The CHT test verified the welds, joints, pipes, reactor coolant components, and highlighted the quality of construction. The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has successfully completed Cold Hydrostatic Testing (CHT) at Unit 4 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, which is the Arab world’s first nuclear energy plant being built in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The testing incorporated lessons learned from the previous three units and is a step towards the completion of Unit 4 – the final unit of the Barakah plant.
As a part of the CHT test, the pressure inside Unit 4’s systems was increased to 25% – above what will be the normal operating pressure – demonstrating the quality and nature of the unit’s construction.
Before the CHT, Unit 4’s Nuclear Steam Supply Systems were flushed with demineralised water, and the Reactor Pressure Vessel Head and Reactor Coolant Pump Seals were installed.
During the CHT, the welds, joints, pipes, components of the reactor coolant system, as well as associated high-pressure systems were verified.
The testing at Unit 4 represents a significant achievement in the development of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme, following the successful completion of fuel assembly loading into Unit 1 in March 2020.
ENEC is currently in the final stages of construction for units 2, 3, and 4 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. The overall construction of the four units is more than 94% complete. Unit 4 is more than 84% complete, Unit 3 is more than 92% complete, and Unit 2 is more than 95% complete.
The four units at Barakah will generate up to 25% of the UAE’s electricity demand by producing 5,600 MW of clean baseload electricity, and preventing the release of 21 million tons of carbon emissions each year – the equivalent of removing 3.2 million cars off the roads annually.
Commenting on the milestone achievement, the chief executive officer of ENEC, HE Mohamed Al Hammadi, said: “I am proud of the continued progress being made at Barakah despite the circumstances we have all faced in relation to COVID-19. The UAE leadership’s decisive and proactive response to the pandemic supported us in taking timely, safety-led actions to protect the health and safety of our workforce and our plant.”
Al Hammadi added: “These actions, alongside the efforts of our talented and dedicated workforce, have enabled the successful completion of CHT at Unit 4, which was completed in adherence to the highest standards of safety, quality, and security.”