ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — South Korean President Moon Jae-in has visited a nuclear power plant his country is building in the United Arab Emirates, the state-run WAM news agency reported Monday.

It said Abu Dhabi's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan traveled with Moon to the Barakah nuclear power plant. On the trip, closed to other media, the two leaders declared work on the first reactor at Barakah complete.

The $20 billion nuclear plant is Seoul's first attempt to build an atomic reactor abroad. The first of its four reactors, being built in the UAE's western desert near the Saudi border, is scheduled to come online this year, making it the first nuclear power plant on the Arabian Peninsula. </s> Construction of the first of four nuclear reactors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been completed.

Unit 1 at Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, the first commercial reactor in the UAE, has been built with help from Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

The facility will have a total capacity of 5.6GW and will be connected to the grid.

All four units, which are expected to supply up to 25% of the UAE’s electricity needs and reduce 21 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, are scheduled for completion by 2020.

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said: “The UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme will play a strategic role in the growth of our nation by enhancing our energy security, diversifying our economy and creating employment opportunities for our people, thereby helping secure the future of generations to come.” </s> By Bruce Stanley and Heesu Lee | The Washington Post

The United Arab Emirates, with help from Korea Electric Power Corp., finished building the Arab world’s first commercial nuclear reactor, a milestone in the oil-rich UAE’s effort to curb its reliance on fossil fuels and develop cleaner sources of energy.

Unit 1 of the Barakah complex plans to begin loading fuel in May, South Korea’s energy ministry said in an emailed statement. South Korean President Moon Jae-in attended a ceremony on Monday to celebrate the facility’s completion, the UAE’s official WAM news agency reported.

It wasn’t clear when Unit 1 in Abu Dhabi, capital and largest emirate of the UAE, will begin generating power. The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation will issue an operating license for Barakah Units 1 and 2 “when the operator meets all regulatory requirements,” Christer Viktorsson, the regulator’s director-general, said in an emailed response to a request for comment.

Barakah Unit 1 is the first of four nuclear plants that the UAE, with about 6 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves, plans to bring into operation by 2021, the Persian Gulf nation’s Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei said in September. The plants are estimated to cost $25 billion and produce a combined 5,600 megawatts of power. Other Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and Egypt have also announced nuclear projects to help provide power to their growing populations and industries.

The UAE government expects the four Barakah plants to contribute almost 25 percent of the nation’s electricity after they’re all operating, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Al Hammadi told a conference in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 28. The UAE currently depends on imported natural gas to generate much of its electricity.

“The UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program will play a strategic role in the growth of our nation by enhancing our energy security, diversifying our economy, and creating employment opportunities for our people,” said Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, according to WAM.

Barakah, located on a sparsely populated strip of desert on Abu Dhabi’s Gulf coast, is the first commercial nuclear plant in the Middle East outside Iran. Unit 1, originally scheduled to begin operating in 2017, was delayed until this year “to ensure sufficient time for international assessments and adherence to nuclear industry safety standards, as well as a reinforcement of operational proficiency for plant personnel,” ENEC said in a statement on May 5.

With construction of Unit 1 complete, “the project now shifts its focus to completing operational readiness preparations required to obtain the approval of the operating license,” WAM reported. “The accomplishment is even more notable, given the complete absence of any previous nuclear industry of infrastructure within the UAE.”

In 2009, a group led by Korea Electric won a contract to build four nuclear plants in the UAE. Kepco, as the utility is known, and unit Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power co-developed the reactors being built in Abu Dhabi, known as the APR-1400. The reactor, a so-called generation III unit, incorporates advanced design features that meet safety standards in developed countries like the U.S. and U.K. The first APR-1400 started in South Korea in December 2016, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Construction of the Barakah complex began in 2012. Units 2, 3 and 4 are 92 percent, 81 percent, and 66 percent complete, respectively.

Korea Electric and UAE’s ENEC are partners in the venture responsible for operating and maintaining the Barakah complex. The companies also on Monday said they plan to jointly expand their nuclear business overseas, which includes their ambitions to develop reactors in neighboring Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia, the largest oil exporter, plans to build at least 16 nuclear reactors over the next 25 years at a cost of more than $80 billion. The Saudis also see atomic energy as a way to ease their reliance on finite fossil fuels, but they’re also driven by competition with their regional rival Iran. Opposition to a possible deal for the U.S. to provide nuclear power technology to Saudi Arabia is growing after Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman said the kingdom would develop a nuclear weapon if Iran did. </s> ABU DHABI - The United Arab Emirates said Monday that one of four nuclear reactors at its debut plant has been completed as it moves closer to becoming the first Arab nation to produce atomic power.

The announcement came after visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed toured the $20-billion Barakah plant, the state-run WAM news agency reported. The plant west of Abu Dhabi is being constructed by a consortium led by the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

Sheikh Mohammed described the achievement as “historical” for the energy sector of UAE, which is rich in oil and gas but is looking to increase other sources of power.

The UAE previously announced the first reactor would start operations in 2017 before delaying the start date. The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, which is overseeing the nuclear programme, is awaiting the approvals from the regulatory authority to start operating.

Nuclear and renewables, which currently make up a small portion of the federation’s energy sources, are slated to contribute around 27 percent to UAE electricity needs by 2021.

The second reactor is 92 percent complete, the third 81 percent while 66 percent of the fourth has been completed, WAM reported.

When fully operational, the four reactors will produce 5,600 megawatts of electricity, or around 25 percent of the country’s needs, according to the UAE energy ministry.

UAE says it aims to continue diversifying toward its goal of 50-percent clean energy by 2050. Saudi Arabia, the world’s top crude oil exporter, also has accelerated plans to acquire nuclear energy and is expected to prequalify several international companies next month to bid for building two nuclear reactors. </s> Baku. 14 April. REPORT.AZ/ The groundbreaking ceremony of the first Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Turkey was held.

Report informs referring to the Turkish media, the Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz also attended the meeting.

According to the report, the construction will cost of 8 billion dolllars. The plant will endure 9 point-earthquake. The plant is expected to put into operation by the end of 2016. </s> General view of the K-Electric's Power Plant located in Bin Qasim, on the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan (Reuters file photo)

KARACHI, Pakistan — China's Shanghai Electric power company will buy a controlling stake in K-Electric, a power generation and distribution company in Pakistan's largest city, for $1.77 billion, K-Electric's parent company announced in a statement on Sunday.

Dubai-based Abraaj Group said it had entered into a definitive agreement with China's state-backed Shanghai Electric to divest its 66.4 per cent stake in K-Electric .

K-Electric serves around 2.2 million customers in and around Karachi, Pakistan's largest city with a population of about 20 million. It is involved in both generation at thermal power plants and power distribution.

"Today marks a milestone in that partnership as we enter into a definitive agreement to divest our stake in a high performance business and market leader to a strategic buyer who is fully committed to continuing this success story into the future," Arif Naqvi, Abraaj's chief executive, said in a statement.

When completed, the deal will be biggest M&A agreement in Pakistan in a decade. Large parts of the Pakistani economy remain nationalised, or held by a few private businessmen, rather than diversified companies.

"The K-Electric transaction only marks the beginning of SEP's cooperation with Abraaj and we look forward to further collaboration between the two parties in many other areas in the future," Wang Yundan, Shanghai Power's chief executive, said in a statement.

Shanghai Electric announced its intention to bid for the stake in August.

Chinese companies' interest in Pakistan is growing after China announced energy and infrastructure projects worth $46 billion in the South Asian nation last year, with a view to opening a trade corridor linking western China with the Arabian Sea. </s> DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The U.S. issued a new warning early Monday to sailors over alleged “acts of sabotage” targeting ships off the coast of the United Arab Emirates amid heightened regional tensions between America and Iran. The UAE’s regional allies meanwhile condemned the reported sabotage Sunday of the four ships off the coast of Fujairah, which came just hours after Iranian and Lebanese media outlets aired false reports of explosions at the city’s port.

Emirati officials have declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible. However, the reported incident comes as the U.S. has warned ships that “Iran or its proxies” could be targeting maritime traffic in the region, and as America is deploying an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran. Tensions have risen in the year since President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Iran’s economy into crisis. Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal. Underling the regional risk, the general-secretary of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council described the alleged sabotage as a “serious escalation” in an overnight statement.

“Such irresponsible acts will increase tension and conflicts in the region and expose its peoples to great danger,” Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani said. Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen’s internationally recognized government similarly condemned the alleged sabotage. A statement Sunday from the UAE’s Foreign Ministry put the ships near the country’s territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of the port of Fujairah. It said it was investigating “in co-operation with local and international bodies.” It said there were “no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels” and “no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel.”

The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, which oversees the region, did not immediately offer comment. Emirati officials declined to answer questions from The Associated Press, saying their investigation is ongoing. Earlier Sunday, Lebanon’s pro-Iran satellite channel Al-Mayadeen, quoting “Gulf sources,” falsely reported that a series of explosions had struck Fujairah’s port. State and semi-official media in Iran picked up the report from Al-Mayadeen, which later published the names of vessels it claimed were involved. The AP, after speaking to Emirati officials and local witnesses, found the report about explosions at the port to be unsubstantiated.

Fujairah’s port is about 140 kilometres (85 miles) south of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a third of all oil at sea is traded. The facility handles oil for bunkering and shipping, as well as general and bulk cargo. It is seen as strategically located, serving shipping routes in the Persian Gulf, the Indian subcontinent and Africa. Sunday’s incident comes after the U.S. Maritime Administration, a division of the U.S. Transportation Department, warned Thursday that Iran could target commercial sea traffic.

“Since early May, there is an increased possibility that Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against U.S. and partner interests, including oil production infrastructure, after recently threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz,” the warning read. “Iran or its proxies could respond by targeting commercial vessels, including oil tankers, or U.S. military vessels in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait or the Persian Gulf.” Early Sunday, the agency issued a new warning to sailors about the alleged sabotage, while stressing “the incident has not been confirmed.” It urged shippers to exercise caution in the area for the next week. Publicly available satellite images of the area taken Sunday showed no smoke or fire. It remains unclear if the previous warning from the U.S. Maritime Administration is the same perceived threat that prompted the White House to order the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and B-52 bombers to the region on May 4. Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy in Dubai and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report. This story has been corrected to say date is Monday. </s> Israel’s military has formally admitted that it destroyed a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007.

It said the air raid in the eastern Deir-al-Zour region had removed “an emerging existential threat to Israel and the entire region.”

The military said the reactor was close to being completed. It is long been thought Israel was responsible, but it never acknowledged this until now.

Syria has repeatedly denied that the bombed site was a nuclear reactor, the BBC reports.

The admission comes after Israeli military censors lifted an order banning officials from discussing the operation.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said in the past that the site was “very likely” to have been a nuclear reactor.

It has also suggested that it was being built with the help of North Korea.

Syria, which has joined the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has denied this.

It released newly declassified materials related to the air raid on 5-6 September 2007.

They included what Israel said was footage of the strike on the al-Kubar facility in Syria’s desert region, as well as photographs of the covert operation. </s> An explosion has occurred at Flamanville Nuclear Power Plant, in France’s north-west, officials told local media, adding that several people were slightly injured after inhaling the fumes, though there is no nuclear risk.

The incident occurred at 9:45 local time (08:45 GMT) in an engine room, Électricité de France (EDF) said in a statement. The power at Reactor №1 was “disconnected automatically” after the blaze started in an engine room in the non-nuclear part of the facility.

At least five people have been slightly injured inhaling the fumes caused by the blast, AFP reports citing authorities.

There is no contamination risk to locals, authorities said.

According to AFP, the Unit 1 reactor will still temporarily be shut down, however.

“It is a significant technical failure but it is not a nuclear accident” because the explosion occurred “outside the nuclear zone,” Olivier Marmion, director of the prefect’s office, told AFP.

The nuclear plant located in the Flamanville commune has two pressurized water reactors that produce 1.3 GWe (gigawatt electrical) each. The reactors were built in 1986 and 1987. A third reactor will be completed by 2018.

The plant is owned by Électricité de France (EDF), a French electric utility company, headquartered in Paris.

This article (Explosion at Flamanville nuclear power plant in France, no risk of contamination) was originally published on RT News and syndicated by The Event Chronicle.
The United Arab Emirates, with help from Korea Electric Power Corp., completes construction of the first reactor complex at the Barakah nuclear power plant 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Ruwais. The complex is the first Arab nuclear power plant.