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ABU DHABI/ WAM
Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), hailed the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme as a remarkable success story since construction began in 2012, culminating in the commercial operations of Unit 4 in 2024.
Al Hammadi highlighted how the programme has bolstered the UAE’s energy security and accelerated the country’s journey towards achieving Net Zero by 2050. “With this significant achievement, the Barakah Plant is now generating 40 TWh of clean electricity annually, meeting around 25 percent of the UAE’s electricity needs for at least the next 60 years – boosting energy security and creating a strong foundation on which to expand renewables development.”
Additionally, it prevents 22.4 million tons of carbon emissions each year, making a substantial contribution of 24 percent to meeting the UAE’s Nationally Determined Contributions by 2030.
He noted that the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme has become a global case study and success story for delivering a civil nuclear energy programme to an efficient timeline while simultaneously upholding all regulatory requirements and international standards.
“Guided by our leadership’s vision and strategic approach – set out in the UAE policy for nuclear energy issued in 2008 – our nation is now leading the way in transitioning to cleaner energy sources that are both proven and bankable,” Al Hammadi stated.
From 2018 to 2023, the UAE added more clean electricity per capita than any other nation worldwide, with 75 percent of this electricity generated by just three units of the Barakah Plant. With the latest milestone of achieving full-fleet commercial operations, the UAE will further strengthen its leadership in the global transition towards clean energy.
Al Hammadi emphasised, “Put simply, nuclear makes sense for the UAE, and the 40TWh of zero-emission electricity we are now generating 24/7 puts the nation in a strong position to attract advanced industries and world-leading companies looking for sustainable, reliable supplies of clean electricity.
“Now, ENEC will leverage its extensive expertise and capabilities to pursue broader goals in the nuclear energy sector, exploring opportunities for investment and development of advanced nuclear technologies locally and internationally.”
ENEC is ahead of the curve with its unique expertise and delivery track record of delivering four units in four years, in less than eight years per unit, and will capitalise on this value to support the growth of the nuclear sector, and in tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050, as the UAE committed to, along with 24 other nations, during COP28.