Distinguished Emirati Competencies Behind Barakah’s Great Achievements

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation continues to achieve continuous achievements during the development of the Barakah Peaceful Nuclear Energy Plants Project in the Al Dhafra region in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi according to a clear vision based on the completion of this mega project, the first of its kind in the Arab world, relying on the leadership role of Emirati competencies In a record time, it was able to acquire the distinguished knowledge and experience in this advanced technical sector.

The role of Emirati competencies has emerged more recently with the completion of the loading of nuclear fuel packages at the second plant reactor in Barakah, which was completed by a team of distinguished Emirati competencies in accordance with the highest international safety and quality standards.

The specialized nuclear fuel loading team consisting of 31 specialists in this advanced technical process, including 28 Emirati engineers and technicians, undertook the fuel loading process, which requires high concentration and accuracy, by transporting the 241 fuel packages one by one using special equipment and installing them in the core of the reactor inside a building. The containment of the reactor, taking advantage of the lessons learned from the implementation of the same process in the first plant about a year ago.

The fuel loading process at the second plant reactor took place after the plant’s operating license was issued by the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation on March 9, 2021  for the Nawah Energy Company of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, which in turn is responsible for operating the plant located in the Al Dhafra region in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

These achievements, which were achieved by Emirati personnel specializing in an advanced technical sector, are a result of the strategy pursued by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation and the directives of the wise leadership that are concerned with developing Emirati competencies and ensuring a new generation that is qualified and distinguished to lead the environmentally friendly energy sector in the country in the future.

Since its inception in 2009, the corporation launched the “Energy Pioneers” program, which aims to attract outstanding engineers and students in scientific subjects, provide scholarships for them in the fields of the nuclear energy sector, provide them with the necessary knowledge and expertise in this sector, and then provide opportunities to join work teams at Barakah stations.

More than 500 Emirati students have benefited from the program’s grants, a large proportion of whom joined the work teams and play an important role in the development of the stations.

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation was also keen to develop advanced training programs in the most advanced nuclear power plants in the world, as well as the most prestigious local and foreign academic institutions to ensure the acquisition of Emirati competencies with the latest technologies of the global nuclear energy sector, as these programs spanned for up to seven years and led to the achievement of Many of the FANR licensing trainees as operating managers and operators of nuclear reactors.

The Foundation also worked on establishing partnerships with distinguished academic institutions in the country, including the Khalifa University of Science and Technology, where an advanced virtual training room was developed at the university that enables Emirati competencies to work at the station site and at the same time follow their training programs.

While the number of employees in the corporation and its subsidiaries reaches three thousand employees, Emirati competencies constitute 60% of them, while more than two thousand of these competencies have participated in the development of Barakah stations since its inception, among them more than 1,100 under the age of thirty-five.

The efforts of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation are continuing to attract more Emirati competencies for the Emirati peaceful nuclear program, especially since the operational life of Barakah plants is more than 60 years, while the UAE has a large intellectual and scientific wealth of human beings whose main focus is the specialized Emirati competencies that will ensure the sustainability of the program in addition to sharing their expertise and capabilities With countries wishing to develop new peaceful nuclear energy programs.