UAE has begun the operation of their 4^th nuclear reactor unit in Barakah, exceeding power production to over 5.6 GW at the nuclear power plant site. The Barakah began construction in 2012 and within the decade, the first reactor began operation. The 4^th unit began operation on September 5^th of this year and looks towards a long life of 60 years.

Dubai requires an immense amount of energy to power air conditioning throughout the city to maintain habitability during the summer which has seen temperatures of over 120°F (about 48°C). To keep up with the power demands of their air conditioning needs, the country has turned to these nuclear reactors as a progressive move towards high density clean energy. The Barakah nuclear plant powers generators that are capable of producing up to 25% of the entire UAE’s energy goal.

The design that went with is called the APR 1400, an advanced pressurized water reactor. At the start of the project, the world was shaken up by the Fukushima disaster, one of two fully catastrophic nuclear disasters. As most countries began to shut down their reactors and turn away from the thought of building new ones, the United Arab Emirates saw it as a learning opportunity and decided to choose the Korean Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) for their reactor’s passive safety features.

The APR 1400 reactor is similar to the Westinghouse System 80 reactor design and is capable of generating over 1400 MW of electric power. Four of these have been constructed in Korea and four more are under construction between the two current sites. Other countries including Poland, and the UK have agreed to build these reactor designs from KEPCO in the near future.

Saudi Arabia, the largest exporter of oil has stated that they are investing in nuclear power as they look towards other options for a cleaner future. The start up and operation of the Barakah nuclear power plant is a great example of how nuclear can be built to meet the power demands of the world’s greatest cities with safety and immense power generation at the forefront of reactor designs.