SEOUL – The fourth and concluding unit of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, constructed by South Korea in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has initiated its startup phase, a crucial step towards its anticipated commercial operation within the first half of the year.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the reactor has begun stable heat production through nuclear fission, essential for electricity generation. This development marks the completion of the $20 billion project, initiated in 2009 by a KEPCO-led consortium, representing South Korea’s first export of a domestically designed commercial nuclear power plant. The Barakah plant, situated 270 kilometers west of Abu Dhabi, is the Arab region’s inaugural multi-unit operational nuclear facility, consisting of four APR-1400 pressurized water reactors. Each reactor has the capacity to generate up to 1,400 megawatts of clean electricity, aligning with global efforts to adopt sustainable energy sources.