The United Arab Emirates (UAE) considers renewable energy, particularly solar power, as a crucial element in its response to climate change and sustainable energy solutions. The UAE’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail Al Mazrouei, expressed this commitment during the fifth gathering of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Regional Council for Asia and the Pacific Region, which was held in Abu Dhabi. He highlighted the UAE’s impressive portfolio of solar power projects, including:
- Noor Abu Dhabi Solar Power Plant: The world’s largest independent solar power plant.
- Shams Solar Power Station in Abu Dhabi: One of the world’s largest operational Concentrated Solar Power Plant stations.
- Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai: The world’s largest single-site solar energy project under the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model.
- Al Dhafra Solar PV facility: The world’s largest independent solar power plant, under construction in Abu Dhabi.
Al Mazrouei emphasized the role of the UAE’s energy sector in achieving its Net Zero targets and advancing climate actions. He highlighted updates to the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and the development of the National Hydrogen Program, both of which aim to strengthen the country’s efforts to meet climate and net-zero commitments by 2050. These strategies are expected to position the UAE at the forefront of the global energy transition and contribute to reducing emissions by 40% by 2030.
The UAE is set to host COP28 (28th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties), and Al Mazrouei invited participants to collaborate in making a concentrated effort to double renewable energy capacity and hydrogen production by 2030. The UAE envisions the global energy transition as a focal point of the government’s agenda and aims to work with all stakeholders to accelerate the transition to clean and green energy.
Dr. Ajay Mathur, the Director-General of ISA, praised the UAE’s commitment to solar energy and noted that solar power in the region costs as low as 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. He emphasized the growing potential of solar power to provide affordable and sustainable energy access to even the most remote and underserved populations, contributing to energy security and global energy transformation.
With global installed solar PV capacity surpassing 1 terawatt and solar PV becoming the cheapest source of new power generation in many areas, the ISA underscored the potential of increased solar deployment to drive further cost reductions.
