President Sheikh Mohamed has heralded the start of commercial operations at the fourth and final unit of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant.
He described the moment as a “significant step on the journey towards net zero” in a post on X on Thursday, with the plant representing the largest decarbonisation effort in the UAE and the region.
The 22.4 million tonnes of annual carbon emissions that will now be prevented by the plant are equivalent to removing 4.6 million cars from the roads each year and contribute to achieving 24 per cent of the nation’s 2030 decarbonisation commitments, state news agency Wam reported.
“With the start of operations at Unit 4 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the UAE has taken another significant step on the journey towards net zero,” he wrote.
“We will continue to prioritise energy security and sustainability for the benefit of our nation and our people today and tomorrow.”
The unit’s reactor was successfully started for the first time and connected to the national power grid in March.
Officials said it required a few more months before commercial operations could begin once the process of gradually raising power levels, known as Power Ascension Testing, was complete.
These tests have now been carried out, adhering to the highest international safety standards, with officials continuously monitoring the plant’s progress.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, also shared his delight at the development. He described the plant as “an Emirati achievement, a source of Arab pride” and a “global addition to protecting the planet”.
A cleaner future
The Barakah Plant is now generating 40 terawatt hours of electricity per year, about the annual electricity consumption of New Zealand. It provides up to 25 per cent of the UAE’s electricity, state news agency Wam reported.
The first operating licence for Unit 1 at the Barakah Plant was issued by the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation in February 2020, followed by another for Unit 2 in March 2021.
Commercial operations at Unit 1 started in April 2021, and in its first year, it prevented the release of more than five million tonnes of carbon emissions by replacing the power that would previously have been generated by fossil fuels.
It was the equivalent of more than “one million cars driven for a year”, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation said.
The Barakah plant is expected to produce 85 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s clean electricity by 2025 and will be the biggest contributor to reducing the national power sector’s carbon emissions.
Nuclear power is regarded as clean energy because it does not create the same emissions that fossil fuels do.
Specs
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Power: 134bhp
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Company%20Profile
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A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SCE%20Studio%20Cambridge%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%2C%20PlayStation%204%20and%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Tips for SMEs to cope
- Adapt your business model. Make changes that are future-proof to the new normal
- Make sure you have an online presence
- Open communication with suppliers, especially if they are international. Look for local suppliers to avoid delivery delays
- Open communication with customers to see how they are coping and be flexible about extending terms, etc
Courtesy: Craig Moore, founder and CEO of Beehive, which provides term finance and working capital finance to SMEs. Only SMEs that have been trading for two years are eligible for funding from Beehive.
