Abu Dhabi: A fire broke out in an electrical generator outside the inner perimeter of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the UAE’s Al Dhafra Region, after a drone strike on Sunday.
This was confirmed by the Abu Dhabi Media Office. No injuries were reported and radiological safety levels remained unaffected. The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation said the plant’s key systems were functioning normally, the statement added, as reported by Hindustan Times.
It did not identify who was responsible for the suspected drone strike though. There have been several missile and drone strikes against the UAE during the conflict between Iran and the US-Israel combine.
Several of these did come from Iran and were aimed at energy facilities and maritime infrastructure. Recently, three Indians suffered injuries after a drone strike on an oil facility in Fujairah. India has then strongly condemned the attack.
The latest incident comes at a time when the UAE is moving faster on a new pipeline project that will help the Gulf nation increase oil exports without relying on the Strait of Hormuz. This will be a blow for Tehran, which plans to monetize the Strait by charging transit fees from shipping companies.
UAE president Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had instructed state-owned oil company ADNOC to speed up work on the project, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office.
The new pipeline, set to begin operations next year, is expected to double the company’s export capacity through Fujairah..
Sunday’s strike was the first time the four-reactor Barakah Nuclear Power Plant had been targeted during the conflict.The facility is located in the remote western desert area of Abu Dhabi, close to the Saudi border.
Built by the Emirates with support from South Korea, the Barakah nuclear power plant cost $20 billion and became operational in 2020. It remains the first and only nuclear power plant in the Arabian Peninsula, according to a report by Associated Press.
Nuclear power plants have increasingly become part of conflict zones in recent times, beginning during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Tehran also repeatedly said its Bushehr nuclear power plant had come under attack. However, the Russian-run reactor was not directly damaged and there was no radiological leak.
