Building on nuclear know-how in the United Arab Emirates

A platform for developing confidence in nuclear delivery

The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in the Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi, UAE, has demonstrated that nuclear power can play an important role in the region’s future energy mix. John McAllister, energy director for Saudi Arabia and the Middle East at Mott MacDonald, gained ten years of vital experience supporting the delivery of the Barakah plant as a secondee within the senior management team at Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC). In this article, he highlights some of the achievements of the Barakah project and lessons for future nuclear energy delivery.

When the UAE launched plans in 2009 for a project to build the first civilian nuclear energy plant in the Arab Gulf states, many questioned whether the project could be delivered successfully.

Concerns were raised that there was not sufficient regional nuclear expertise to deliver and operate a nuclear plant safely and sustainably; the security, climate and environmental risks were challenging; it would not be price competitive given the plentiful supplies of oil and natural gas in the region.

Above all, few people believed that a first-time nuclear project in the UAE could avoid major delays and escalating costs, which had impacted many nuclear projects in other parts of the world.

When the Barakah plant’s fourth unit reached full commercial operation on 5 September 2024, signifying full fleet operations, it was a major achievement for everyone involved. Located on the coast west of Abu Dhabi city, its four APR1400 reactors now generate 5.6GW of clean electricity, providing around 25% of the UAE’s electricity needs.

Based on the lessons learned on this mega-energy project, the nuclear industry developed a much stronger understanding of how nuclear technologies perform in the region’s climate conditions, including the challenges of high temperatures, saline environments and sand exposure. Future projects in the region can now build on this experience.

A new era of nuclear regionally

Saudi Arabia continues to invest heavily in thermal and renewable generation however, nuclear is expected to play an increasingly important role in the country’s energy mix in the long term.

Demand for reliable, low-carbon baseload power is rising in the Kingdom and the country recently signed a 30-year civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the US, a step that could help to advance the country’s civil nuclear energy programme.

The UAE’s Barakah Plant demonstrated to the world that a civil nuclear programme can be successfully delivered and operated in the region.

ENEC, the state-owned entity that led the development, created the right framework and programme, along with the right network of partners for delivery success.

It brought together some of the best nuclear, energy and megaprojects experts from around the world and the knowledge gained can be transferred to future projects in the region.

Megaproject delivery

The size and sensitivity of nuclear plants magnify every aspect of delivery, from engineering and procurement to programme management and construction.

On a conventional thermal plant, the project delivery time to commercial operation is typically three years. Developing a large-scale nuclear power plant can take up to 10 years, and sometimes longer, from concept to commercial operation and, in the case of the Barakah Plant, required a workforce of over 25,000 at peak of construction to complete.

To accommodate the large workforce for the programme duration, temporary villages and facilities had to be built adjacent to the plant within the site affection plot plan. Extensive new infrastructure had to be co-ordinated with government stakeholders, such as TRANSCO and the Department of Transport up to the plant boundary.

One of the many positive outcomes of the project is that it created an ecosystem for delivering nuclear power in the region. Relationships between clients, regulators, contractors, designers, original equipment manufacturers and supply chain partners had time to mature, helping to reduce uncertainty, minimise delays and improve delivery confidence.

A further important legacy of the project is that it created a generation of Emirati nuclear professionals, a sustainable local workforce that has helped support the plant throughout its operational life and strengthened regional capability for future programmes.

One of the many positive outcomes of the project is that it created an ecosystem for delivering nuclear power in the region.

Engineers that manage

Problem solving on nuclear projects is rarely a purely technical matter. There are always regulatory, environmental, commercial and contractual implications to be considered. Well-rounded engineers, who are able to manage these complex interfaces are vital on new build nuclear projects.

During the Barakah project, from 2012 to 2023, Mott MacDonald provided ENEC with over 60 colleagues across multiple disciplines and sectors covering management, engineering, project control, health, safety and the environment, construction supervision, stakeholder management and commissioning.

For Mott MacDonald, the project reinforced the value of ‘engineers that manage’ – experts in their field who combine deep technical knowledge with strategic thinking, stakeholder engagement and delivery excellence.

Planning for change

The long timescales involved in nuclear delivery also mean that engineers need to be able to adapt to technology, regulatory and political changes over the lifetime of the project.

One of ways the industry has matured is in its ability for managers and engineers to plan for change. Despite a skills shortage in the nuclear industry, teams are becoming more efficient and experienced as more engineers are gaining expertise in nuclear new build projects. The Barakah Plant has effectively led this development over the last 15 years.

Building confidence in nuclear delivery

Planning a successful nuclear programme requires more than ambition or proven technology, it requires confidence in the whole industry ecosystem. That is why the knowledge, skills and partnerships developed over the past 15 years provide a strong platform for the region’s next phase of nuclear development.

As an industry, we have learned lessons from the Barakah project about how to develop local capability, integrate nuclear with wider energy systems, manage increasingly complex programmes on energy mega-projects and adapt to changing regulatory and societal expectations, all within a new environmental for the nuclear industry.

This know-how adds confidence in nuclear delivery and can help shape future projects both regionally and internationally.