The Barakah-1 nuclear power plant has reached 100% of its rated power, a milestone that brings the Arab world’s first nuclear unit one step closer to commercial operation, scheduled in early 2021.

Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) said 100% power means that Unit 1 is generating 1,400 MW of electricity from a single generator connected to the UAE grid. This makes the Unit 1 generator the largest single source of electricity in the UAE.

Achieving 100% power is one of the final steps of the power ascension testing phase of the startup process for Unit 1. Plant operator Nawah Energy, an Enec subsidiary, will now carry out a series of tests before the reactor is safely shut down in preparation for the check outage. During this period, the Unit 1 systems will be examined and any planned or corrective maintenance carried out.