barakah is now making to Abu Dhabi's energy mix.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE also took to X to celebrate the achievement.
He said that the plant "will provide 25 per cent of the country's electricity needs" and that it is the "largest source of clean energy in the region".
"Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has added the highest percentage of clean electricity per capita in the past five years worldwide, 75 per cent of which is produced by Barakah plants," he added.
This move represents the largest decarbonisation effort in the UAE and the region, positioning the country ahead of its 2030 climate commitments.
Each unit has been connected to the grid more efficiently than the previous unit, as institutional knowledge and experience have been applied subsequently. Unit 3 was delivered four months faster than the Unit 2 schedule, and five months faster than the Unit 1 schedule, demonstrating the significant benefit of building multiple units within a phased timeline.
In November 2023, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), the UAE’s only mandated nuclear energy developer, announced the launch of ENEC Advance, a new programme to evaluate the latest technologies in the advanced, small modular reactor and micro-reactor categories.
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