Dubai set to release details of giant solar project

The Vice Chairman of Dubai’s Supreme Council of Energy, Saeed Mohammed al-Tayer, has announced that Dubai is set to release details of a huge solar power plant as part of Dubai’s plans to use more renewable resources for its electricity.

The Emirate hopes to cut carbon emissions by 30 percent by the year 2030, as part of Dubai’s Integrated Energy Strategy 2030. To reach the milestone Dubai plans to use its own generated solar power and nuclear power from neighbouring Emirate Abu Dhabi, in its bid to reduce its reliance on imported gas.

With its desert climate and all year round humidity, the sprawling urban metropolis and its near 2 million inhabitants demand an all year round supply of conditioned air. This has resulted in the Gulf State becoming one of the highest per capita electricity consumers in the world, and mitigating the emissions of the carbon burnt to meet this demand has become a top priority.

“In line with Dubai's energy strategy the plan is to have 5 percent of renewables in the electricity supply mix. This is mainly going to be solar,” Tayer told reporters at a news conference today. “Soon we will have a very big (solar) project in Dubai we are trying to find a date to announce it. We have identified the place.”

To fulfill Dubai’s ambitious renewable energy targets, Nejib Zaafrani, secretary general and chief executive officer of Supreme Energy Council, announced that investments worth millions of dollars would be needed. “The Strategy of Dubai have looked at an array of alternatives and we are talking about multi billion dollars of investment until 2030," said Zaafrani.