The UAE's first nuclear power plant is another step closer to completion after the Reactor Containment Building dome was fitted onto the final unit of the Barakah plant on Tuesday.
The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation said the Unit’s Reactor Coolant Loop, pipe welding, and the setting of key equipment have also been completed.
The dome is the final structural component of the RCB, which now measures around 70 metres in height. The RCB houses the nuclear Reactor Vessel, Steam Generators and other major components.
Built from concrete and heavily reinforced steel, RCBs are ranked among the strongest structures in the world.
The completion of welding of the RCL, which plays a key role in transferring heat from the Reactor Vessel, to the Steam Generators, is another key step towards the start of major testing for the systems of Unit 4.
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"These achievements highlight the significant progress being made in both the construction of Unit 4 as well as the journey towards the overall completion of the plant," said Mohammed Al Hammadi, chief executive of Enec.
"With construction completion for Unit 4 currently standing at 67 percent, the next phase for the unit will be to start the transition from construction to testing and commissioning."
The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant will have four reactors, or units, when fully operational. Connecting Units Three and Four to the grid will allow the next stage of testing and the completion of auxiliary buildings on the site, which is in the Western Region near Ruwais.
Once fully operational, the Barakah power plant is expected to produce a quarter of the UAE’s energy as well as save 21 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year.
