ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 02nd Apr, 2021) The UAE is continuing its efforts to address the challenges related to climate change, and in light of the energy sector’s impact on this portfolio, the country is engaged in several major projects that enable it to harmonise with related international standards before any other country in the region.
The UAE has impressed the world with a range of major projects, most notably its peaceful nuclear power plants, solar energy power plants, desalination plants and waste management projects, which aim to transform waste into energy.
These projects have contributed to making the UAE a key regional and global player in this vital portfolio, and its experience has been copied by many countries and regions around the world. Moreover, it hosts the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The UAE announced that it will increase its national contribution to reducing emissions across all economic sectors by a rate of 23.5 percent by 2030. Numerous national initiatives and projects were launched to support this goal, most notably the "Al Reyada Carbon Capture" joint project between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Masdar.
ADNOC drafted an ambitious carbon capture plan in its operations to capture 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually or 250 million standard cubic feet per day before 2030.
The country has launched many major projects, as part of its efforts to diversify national energy sources. In the following report, the Emirates news Agency (WAM) will highlight some of these projects.
The Barakah Nuclear Power Plant The plant’s four advanced APR1400 reactors will provide 5,600 megawatts of electricity upon its full operation, equivalent to 25 percent of the country’s needs. It will also play a key role in diversifying the UAE’s energy sources and provide electricity to houses, companies and public facilities while reducing the country’s carbon footprint.
The Al Dhafra Solar Power Project In December, Abu Dhabi announced a financing deal for a GW photovoltaic (PV) independent power producer (IPP) project in Al Dhafra, with a production capacity of 2 gigawatts of energy, which will be supplied to the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority.
Upon its full operation, the plant will generate sufficient electricity for nearly 160,000 houses in the country and is expected to reduce Abu Dhabi’s carbon emissions by over 2.4 metric tonnes annually.
The Noor Abu Dhabi Solar Power Plant Since its commercial operation in 2019, the Noor Abu Dhabi Solar Power Plant has generated over 1.177 megawatts of electricity, covering the needs of 90,000 people.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai is the largest of its kind in the world, with an expected production capacity reaching 5,000 megawatts by 2030 and investments totalling up to AED50 billion.
Upon the completion of phase VI of the project carried out by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the park is expected to become one of the largest energy storage projects in the world, capable of providing clean energy to nearly 320,000 houses while reducing carbon emissions.
The UAE’s solar energy projects have helped reduce the global cost of renewable energy. The tender for phase V of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park was the lowest in the world for the production of its units in 2019, not exceeding 1.7 cents per kilowatts per hour. In 2020, the Al Dhafra Solar Power Project posted a lower cost, which did not exceed 1.35 cents per kilowatts per hour.
The UAE has taken several steps aimed at engaging the community in the production of renewable energy. Under this framework, DEWA launched the "Shams Dubai" initiative, which encourages house and building owners to install PV panels to generate electricity and connect them to DEWA's grid.
At the end of 2016, the Ministry of Energy announced a new law, in cooperation with the Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA), enabling the community and companies to produce electricity using solar energy by installing PV panels.
These efforts coincided with the country’s efforts to increase oil and gas production, consolidate the efficient use of energy and rationalise consumption through a range of measures, which include increasing awareness and utilising rationalisation mechanisms across all sectors.
In terms of water desalination, Masdar announced, in November 2015, that it officially began the operational phase of its water desalination pilot project using renewable energy in Ghantout, Abu Dhabi, with a production capacity amounting to some 1,500 cubic metres of water daily.
Waste Transformation The UAE has developed a comprehensive system for processing waste and transforming it into power, through the establishment of several specialised stations, including the "Dubai Centre for Waste Processing," which processes nearly 5,666 tonnes of solid waste per day.
Masdar and Bee’ah will process over 37.5 tonnes of waste per hour to generate 30 megawatts of electricity. Moreover, the Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment will operate a station to process solid waste and produce alternative fuel with a production capacity of 300,000 tonnes annually.
