---
title: Barakah Nuclear Power Plant
type: technology
url: "https://www.envisioning.com/research/grid/gulf-states__barakah-nuclear-power"
hub: grid
summary: "The Arab world's first nuclear power station reached full 5,600MW capacity in September 2024, supplying 25% of UAE electricity and enabling low-carbon aluminium exports."
---

# Barakah Nuclear Power Plant

The Arab world's first nuclear power station reached full 5,600MW capacity in September 2024, supplying 25% of UAE electricity and enabling low-carbon aluminium exports.
- Technology Readiness Level: 9/9
- Impact: 4/5
- Investment: 3/5
Barakah is a four-unit APR-1400 nuclear power station in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region, operated by Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC). All four units reached commercial operation by September 2024, producing 40 TWh of clean electricity annually — equivalent to 25% of the UAE's electricity needs. It is the first nuclear power plant in the Arab world and one of the largest new-build nuclear projects completed globally in the past decade.

Barakah's significance extends beyond electricity. In August 2025, aluminium smelted using Barakah's clean electricity was exported for the first time, setting a new low-carbon benchmark for a traditionally carbon-intensive industry. This demonstrates how clean baseload power enables industrial decarbonization — a model applicable to steel, cement, and desalination.

The UAE's nuclear success has become a reference case for emerging economies considering nuclear energy. ENEC recently diversified its fuel supply chain with a Framatome agreement, and the GCC is exploring regional cooperation on nuclear waste management. For a region associated with fossil fuels, Barakah represents a credible commitment to clean energy that complements rather than competes with the solar and hydrogen strategies.

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Source: Envisioning — Technology Research Institute (https://www.envisioning.com/research/grid/gulf-states__barakah-nuclear-power)