Someone just flicked the switch on the world’s largest single-site spolar project in Abu Dhabi.
The solar farm will provide power for more than 90,000 people, and over the year aims to reduce the emirate’s carbon dioxide emissions by 1 million metric tonnes per year (that’s the same as removing 200,000 cars off roads).
Noor Abu Dhabi stretches out over 8-kilometres-squared, and has a capacity of 1.117MW, and employs just less than 3,000 people to operate.
Speaking at the launch, Mohammed Hassan Al Suwaidi, Chairman of Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) said, “he completion of the project marks a significant milestone in the UAE’s Energy Strategy 2050, launched in 2017, to increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix to 50 per cent by 2050 while reducing the carbon footprint of power generation by 70 per cent”
“This is in line with the sector’s transformation strategy by providing alternative sources of energy that can help us improve the sustainability of the water and electricity sector.”
Othman Jumaa Al Ali, EWEC’s CEO, added: “Noor Abu Dhabi will generate renewable energy and will enable us to improve the use of our natural resources.”
“The fact that a project of such scale has been successfully completed on time and on budget highlights our commitment to ensuring sustainable energy for the future and it is a true testament of the Emirate’s delivery capabilities to execute world-class energy project,”
“Noor Abu Dhabi will further contribute to the UAE’s renewable sector, exponentially increasing the existing solar capacity of Abu Dhabi, as well as adding to the continuously growing solar capacity of the UAE,” Al Ali went on to say.
The UAE has long been known for its natural gas resources, however projects such as Noor Abu Dhabi will go a long way to not just preserving those resources, but establishing the UAE as a green energy frontrunner.
