Operating licence for UAE nuclear power plant could be issued in early 2020

The operating licence for the UAE’s 5.6GW Barakah nuclear power plant could be issued in the first quarter of 2020, according to a senior official from the federal industry regulator.

The operating licence for the UAE’s 5.6GW Barakah nuclear power plant could be issued in the first quarter of 2020, according to a senior official from the federal industry regulator.

Speaking at an industry event on 28 November, Christer Viktorsson, director-general of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) said that the licence could be granted in the first quarter of next year, barring no further issues.

The first reactor of the $24.4bn nuclear power plant, the Arab world’s first nuclear power facility, had originally been scheduled to come online in 2017, with the remaining three due to come online one at a time per year up until 2020. However, commissioning of the plant has fallen behind schedule, with operation of the plant unlikely to start before early 2021.

A contract worth an estimated $20bn was awarded to a South Korean consortium of Kepco, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction and Samsung Corporation in late 2009 to develop the nuclear power plant.