Dome Work on UAE Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 Completed, Project Unit 1 60 Per Cent Complete, Due for 2017 Completion, Unit 2 for 2018 Completion

Uranium (Nuclear Minerals) / Nuclear Power - Economics, Design, & Industry

Date posted: 05/20/15

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) today announced the completion of the construction of the concrete dome for the Unit One Reactor Containment Building (RCB) in Barakah, Abu Dhabi, UAE. The on-time completion of the dome marks another milestone in the construction of the UAE first nuclear energy plant, according to news reports on Trade Arabia. The dome is the final structural component of the vast RCB, which now measures more than 70 meters in height. The RCB houses the nuclear reactor and is a critical structure in the nuclear plant defense-in-depth barriers. RCBs are extremely robust in design, with thick concrete walls and heavy reinforcing steel, they rank among the strongest structures in the world. They are designed to confine and contain radiation, even in the most extreme circumstances. We are proud to maintain our track record of achieving key construction milestones safely and on time, said Mohamed Al Hammadi, chief executive officer of Enec. The RCB is a critical structure in the plant safety and security. The construction of this structure has involved thousands of people who have all shown their commitment to the highest standards of quality and safety at all times, he said. We remain confident and committed to successfully delivering our mission of safe, clean, reliable and efficient nuclear energy to the UAE in 2017, added Al Hammadi. Construction of the RCB commenced in July 2012, with the fabrication of the basemat. The containment liner plate, which forms the inner floor, wall and ceiling of the RCB, was then fabricated and installed in 19 stages over a period of 10 months. The dome, which measures 51.4 meters in diameter, 24 meters in height and weighs approximately 9,000 tonnes, has been constructed over the past five months in nine stages. The next phase of work on the RCB will involve the installation of the containment post-tensioning system, which is used for pre-stressing the concrete structure.