Northern Emirates to introduce solar power

12 April 2015

100MW to be spread over several sites

  • UAE Federal Water and Electricity Authority to invest AED500m ($136m) in solar power
  • 100MW will be spread over several sites
  • Fewa expects to begin the project in 2015

The UAE’s Federal Water & Electricity Authority (Fewa) has announced it will invest AED500m ($136m) in 100MW of solar power.

The project will be carried out in partnership with the private sector.

The project will involve a series of solar plants will be located across the Northern Emirates. Fewa hopes to begin the project in 2015.

The announcement came as Abu Dhabi’s Masdar and the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) published a report showing renewable energy is now cheaper than conventional power in the UAE.

If renewables made up 10 per cent of the country’s total energy mix, and 25 per cent of total power generation, the UAE would save $1.9bn by 2030 through avoidance of fossil-fuel consumption and lower energy costs, according to the report.

This is due to the rising costs of natural gas for the UAE as it is forced to import the fuel, while the costs of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology have fallen by 80 per cent since 2008.

The UAE is targeting 24 per cent of generation from clean sources (including nuclear power) by 2021.

Stay informed with the latest in the Middle East
Download the MEED app today, available on Apple and Android devices

A MEED Subscription...

Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.