Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the Arab world’s first commercial nuclear power station, might enter a new phase of strategic importance in 2026 as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) accelerates both domestic energy resilience and export security infrastructure. With the Strait of Hormuz war and resultant instability placing unprecedented pressure on Gulf energy systems, Barakah is among the key power assets currently anchoring the UAE’s long-term energy strategy. This is by supplying large-scale baseload clean power to the national grid. Parallel investments, including the fast tracked West-East oil pipeline expansion project are also strengthening the country’s ability to maintain crude exports independent of the Strait of Hormuz.
Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant Project Fact Sheet
Location: Barakah in Al Dhafra Region, Abu Dhabi
Project Type: Commercial Nuclear Power Plant
Developer: Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC)
Operator: Nawah Energy Company
Technology: APR-1400 Pressurized Water Reactors
Technology Provider: Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO)/South Korea consortium
Number of Units: 4
Installed Capacity: 5,600 MW total from 4 units of 1,400 MW capacity reactors
Status: Operational
Grid Contribution: Up to 25% of UAE electricity demand
Primary Objective: Energy diversification, decarbonization, grid resilience
Development Timeline of the Arab World’s First Nuclear Power Plant
2008: UAE launches civilian nuclear program
2009: South Korean consortium led by KEPCO awarded EPC contract
2012: First concrete poured for Unit 1
2020: Unit 1 begins operations
2021: Unit 1 commercial operations begin
2022: Unit 2 commercial operations begin
2023: Unit 3 commercial operations begin
2024 through 2025: Unit 4 progresses toward full operational integration
2026: Plant currently operational
Development Team
Project Developer
- Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC)
Plant Operator
- Nawah Energy Company
EPC and Technology Consortium
- Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO)
- Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power
- Doosan Enerbility
- Samsung C&T Corporation
- Hyundai Engineering & Construction
Regulatory Authority
- UAE Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR)
Stakeholders
- Abu Dhabi Government
- UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure
UAE Completes Barakah: Arab World’s First Nuclear Power Plant
Reported September 5, 2024 – The oil-rich United Arab Emirates has announced the completion of the Arab world’s first nuclear power plant, calling it a “significant step.” Abu Dhabi’s Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant will produce 40 terawatt-hours of electricity annually after its fourth and final reactor has entered commercial operation. The state-owned Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) noted these insights in a recent statement. It will generate 25 percent of the electricity needs of the hot, desert Gulf state, where air-conditioning is ubiquitous. The station will power companies, including the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), one of the world’s biggest oil producers. It will also provide energy to the Emirates Steel and Emirates Global Aluminum, ENEC said. Barakah, which means “blessing” in Arabic, started operations in 2020 when its first four reactors entered service.
Project Snapshot
Location: Gharbiya region of Abu Dhabi
Capacity: 40TWh of Electricity Annually
Country: Abu Dhabi
Significance: Arab World’s first nuclear plant
Project status: Operational
Cost of Construction: U.S. $24.4 Billion
Contracted Operators: ENEC
Significance of Implementing the Arab World’s First Nuclear Power Plant
Implementing the Arab World’s first nuclear plant brings unprecedented significance to the UAE and the Arab world in general. Moreover, the Barakah nuclear energy plant curates an effective path in ensuring the Arab nation harnesses nuclear power. This is seen as Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, has also said it plans to build nuclear reactors. Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan hailed Barakah’s completion as a “significant step on the journey towards net zero.”
“We will continue to prioritise energy security and sustainability for the benefit of our nation and our people today and tomorrow,” he said in a post on social media platform X. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the plant “will have to be disassembled at the end of its useful life, in around 60-80 years”. The UAE, which is made up of seven emirates, including the capital, Abu Dhabi, and economic hub Dubai, is one of the largest oil producers in the OPEC cartel.
Project Significance
The Barakah nuclear energy plant will play a key role in the UAE’s 2050 ‘net zero’ strategy, which aims to drastically increase the country’s production of clean energy. It will prevent the release of over 22 million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year — equivalent to the emissions of nearly five million cars — constituting a quarter of the UAE’s emission reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement, the international treaty on climate change to that effect. The Barakah NPP is already the largest single generator of electricity and the largest source of clean electricity in the region.
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State of Affairs Regarding the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant
The implementation and completion of the Arab World’s first nuclear plant is one that has received accolades as a commendable feat. The nation seeks to ensure that it provides amicable sources of energy that also prove eco-friendly. Last year, it hosted the COP28 UN climate talks that resulted in an agreement to “transition away” from fossil fuels. The country is largely built on oil but is spending billions to develop enough renewable energy to cover half of its needs by 2050.
The UAE lies across the Gulf from Iran, which has a Russian-built nuclear power plant outside the coastal city of Bushehr. The nation also has a controversial uranium enrichment program. The UAE has repeatedly said its nuclear ambitions are for “peaceful purposes” and ruled out developing any enrichment program or nuclear reprocessing technologies. The country uses gas-powered stations for much of its electricity needs but also has one of the world’s biggest solar plants outside Abu Dhabi.
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Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, Arab World’s First Nuclear Energy Power Plant
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