THE United Arab Emirates today said it has issued a licence for a reactor at its Barakah nuclear power plant, the first in the Arab world, hailing a “historic moment”.

The national nuclear regulator “has approved the issuance” of the operating licence for the first of four reactors at the facility, said Hamad al-Kaabi, the UAE representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

“This is a historic moment for the UAE, making it the first Arab country in the region to operate a nuclear power plant,” Kaabi told a press conference.

“This milestone was achieved due to the UAE’s vision and its leadership to build a peaceful nuclear energy programme to cater (to) the future needs of energy in the country.”

The plant, located on the Gulf coast west of the UAE capital, had been due to come online in late 2017, but faced a number of delays that officials attributed to safety and regulatory requirements.

Abu Dhabi authorities last month said the facility would start operating within a few months.

“The full operation of the Barakah plant in the near future will contribute to the UAE’s efforts for development and sustainability,” said Kaabi, without giving a new date.

The plant is being built by a consortium led by the Korea Electric Power Corporation in a deal worth more than US$20 billion (RM83 billion).

When fully operational, the four reactors have the capacity to generate 5,600 megawatts of electricity, or around 25% of the nation’s needs. The remaining three reactors are almost ready for operation.

The UAE has substantial energy reserves, but nuclear and renewables are targeted to contribute about 27% of its electricity needs by next year. – AFP, February 17, 2020.