Major components installed at final Barakah unit

The final reactor vessel and steam generators have been installed at the United Arab Emirates' Barakah nuclear power plant. Installation of the major components sees the fourth unit at the site pass 52% completion, while the overall project is now over 82% complete.

The final reactor vessel and steam generators have been installed at the United Arab Emirates' Barakah nuclear power plant. Installation of the major components sees the fourth unit at the site pass 52% completion, while the overall project is now over 82% complete.

Barakah 4's steam generator is ceremonially signed by Jassim Mohammed Buatabh Al Zaabi, chairman of the UAE's Executive Committee Office;Ahn Choong Yong, chairman of Kepco; and Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of Enec (Image: Enec)

The steel reactor vessel weighs over 500 tonnes, and at about 15 metres in height and over 4.5 metres in diameter is one of the plant's largest components. The steam generators, which use the heat produced from nuclear fission in the reactor vessel to produce the steam that drives the plant's electricity generation turbines, are each nearly 23 metres in height with a maximum diameter of about 6 metres. Each Korean-designed APR1400 reactor, the type being built at Barakah, has two steam generators.

The four Barakah units are being constructed for the Emirates Nuclear Electric Corporation (Enec) by a consortium led by the Korea Electric Power Co (Kepco). The prime contract for the project was signed in 2009, and construction of the first unit began in July 2012 with work starting on the subsequent units at roughly yearly intervals. Construction of unit 4 began in September 2014. The plant will be operated by Enec subsidiary Nawah, which is partially owned by Kepco.

Enec chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak said he was proud of the unwavering commitment and professionalism shown by the team of Emirati engineers, international experts and Korean partners.

"The installation of the final reactor vessel and steam generators, as per the 2009 Prime Contract, is a great achievement," he said.

Barakah 1 is now over 96% complete, and is awaiting regulatory permission for fuel loading prior to an expected 2018 start-up. Unit 2 is over 85% complete and is also expected to start up next year, with units 3 and 4 now over 75% and 52% complete and expected to start up in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News