Abu Dahbi
The United Arab Emirates said on Monday that it has issued a licence for a reactor at its Barakah nuclear power plant, the first in the Arab world, hailing it as a “historic moment”. The UAE has substantial energy reserves, but with a power-hungry population of 10 million it has made huge investments in developing alternative power sources including solar.
The Barakah plant, located on the Gulf coast west of Abu Dhabi, had been due to come online in late 2017 but faced a number of delays that officials attributed to safety and regulatory requirements.
But the national nuclear regulator has now approved the operating licence for the first of four reactors at the plant, said Hamad Al Kaabi, the UAE representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “This is a historic moment for the UAE, making it the first Arab country in the region to operate a nuclear power plant,” Kaabi told a press conference. “This milestone was achieved due to the UAE’s vision and its leadership to build a peaceful nuclear energy programme to cater for the future needs of energy in the country.”
The plant is a regional first — Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, has said it plans to build up to 16 nuclear reactors, but the project has yet to materialise.
Abu Dhabi authorities said in January that the plant would start operating within a few months. No new date was given on Monday but Kaabi indicated it would happen soon.—AFP
