DUBAI - The United Arab Emirates's Barakah nuclear power plant testing will begin after the fuel load was completed at the second unit, as part of the process to start up the reactor, the operator said on Tuesday on Twitter.

The plant in the Al Dhafrah region of Abu Dhabi, one of the seven emirates making up the UAE and the nation’s capital, is the first nuclear power station in the Arab world and part of the Gulf oil producer’s efforts to diversify its energy mix.

"Our teams have successfully ensured all of the fuel assemblies are safely loaded into Unit 2 of the Barakah plant," said the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation. "Testing will now begin as part of our process for reactor start-up."

 

 

(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli, editing by Louise Heavens) ((maher.chmaytelli@thomsonreuters.com;))