On 22 February 2024, Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant experienced a reactor trip. The plant has been put in a safe standby mode, in accordance with the highest safety standards. This was reported to the regulator per agreed reporting procedures.
Units 2 and 3 continue to operate.
A trip can occur in any kind of power plant, and it means that an unplanned shutdown has occurred, and the plant is no longer generating electricity. At Barakah, a trip happens when it is identified that the plant is operating outside of standard parameters, and the plant safely shuts down or ‘trips’ to allow the expert operating teams to conduct an evaluation and resolve any challenges.
The trip was successfully completed as per our procedures for the safe operation of the Barakah Plant, demonstrating the strong safety features of the APR1400 technology, as well as the expertise of our trained and certified operating crews and their commitment to safety as the overriding priority.
The plant’s advanced design and safety systems make it possible for the Unit to be manually or automatically shut down if it detects unusual operating activities, therefore guaranteeing the safety of the plant, our people and the environment. Teams from ENEC’s operating and maintenance subsidiary Nawah are currently assessing the reason why this took place and will restore power to the grid once all necessary checks have taken place.