DUBAI: The UAE firing up of the Barakah power plant’s first nuclear reactor will usher in a new era of clean energy, according to an Arab News straw poll.
Nearly 70 percent of those who responded said they believed the launch of the Barakah facility was the beginning of a new era of energy production.
But one third of those polled said they doubted there would be any change in the current energy regime.
The UAE became the first nuclear energy capable nation in the Arab world after switching on the country’s first nuclear reactor at the Barakah plant in Abu Dhabi emirate.
Unit 1 is set to be connected to the UAE power grid and supply electricity in the next testing phase.
The Barakah facility, tucked 280 kilometers away from Abu Dhabi in the Al-Dhafra region, is expected to add 5,600 megawatts of electricity to the UAE power grid when all of its four reactors become operational as the country works to improve its environmental reputation.
“If the younger, educated ones are allowed to speedily take charge of modern tech, this can rapidly bring Arab countries into the realm of Singapore, Israel, South Korea etc.,” according to Twitter user @winstonmaraj.
