The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has marked four years and more than 100 million safe man-hours without a Lost Time Injury (LTI) at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, located in the Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi, UAE. The accomplishment highlights ENEC’s success in implementing the highest standards of safety, security, and quality in developing the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program. The milestone sets a new benchmark for industrial safety for nuclear new build projects around the world.
ENEC and its Prime Contractor and Joint Venture partner the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) have worked closely together for more than a decade on implementing the highest safety and quality standards and ensuring an exceptional safety culture. Dedication to continuous improvement of everyday work behaviors, accountability, and employee empowerment to ensure their own safety and that of their colleagues has been delivered through a range of safety-related practices and tools including continuous training programs. This has resulted in their shared achievement of what is a significant industrial safety accomplishment.
“This extraordinary achievement is a result of our robust culture of safety and dedication to meeting the highest standards of quality and safety in the development of the Barakah Plant. Achieving 100 million safe work hours is a testament to the UAE’s ability to safely deliver complex megaprojects and sets a new industrial safety record for nuclear new build projects.” said His Excellency Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of ENEC.
“With thousands of workers at the site, we have been committed to offering regular training and coaching to ensure our team places safety as the highest priority. This achievement reflects our close and extensive collaboration with KEPCO and our wider Team Korea colleagues, working together to construct and commission the Barakah Plant. With Unit 1 now commercially operating and Unit 2 undergoing preparations for start-up, we remain committed to upholding these same standards for nuclear safety and security throughout the lifetime of the Barakah plant.”
Today, Unit 1 of the Barakah Plant is the largest single generator of electricity in the UAE and is helping to lead the biggest decarbonization effort in the region. Unit 1 has already generated more than 2,100 GWh of clean electricity and prevented more than 950,000 Kilotons of C02.
ENEC works closely with contractors, regulators and the international nuclear community to develop and maintain a world-class nuclear safety culture, with supporting policies and procedures. Regular safety and quality audits are a core part of the program, ensuring continual improvement in all construction and operation areas.
The Barakah Plant is one of the largest nuclear energy plants in the world, with four APR-1400 Units. Construction of the Plant began in 2012 and has progressed steadily ever since. Unit 1 started the commercial operation in April 2021. Unit 2 has now completed the fuel load process and is working through all the required processes before start-up. Construction of Units 3 and 4 are in the final stages with the Units 94 percent and 89 percent complete, respectively. The construction of the Barakah Plant as a whole is now more than 95 percent complete.
