UAE powers the future: Arab world’s first nuclear power plant way to clean energy

Nuclear energy as a clean energy source

Nuclear power plants have been considered the keystone of electricity generation for over half a century. This was further effective for the world’s different countries to incorporate efficient solutions to fulfil the world’s energy needs. By using the nuclear fission technique, nuclear power plants were considered to split atoms to produce energy. Through this approach, these plants were considered to produce electricity with minimum carbon emission. Moreover, it was effective for these plants to shift towards clean energy with a low-carbon energy system.

Therefore, the journey of the nuclear power plants started in 1950 when this plant continued to supply electricity. However, from the 1960s to 1980, the expansion of nuclear power plants increased. In the opposite case, it was considered a matter of controversy due to safety concerns or for high-profile accidents like the Chornobyl or Fukushima cases. In this aspect, it was noted that the Chornobyl Nuclear disaster happened on 26 April 1986. On the other hand, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident happened on 11 March 2011. Along with this radioactive disposal is further considered as the major issue for radioactive waste disposal.

Through the report, it was reported that the global energy mix produces around 10 per cent of world electricity. This created consistent or reliable low-carbon energy along with renewable sources like renewable sources like solar or wind energy. Which attracts the attention of the world to achieve a net zero carbon emission goal by the end of the year 2050.

Countries which consider to generate electricity with the help of nuclear power plants

Nuclear power plants were considered the major sources to generate electricity. Due to this, it was seen that most countries like the USA, France and China considered investing in nuclear power plants to promote clean energy and reduce carbon emissions. In this aspect, it was observed that from 1958 USA started to generate electricity. As per the 2023 report, August 1, the USA has 93 commercial nuclear reactors operating at its 54 nuclear power plants in 28 states. Along with this as per the reports, the age of these reactors was reported around 42 years old. As per the reports it was noted that the electricity generation capacity of these reactors was around 95.

Through the reports, it was noted that in the present time, 56 nuclear reactors were in operation to generate electricity in France. Through this, the country was considered to produce 61,370 megawatts of electricity. It was reported that the country, through nuclear power plants, was considered to generate around 70 percent of electricity. However, it was notable that around 17 percent of the electricity in France was recycled from nuclear fuel, which supports the nation to produce clean energy sources.

Through reports, it was noted that through the past 10 years, China has increased its nuclear power capacity by around 34 gigawatts. Therefore, at the present time, the number of reactors was 55. However, along with this 23 reactors were under construction in China. Through the adoption of this nuclear power development strategy, China is considering fulfilling the electricity demand and focusing on addressing environmental concerns.

India’s Nuclear Power Plant

Through the studies, it was observed that nuclear power is the 5^th largest source of electricity generation in India after coal, gas, hydroelectricity and wind power. As per the data was noted that till 2020, India had 23 nuclear reactors in operation and eight nuclear power plants. Through this nuclear power plant, India has generated 7480 megawatts of energy, which produces around 3.11 percent of total electricity in India. In the present time, the craze among people regarding the use of nuclear energy to fulfil the demand for electricity has increased as it generates minimal greenhouse gas emissions compared to coal or other natural gases.

This was important to combat climate change through achieving carbon reduction goals. However, India to generate electricity from nuclear power plants faces obstacles regarding fuel. As India’s domestic uranium reserves were small, the country was required to import uranium to fuel its nuclear power plants. India genuine very little amount of electricity from nuclear energy. However, it was noted that since 1990 Russia has been one of the major suppliers of nuclear fuel for India. Therefore, the active nuclear power plants were the Narora atomic power plant, Rawatbhata Atomic Power Plant, Kakrapar Atomic Power Plant, Tarapur Atomic Power Plant, Kaiga Generating Station, Kalpakkam Atomic Power Plant and Kundakulam Nuclear Power Station.

Arab world’s first nuclear power plant

It was a ground-breaking success for the UAE as it successfully installed its first nuclear power plant. Through this, the country has been able to install the Arab world’s first nuclear power plant in Barakh. As per the news, the Barakah nuclear energy plant is now fully operational. Moreover, it was noted that the 4^th plant began its commercial operation which represents a key milestone for the country in energy generation.

However, people of Arab countries say Abu Dhabi’s Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is a blessing in Arab as it produces 40 terawatt hours of electricity each year. According to Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), this power plant was able to meet 25 per cent electricity demand of the country. As per the reports, the Barakah plant is able to reduce 22 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, which is equal to removing 4.8 million cars from the road. Along with this, it was reported that the power plant supplies power to most of the famous industries of the company, which were Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Emirates Steel and Emirates Global Aluminium.

However, on this success, President Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan said that this is a significant step for the country to achieve net zero goals. In this context, he further added that they focus on prioritizing energy security and sustainability for the benefit of the nation and people today or tomorrow. Therefore it was considered as the Gulf state’s border strategy to minimise their reliance on fossil fuels and to boost renewable energy by the end of 2050.

However, this program was started in 2009, and the government invested around 20 billion dollars in it. Through this, the country has aimed to add 17 gigawatts of nuclear energy capacity by the end of 2032. Although the progress has been slow the country still focuses on improving its energy industry to achieve sustainability goals with the purpose of reducing carbon emissions.

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