The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has unveiled its ambitious plan to allocate a staggering $54 billion towards meeting its surging energy requirements and tripling its renewable energy capacity over the next seven years. Positioned as frontrunners in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), both the UAE and Saudi Arabia are making significant strides in renewable energy investments and diversifying their energy portfolios.
A groundbreaking milestone was achieved last year with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) inaugurating the country’s inaugural nuclear power plant, known as Barakah unit 1. Boasting an impressive 1,400-megawatt capacity, this nuclear facility has become the UAE’s largest power generator since reaching its full operational potential in early December. As a result, a consistent, dependable, and eco-friendly electricity supply is now available round the clock. ENEC proudly asserts that Barakah unit 1 represents the most extensive decarbonization initiative undertaken by any sector in the UAE to date, paving the way for a cleaner energy transition.
Emulating Saudi Arabia’s successful lead, the UAE is diligently laying a robust foundation to support its own energy transition journey. Masdar, the clean energy subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, has ventured into renewable capacity development in central Asia. In April 2021, Masdar inked a deal to construct a solar project in Azerbaijan, further expanding its global renewable energy portfolio. Over the past seventeen years, Masdar has amassed a diverse range of renewable energy assets across 30 countries, investing a staggering $20 billion to develop 11 gigawatts (GW) of solar, wind, and waste-to-energy power generation capabilities.
Additionally, Masdar aims to apply the invaluable insights garnered from its international operations towards bolstering clean energy capacity within the UAE. According to Masdar’s El-Ramahi, the solutions devised during their global ventures will undoubtedly find practical applications within the Emirates. For instance, Masdar intends to fortify the UAE’s relatively modest wind resources by erecting domestic wind farms equipped with cutting-edge class three turbines. These turbines possess the unique ability to harness electricity even in the presence of low wind speeds, effectively tapping into the untapped wind potential of the region.
Furthermore, Masdar is currently constructing a state-of-the-art $1.1 billion facility that will employ waste-to-energy technology on a grand scale, establishing one of the world’s largest waste-to-energy plants. Once operational, these plants will incinerate nearly two-thirds of the country’s annual household waste, effectively converting it into power. It is worth noting that modern waste-to-energy plants are significantly cleaner, as affirmed by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). By utilizing advanced technologies, these plants can incinerate waste at extremely high temperatures, ensuring thorough combustion while treating emissions to minimize the production of toxic byproducts like flue ash. In fact, extensive testing has revealed that the air emitted by certain waste-to-energy chimneys can be purer than the incoming ambient air.
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