The fourth and final unit of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has been connected to the UAE power grid, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation said on Saturday.
It paves the way for the delivery of the first megawatt of carbon-free electricity from the fourth reactor of the plant.
"We are proud to have achieved another critical milestone for the Barakah Plant, which stands as a testament to the UAE's leadership in the development of large-scale multi-unit nuclear fleets," said Mohamed Al Hammadi, managing director and chief executive of Enec.
Unit 4 will add 1,400 megawatts of clean energy capacity to the national grid, Abu Dhabi Media Office said.
Barakah, the largest single source of clean electricity in the Middle East, is now months away from full operations.
The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation issued the first operating licence for Barakah's Unit 1 in February 2020 and another for Unit 2 in March 2021. Commercial operations at Unit 1 started in April 2021.
The next step before completion is to gradually raise power levels during Unit 4's testing phase, known as power ascension testing.
The process will be continuously monitored and tested until maximum electricity production is reached.
Once ready, Unit 4 will generate 25 per cent of the country's electricity needs for the next 60 years.
Road to net zero
The Barakah plant is a key component of the UAE's clean energy transition and the push towards net zero by 2050.
Saturday's announcement comes months after nations signed a historic accord, at the Cop28 climate change conference in Dubai, to cut back on fossil fuel use.
In its first year, Barakah's Unit 1 prevented the release of more than five million tonnes of carbon emissions that would previously have been generated by fossil fuels.
It was equivalent to more than "one million cars driven for a year", Enec said at the time.
By next year, the Barakah plant is expected to produce 85 per cent of Abu Dhabi's clean electricity and be the biggest contributor to reducing the national power sector's carbon emissions.
Nuclear power is regarded as a clean energy because it does not create the same emissions as fossil fuels such as oil and gas.
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Pakistan World Cup squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain
Two additions for England ODIs: Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali
Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight
Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.
Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.
Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.
“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.
Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.
Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.
However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.
With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.
In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.
The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.
The next few days will be crucial in determining whether these wishes come true.
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The specs
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Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
