POWER January 2016 - 41

GENERATION TRANSITIONS
4. Containing the risk. The reactor containment, shown under construction, will house
one of the APR1400 pressurized-water reactors with its two steam generators, four reactor
coolant pumps, and various other associated primary components. Courtesy: Emirates Nuclear
Energy Corp.
All modifications have been subject to the
thorough scrutiny of our regulators, FANR
and the EAD, which approved these modifications
as part of the Environmental Impact
Assessment and the Construction License
Applications.
What are you most proud of at this
point in the construction process?
Al Hammadi: I am proud that we have met
every major milestone since construction began
in Barakah. We have managed to achieve
this by creating a multinational and multidisciplinary
team that focuses on the changing
priorities and goals of the program.
Today, we are focused on the delivery of
three strategic goals. They are:
■ Guarantee project delivery, which involves
the safe and quality-focused delivery of
the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant.
■ Ensure operational readiness, which focuses
on preparing for operations.
■ Support and develop capability, which
includes promoting a strong performance
management culture based on continuous
improvement.
Our team is dedicated to the delivery of
operations ahead for each of our units, there
will be many more opportunities for UAE
businesses that are committed to instilling
nuclear safety and quality standards across
their organization. Through its work with
local companies, ENEC is not only supporting
existing businesses in the UAE but also
contributing to the development of the local
economy while stimulating the growth of its
local industry.
How many workers do you currently
have on site? Where have most of the
workers come from? What resources
have been utilized to train workers?
Al Hammadi: More than 18,000 people
are safely delivering the Barakah project.
From the pouring of the first safety-related
concrete for Unit 1 in 2012 until midOctober
2015, approximately 63 million
man-hours have been invested in the construction
of the Barakah units. This is almost
three times the number of man-hours
required to complete construction of the
Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the
world-standing 2,716.5 feet-located in
Dubai). We are simultaneously constructing
four APR1400 reactors and therefore
are expecting the number of staff in Barakah
to continue until the delivery of
Unit 1.
To ensure that safety is the overriding priority
in Barakah, we have hosted more than
7,500 dedicated safety trainings since the beJanuary
2016 | POWER
ginning of the program, attended by nearly
250,000 people. In addition to utilizing a
talented construction workforce, we're also
focused on building a highly skilled Emiratiled
team to meet the needs of this growing
new industry (see sidebar).
ENEC developed the Energy Pioneers
program to attract and to develop the
country's most talented science students,
engineering graduates, and experienced
professionals. Since the Energy Pioneers
program started in 2009, nearly 400 young
Emiratis have become part of the ENEC
scholarship program and have begun their
careers in this dynamic new industry. In
total, over approximately five years, we
have grown into a team of more than 1,200
people, with more than 60% of our ENEC
staff composed of talented Emiratis. By
2020, ENEC will need approximately
2,500 employees.
What environmental aspects have
been the most challenging?
Al Hammadi: Working with KEPCO
and under the regulations of FANR and the
EAD, we have made enhancements to the
design of the plants to ensure the plant operates
safely in the UAE's climate. It is important
to mention that the UAE has unique
know-how and expertise in plant cooling,
thanks to the prior work of energy companies
and the safe operation of large-scale
energy projects in the UAE.
www.powermag.com
the UAE peaceful nuclear energy program
in strict adherence to the highest safety and
quality standards, and that has been apparent
throughout this entire process. We benefit
from exceptional levels of international nuclear
industry collaboration, along with the
most qualified and talented Emirati experts,
and this has been an important addition to
our construction expertise. Moving forward,
we remain focused on operational transparency
and excellence, with the goal of safely
delivering and operating four nuclear energy
units by 2020.
Do you think your team can avoid
delays and cost overruns, which have
plagued nuclear construction projects in
other parts of the world?
Al Hammadi: The development of the
UAE's nuclear energy program is one of the
most ambitious and strategic projects undertaken
in the country in the last 40 years. Our
priority has always been to develop the program
in adherence to the highest standards
of safety and quality, as well as to align to
the commitments made by the UAE as part
of the Policy of the United Arab Emirates on
the Evaluation and Potential Development of
Peaceful Nuclear Energy.
Our project management capability and
the expertise provided by the Korean consortium
have enabled us to safely achieve all the
project milestones so far and to achieve them
on time. We are solely focused on the delivery
of our Barakah project (Figure 4) and we
will continue to ensure that safety is the over41

http://www.powermag.com

POWER January 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of POWER January 2016