The United Arab Emirates has invested over $40 billion in domestic clean energy projects, the minister of climate change and environment told Sputnik, adding that the country’s clean power capacity would reach 14 gigawatts by 2030.
“One of our main priority areas is clean energy. Our clean power capacity, including solar and nuclear, is on track to reach 14 GW by 2030 – a significant increase from 125 MW in 2015. To date, we have invested over US$40 billion in clean energy projects locally,” Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi said.
According to Al Nuaimi, the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi will soon have the world’s largest solar power plant with a capacity of two gigawatts.
“The winning bid for the project broke yet another world record for the lowest solar power generation cost at 1.35 US cents per kilowatt-hour. We are also developing the 5 GW Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model,” the minister added.
He went on to say that the UAE became the first Arab country to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes with the launch of the first reactor of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant.
“Once all its four reactors are fully operational, the plant will provide up to 25 percent of the country’s electricity needs and save up to 21 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year, equivalent to removing 3.2 million cars from the roads,” Al Nuaimi noted.
The Barakah NPP’s first reactor was launched last July. A month later, Emirati Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the opening of the NPP. Last November, the Nawah Energy Company responsible for the station’s maintenance and exploitation said that the first reactor had reached 80% of its production capacity.
The first Arab nuclear power plant is located 155 miles from Abu Dhabi.
