UAE concrete nuclear reactor dome complete

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) has announced the completion of the construction of the concrete dome for the Unit 1 Reactor Containment Building.

This marks another on-time milestone in construction of the UAE’s first nuclear energy plant. The dome is the final structural component of the Reactor Containment Building (RCB), now over 70 metres in height.

The RCB houses the nuclear reactor and is critical to the nuclear plant’s defence-in-depth barriers. RCBs are extremely robust, with thick concrete walls and heavy reinforcing steel, making them among the strongest structures in the world.

Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of ENEC said: “We remain confident and committed to successfully delivering our mission of safe, clean, reliable and efficient nuclear energy to the UAE in 2017.”

Construction of the RCB commenced in July, 2012 with the fabrication of the basemat. The dome, which measures 51.4 metres in diameter, 24 meters in height and weighs approximately 9,000 metric tonnes, has been constructed over the past five months in nine stages.

Overall, Unit 1 is now more than 60% complete. When the four reactors are completed in 2020, the UAE’s nuclear program will provide approximately 25% of the UAE’s electricity needs, saving up to 12 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year.

https://www.zawya.com/story/ENEC_completes_concrete_dome_for_unit_1_reactor_containment_building-ZAWYA20150113075012/