UAE's Barakah Nuclear Plant's Unit 4 Begins Commercial Operations

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has announced the start of commercial operations for Unit 4 at UAE's Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. The Barakah Plant is now generating 40TWh of electricity per year, providing up to 25% of the country's electricity.

"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," wrote UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in a post on X on Thursday. Abu Dhabi Media Office mentioned in its report that Barakah is also delivering wide-ranging economic benefits. Despite growing demand, consumption of natural gas for power generation is at a 13-year low in Abu Dhabi due to the significant contribution that Barakah is now making to Abu Dhabi’s energy mix.

The 22.4 million tonnes of annual carbon emissions prevented by the Barakah Plant are equivalent to removing 4.8 million cars from the roads each year and contribute to achieving 24% of the nation’s 2030 decarbonisation commitments. It is worth mentioning that the commercial operations of four units of the Barakah Plant come amid the rising global recognition of the pivotal role of nuclear energy in decarbonising energy systems and achieving Net Zero.