Dubai, economic and financial hub of the United Arab Emirates, plans to increase the share of renewables in its energy mix to 14% by the end of 2022 as part of the country’s attempts to meet its environmental targets.
Renewable energy now accounts for 11.5% of Dubai’s energy mix, according to Saeed Al Tayer, managing director and chief executive of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa). To foster a brighter and more sustainable future for generations to come, the city aims to continue undertaking pioneering projects to diversify its clean and renewable energy source, he added.
As part of its clean energy goal, Dubai aims to generate 25% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 and 100% by 2050. In a bid to cut its reliance on natural gas and diversify its power sources, Dewa is currently constructing the world’s largest solar energy plant in the Dubai desert.
Dewa said that its overall energy production capacity had reached 14.11 GW, with 1.62 GW coming from renewable energy, after adding 700 megawatts of capacity, which comprises 600 MW from the natural gas-powered Hassyan Power Complex and 100 MW from photovoltaic solar panels in the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
Using the independent power producer paradigm, the Hassyan Power Complex’s current production capacity has reached 1.8 GW. Another 600 MW will be added by the third quarter of 2023, bringing the total capacity of the project to 2.4 GW.
The Hassyan Power Complex complements the Jebel Ali power plant and desalination complex. The entire capacity of the Jebel Ali complex is 9.54 GW of electricity.
As it seeks to exploit the growing market for low-carbon fuel, the UAE has embraced the energy shift by adopting a leading position in new fuels such as green hydrogen and blue hydrogen.
