Barakah fire tests nuclear safeguards

Arabian Post Staff -Dubai

Abu Dhabi authorities contained a fire at an external electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in Al Dhafra after a drone-linked incident, with officials reporting no injuries, no radiological impact and no disruption to essential nuclear safety systems.
The incident drew swift attention because Barakah is the Arab world’s first commercial nuclear power station and a central pillar of the UAE’s long-term energy strategy. Officials said emergency teams responded to the blaze, applied precautionary measures and confirmed that radiation safety levels remained normal. The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation said the operational safety of the plant was not affected and that the facility’s critical systems remained available.

The fire occurred outside the plant’s inner security perimeter, a distinction that was central to the official response. Nuclear facilities are designed around layered protection, with separate zones for conventional infrastructure, security barriers, safety-related systems and reactor operations. An external generator fire, while serious, does not automatically imply damage to the reactor units or radiological systems. Authorities said all safety precautions were taken, and further details would be released as assessments continued.

Barakah, located near Ruwais in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra Region, consists of four APR-1400 reactors developed with South Korean technology. The plant has become one of the largest single sources of clean electricity in the country, with a total capacity of 5.6 gigawatts. At full output, it is designed to supply up to a quarter of the UAE’s electricity demand, reducing reliance on gas-fired generation and supporting the country’s net-zero commitments.

The site’s role in national energy security makes any disturbance at Barakah a matter of regional importance. The plant is operated by Nawah Energy Company, a subsidiary of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, under the oversight of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation. The regulator is responsible for licensing, inspection, radiation protection, emergency preparedness and compliance with international nuclear safety obligations.

Officials emphasised that no abnormal radiation levels were detected after the incident. Such monitoring is central to nuclear emergency protocols, with radiation sensors and environmental surveillance systems designed to detect changes at and around a plant. The absence of any reported radiological release indicated that the event remained confined to conventional infrastructure.

The incident also underscored concerns over the use of drones near sensitive energy facilities. Nuclear safety experts have repeatedly warned that unmanned systems, even when they do not hit reactor structures, can create secondary risks by damaging power supply equipment, security systems, fire-control infrastructure or access routes needed during an emergency. The danger is especially acute in a region where energy assets, ports and power infrastructure are part of wider strategic calculations.

Barakah’s design includes multiple safety layers, including reinforced containment structures, independent cooling systems, backup power arrangements and emergency response procedures. The plant’s four reactors are pressurised water units, a technology widely used in commercial nuclear power generation. Each unit is required to meet regulatory standards before entering service, and the UAE has built its nuclear programme around commitments not to enrich uranium or reprocess spent fuel.

The chronology of the plant’s development has been closely watched. Construction began more than a decade ago, with the first unit entering commercial operations in 2021. The remaining units followed in stages, making Barakah a flagship project for the UAE’s civil nuclear programme and for South Korea’s export-oriented nuclear industry. Its completion gave the country a major low-carbon baseload power source at a time of rising electricity demand from industry, cooling, desalination and digital infrastructure.

Sunday’s response placed emergency readiness under scrutiny. Nuclear plants maintain site-level emergency plans, coordination channels with civil defence authorities, and communication procedures with national regulators and international nuclear bodies. Officials said the response followed approved precautionary protocols, while public communication focused on three core points: no injuries, no radiological impact and no effect on plant safety.

The episode comes as governments across the region reassess the vulnerability of strategic infrastructure to low-cost aerial threats. Power grids, oil facilities, desalination plants, ports and communications networks have all become part of security planning as drones grow more capable and easier to deploy. For nuclear sites, the threshold for concern is higher because even limited incidents can trigger public anxiety and diplomatic attention.