POWER November 2021 - 19

TOP PLANT
selected. In July 2010, ENEC received
its " License for Preparation of a Site for
the Construction of a Nuclear Facility. "
It also received a " Limited License for
the Construction of a Nuclear Facility, "
allowing some preliminary construction
work to begin at Barakah.
KEPCO's APR1400 Technology
KEPCO says its Advanced Power Reactor
1400 (APR1400) is a next-generation nuclear
power plant developed by improving
upon its Optimized Power Reactor 1000
(OPR1000) design, which, with 12 reactors
in service, is the dominant model
operating in South Korea. The APR1400
was developed through a governmentled
G-7 project from December 1992 to
December 2001. KEPCO E&C (Engineering
and Construction) was in charge of
architect engineering and nuclear steam
supply system design technology development
for the project.
The APR1400 boasts an increased
generating capacity compared to the
OPR1000, from 1,000 MW to 1,400
MW, and the design lifetime has been
increased from 40 years to 60 years.
Another important safety improvement
relates to seismic capabilities. The
APR1400 is designed to cope with earthquakes
satisfying all of the 0.3g seismic
requirements in the bedrock and soil
conditions using a site envelope concept
(0.3g peak ground acceleration has been
established by several advanced reactor
vendors as the basis for their standard
Safe Shutdown Earthquake). In addition,
by introducing a quadrant layout design
method for auxiliary buildings, the ability
to cope with external shocks, such as fire
and flooding, was also strengthened.
The APR1400 is a pressurized water
reactor design. It has two coolant loops
with vertical U-tube steam generators
that include integral economizers. The
reactor core has 211 fuel assemblies
and the unit is designed to operate on an
18-month refueling cycle.
The first two APR1400 units-Shin
Kori Units 3 and 4-were commissioned
in Busan, South Korea, in 2016
and 2019, respectively. Four APR1400
reactors are currently under construction
in Korea-Shin Kori Units 5 and 6,
and Shin Hanul Units 1 and 2. The Barakah
units are the first to be built outside
of Korea, but KEPCO has high hopes for
similar units internationally.
In November 2017, KEPCO E&C
and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power
(KHNP) obtained
November 2021 | POWER
the European Utility
Requirements (EUR) certification
for its EU-APR, which KEPCO says " is
an evolutionary Advanced Light Water
Reactor fully complying with the EU
requirements and European codes and
standards. " Additionally, with the joint
agreement of KEPCO and KHNP, KEPCO
E&C was able to acquire design certification
of the APR1400 from the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
in August 2019. With the EUR and NRC
certifications, KEPCO has said foreign
market opportunities, including in the
U.S., Poland, and Egypt, have been
enhanced, and the additional export of
nuclear power plants is expected.
A Diverse Workforce
One aspect of the Peaceful Nuclear Energy
Program that the UAE seems particularly
pleased with is the diversity of its
workforce. During the International Ministerial
Conference on Nuclear Power in
the 21st Century, which was held in Abu
Dhabi in November 2017, Her Excellency,
Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi noted
some of the programs differentiators.
" Here in the UAE, we strongly believe
in the equality of men and women,
both in society and in professional
development, " she said during a presentation.
" From the very beginning
of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy
Program, we emphasized strongly the
need to bring more women into the
nuclear industry and into what is generally
considered a male-dominated sector
around the world.
" At Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation
and its subsidiaries, I am proud to
see that our efforts to inspire women
to join this industry of the future has
produced positive results. Today, 23%
of professionals working at ENEC are
women. At the Barakah nuclear energy
plant, approximately 10% of employees
are female. This is a significant achievement
and we will continue to support
all women who want to join the sector, "
H.E. Sheikha Lubna said.
She added, " The UAE Peaceful Nuclear
Energy Program is one of the most
diverse and perhaps the most multinational
and multicultural nuclear program
in the world, with over 40 nationalities
involved. We celebrate this diversity and
continue to promote understanding, diversity,
and acceptance. "
Crossing the Finish Line
Barakah Unit 1 was successfully connected
to the national power grid on
Aug. 19, 2020, marking the first time
electricity generated by nuclear power
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POWER POINTS
Winning Attributes
✔ The Barakah facility is the first
nuclear power plant in the United
Arab Emirates and the first multiunit
nuclear station operating in the
Arab World.
✔ The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp.
has developed an exceptionally
diverse workforce that includes
a high percentage of women and
more than 40 nationalities involved.
✔ The Barakah project's safety record
is remarkable, recently exceeding
100 million man-hours worked
without a lost-time injury.
was delivered to consumers in the UAE.
Grid synchronization did not mean the
end of the project, however; ENEC continued
to follow international best practices
to confirm safe reactor operation
including power ascension testing and
other verifications. On Dec. 7, 2020, Unit
1 achieved 100% power output. At 1,400
MW, it was the largest single source of
electricity in the UAE. Barakah Unit 1 officially
commenced commercial operation
on April 1, 2021.
Meanwhile, work continues on Units
2, 3, and 4. Unit 2 achieved a major milestone
on Aug. 28 when it was connected
to the national power grid, making Barakah
the first multi-unit operating nuclear
plant in the Arab World. Units 3 and 4 are
progressing nicely, benefitting from the
experience and lessons learned during
the construction of Units 1 and 2. Units
3 and 4 were reportedly about 95% and
91% complete, respectively, at the end
of August. When all units are in operation,
the Barakah facility will supply up to
25% of the UAE's electricity needs.
During the building of Barakah's four
units, more than 2.3 million cubic meters
of concrete has been poured, and approximately
250,000 metric tons of reinforcing
steel has been installed, setting
what ENEC claims is " an international
construction performance record. " Notably,
in June, ENEC and KEPCO reported
four years and more than 100 million safe
man-hours without a lost-time injury at
the Barakah site. ENEC and KEPCO's
accomplishments on the Barakah project
make it a worthy POWER Top Plant
award winner. ■
-Aaron Larson is POWER's
executive editor.
19
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POWER November 2021

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