Sharjah opens its biggest solar power plant
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, opened the emirate's largest solar power plant on Wednesday.
The plant, called Sana – which means bright light, has a production capacity of 60 megawatts and covers 850,000 square metres in the Sajaa Gas Complex.
A project eight years in the making, the plant will supply the emirate's oil and natural gas processing facilities with electricity. It has the capacity to generate clean energy equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 13,780 homes, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 66,000 tonnes annually.
Sheikh Sultan said it represents a 'qualitative leap in the journey towards sustainable energy' and said the project confirms Sharjah's commitment to environmental protection.
Making progress
The share of power generated by low-emission sources in the UAE grew to 35 per cent last year – from only 3 per cent in 2019 – driven by expansion in solar and nuclear capacity, the International Energy Agency said in March.
Strong annual growth of 29 per cent in solar photovoltaic (PV) generation and 25 per cent in nuclear helped displace thermal generation, which was down by almost 8 per cent annually, the IEA said in its Electricity 2025 report.
The UAE government seeks to hit a 2030 target of generating 30 per cent of its energy from clean sources – including renewable energy and nuclear power.
Overall, renewable generation in the Middle East is forecast to grow by approximately 14 per cent a year during 2025-2027, with its share rising from 5 per cent to 7 per cent of the total.
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