Arab world's first nuclear power plant comes up in oil-rich Abu Dhabi

THE oil-rich United Arab Emirates on Thursday announced the completion of the Arab world's first nuclear power plant, calling it a "significant step".

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Abu Dhabi's Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant will produce 40 terawatt-hours of eleccricity annually after its fourth and final reactor has entered commercial operation, the state-owned Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) said in a statement.

It will generate 25 percent of the electricity needs of the hot, desert Gulf state, where airconditioning is ubiquitousnearly the equivalent of New Zealand's annual consumption, ENEC said.