Abu Dhabi nuclear energy plant now powering its economy of tomorrow
- Abu Dhabi marks significant milestone as delivery of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is complete, transforming the UAE’s electricity supply to cleaner energy sources
- Generating 25% of the UAE’s electricity needs, Barakah will now produce 40 Terawatt-hours of clean and reliable electricity annually, enough to power 16 million EVs, or 45 hyperscale data centres annually
- With the UAE leading on technological innovation globally, this new reactor will help power the AI revolution
- Today’s announcement makes Abu Dhabi’s Barakah Plant the largest decarbonisation programme in the Arab region, preventing 22.4 million tons of carbon emissions annually, equivalent to removing 4.6 million cars from the roads each year, achieving almost a quarter (24%) of the UAE’s 2030 NDCs climate commitments (Nationally Determined Contributions)
- Delivery of the Barakah Plant puts the UAE as a frontrunner in the quest to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050, a declaration signed by 25 nations, first announced during COP 28 in Dubai last year.
- 14 countries have signed MoU with ENEC to date, including U.S, U.K, Republic of Korea, France, Spain, and China, underlining the UAE’s commitment to leading innovation on nuclear energy
Abu Dhabi, UAE – Today, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) announced that the fourth unit of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has entered into commercial operations, marking full-fleet delivery to ensure carbon-free energy security to power the UAE’s future economy.
The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant comprises 4 units with a total capacity of 5,600MW. With the 4th unit now entering commercial operations, this has increased the plant’s power generation to a total of 40TWh of electricity per year, nearly equivalent to New Zealand’s total annual power consumption. This is enough to power 16 million EVs annually or 45 100MW hyperscale data centres per year. Now, around 25% of the UAE’s electricity will be generated by nuclear energy. The plant has been delivered in line with the UAE’s 2008 policy commitments for nuclear energy development, meeting the highest standards of safety, security and transparency.
The Barakah plant will now achieve almost a quarter – 24% – of the nation’s 2030 decarbonization commitments in the UAE’s Nationally Determined Contributions (the agreed carbon emissions reduction each country made under the Paris Agreement). This represents the largest decarbonization effort in the region. The UAE is also now ahead of its renewed pledge that it unilaterally made ahead of its COP28 host role, to meet its advanced 2030 climate commitments to reduce emissions by 40% (from business as usual in 2023).
This results from the plant’s ability to generate clean baseload electricity 24/7, preventing the release of 22.4 million tons of carbon emissions each year, equivalent to removing 4.6 million cars off the roads annually.
With demand for electricity rising, particularly due to the data centres required to enable the AI revolution, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that global electricity demand is expected to rise at a faster rate over the next three years, growing by an average of 3.4% annually through 2026. For data centers alone, the IEA predicts total demand could grow from 460TWh in 2022 to reach more than 1000 TWh by 2026, roughly equivalent to the total annual power demand of Japan.
The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant will play a pivotal role in creating the always-on electricity required to sustain Abu Dhabi’s burgeoning tech sector at the heart of its new AI-driven economy. With many advanced technology companies in Abu Dhabi, the demand for electricity that is both clean and available 24/7 in significant amounts is growing, aligned with the global competition for clean electrons being seen around the world. Amazon Web Services recent acquisition of a data center co-located with a nuclear energy facility demonstrates illustrates this shift to securing clean electricity sources for data facilities.
With up to one in every four electrons on the UAE grid coming from Barakah, many companies across the nation stand to benefit – from oil & gas and aluminium production to technologies and advanced transportation. Companies such as G42, Abu Dhabi’s tech group, which provides the infrastructure for all AI innovations and their real-world applications across a range of sectors, from healthcare to energy stand to benefit, as does Abu Dhabi’s electric, smart and autonomous vehicle hub, revolutionising mobility across air, land and sea in its SAVI cluster.
25 nations, including the UAE, US, the UK, Canada, France, Japan and the Republic of Korea, have now pledged to support a tripling of global nuclear energy capacity by 2050, following the initial declaration at COP28 in Dubai in 2023. This was part of a growing global recognition that stable and reliable clean electricity provided by civil nuclear energy is crucial for decarbonizing energy systems and achieving Net Zero goals. The Barakah plant demonstrates how the UAE is delivering ahead of the curve against this commitment.
The construction of Barakah has stimulated the creation of a new advanced industry in the UAE, boosting national studies in nuclear sciences and offering educational and training opportunities for talented Emirati youth. To date, over 2,000 highly skilled Emiratis have participated in developing the plant. This creation of know-how and intellect will be crucial for the future as, according to an IMF study, nuclear plants have a unique footprint, distributing wealth more widely across various sectors than other energy sources1. During the construction phase alone, the delivery of the four units at Barakah yielded $6.7 billion (AED22.5 billion) in local procurement, making the UAE’s peaceful nuclear energy program a major driver of In-Country Value.
H.E. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, Board of Directors, ENEC, said: “In 2008, the UAE’s visionary leadership took a data-led, long-term approach by issuing a comprehensive policy for the development of civil nuclear energy in the UAE to transform the nation’s energy supply. As Unit 4 of Barakah enters commercial operations, that vision has been realized, with one in every four electrons on the UAE grid coming from Barakah, providing up to 25% of the UAE’s electricity needs, and positioning the nation as a leader in civil nuclear development globally. This source of clean electricity will act as a magnet, attracting additional investment in the UAE by sustainably-minded, but energy intensive industries from around the globe.”
H.E. Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ENEC, said: “We are enormously proud of this monumental achievement for UAE, and are grateful for the continuous support of the UAE leadership, as we usher in a new era of clean energy for the country.
“Today, the UAE has added more clean electricity per capita in the past five years than any other nation, with 75% of this coming from Barakah. This clearly demonstrates that integrating nuclear energy into the UAE power’s mix and alongside growing renewable energy sources was the right decision, boosting energy security and establishing the UAE as a regional leader in this growing sector. Barakah is making a positive impact on the lives of every person in the UAE through the clean electricity we generate around the clock.
“The Barakah nuclear energy plant offers a new model for the world and demonstrates that nuclear energy is bankable and can be delivered efficiently, with our units coming online within eight years from first concrete pour to fuel load and achieving a 40% improvement in schedule from operational readiness to commercial operations from Unit 1 to Unit 4. I congratulate all of our colleagues who have worked tirelessly to develop considerable institutional knowledge with this expertise, we are now well-positioned to advance to the next era of growth and fulfil the broader mission of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program. ENEC is poised to partner, develop, invest in and advocate for more new nuclear projects in the UAE and overseas.”
The commercial operations of four units of the Barakah Plant come amid the growing global recognition of the pivotal role of nuclear energy in decarbonizing the energy systems and achieving Net Zero. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that global electricity demand is expected to rise at a faster rate over the next three years, growing by an average of 3.4% annually through 2026.
At COP28, 25 nations, including the UAE, launched a pledge to work to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050. With rising demand for electricity, driven partly due to AI, EVs and semiconductors, the stable and reliable clean electricity provided by nuclear is increasingly recognized for its role in decarbonizing the energy sector. The full delivery of Barakah firmly places ENEC and the UAE as frontrunners for their contributions to the pledge by the 25 nations to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050.
As the first multi–unit operational nuclear plant in the region, Barakah stands as a model of what can be achieved when data-driven and forward-looking energy policy, investment and leadership support are combined with a clear commitment to engage with and learn from the international community.
Since ENEC was formed in 2009, over 100 MoUs with 14 nations have been signed. This includes U.S, U.K, France, Spain, and China. The MoUs illustrate the UAE’s approach to collaborating with other nations to pursue innovation and development to further enhance future nuclear energy programs and technologies.
