The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) has completed the installation of the condenser at its first nuclear energy plant in Barakah.

Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the UAE’s Minister of International Cooperation and Development, visited the plants and witnessed the latest progress made along with Enec’s chief executive officer Mohamed Al Hammadi, senior officials and engineers.

The condenser will play an important role in the generation of electricity, and is a critical component used in all types of power plants, said a statement.

In a nuclear reactor, nuclear fission creates heat, which turns water into steam. The pressure of the steam turns a generator, which produces electricity. The condenser cools the steam back into water, allowing the process to repeat continuously, it said.

It is made up of three sections connected by equalising ducts, with each section measuring 26 m in length and weighing 700,000 kg.

The condenser sections were fabricated in South Korea and shipped to Barakah. Its welding was completed in the Unit 1 Reactor Containment Building; a process which took more than seven months to complete.

“We are pleased to be progressing safely and on schedule as we work to deliver the UAE’s first nuclear energy plant,” said Al Hammadi.

“The team will now focus on completing the fit out of the condenser, including the installation of the duct sections, water boxes low pressure feedwater heaters and auxiliary systems. The entire process is expected to take more than a year before the condenser is complete.”

The commercial operations for Unit 1 are scheduled to start in 2017, subject to regulatory approvals, which the construction for Barakah Unit 2 is also well under way. The plant will commence commercial operation in 2018, pending regulatory approval.

Enec will apply for an Operating License for Units 1 and 2 in 2015.

The company is also on track to break ground for its third nuclear energy plant later this year, subject to regulatory approvals.

By 2020, the UAE will have four nuclear plants in commercial operations, delivering up to a quarter of the nation’s electricity needs. - TradeArabia News Service