Taking in the Sun

Yet anyone who lives in the Gulf is aware of the heat, which is mainly due to the high levels of sun (scientifically referred to as Solar Irradiation) and long hours of exposure, as a result of its proximity to the equator.

Solar energy and bringing in new renewable sources of energy will be key topics for discussion as well at the forthcoming World Energy Forum 2012, which is being held for the first time outside of UN headquarters in New York, in Dubai.

Heads of state, ministers who focus on energy, climate change and the environment along with captains of industry are due to arrive on 22 October to discuss a range of global level issues facing the energy sector; not least how solar energy will prove an ideal complementary source of energy for the oil-rich nations of the region.

The environmental reasons for solar power are obvious; emissions-free energy that doesn’t require fuels, which is why it is classed as renewable energy, and has good economic reasons too – and long term forecasts show that rising fossil fuel prices could make solar power more economically attractive too.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed has declared that sustainability should be a core objective for the UAE when he unveiled his long-term economic initiative for the country, called Green Economy for Sustainable Development, to reduce unnecessary consumption of electricity and water, improve efficiencies in generating electricity and water and raise awareness about the finite nature of fossil fuels. Solar Energy, then, has become an obvious path to consider in any energy diversification strategy.

This is just one of a range of energy sources outlined within the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030; an overarching plan developed by the Supreme Council of Energy for Dubai (SCE) to reduce demand for energy by 30% by 2030, while diversifying the energy mix of Dubai, and meeting the UAE’s sustainable development objectives.

This strategy was developed by the SCE to diversify energy sources in the Emirate, to increase renewable energy sources to 1% in the year 2020 and 5% in the year 2030. Currently, 99% of Dubai’s electricity is generated from gas with 1% from medium fuel oil.

By 2030, this mix is expected to change with 12% generated from clean coal, 12% from nuclear energy and 5% from solar power, with the remainder provided by gas. While gas will remain the primary energy source, a diversified energy mix will provide greater security for the Emirate and enhance its focus on sustainability and the environment.

Nuclear energy will be provided by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, with the first plant due to be commissioned by 2017, but solar power does not require the considerable lead time that a nuclear plant does. Clean coal is being considered as a means to minimize emissions by introducing another fossil fuel into the mix.

Article continues on next page …

Solar Park
The SCE is working with DEWA on the construction and implementation of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which was unveiled by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in January 2012 with a view to the Park generating 1,000 MW of electricity by 2030 – making it the largest Solar Park in the region.

The Park will operate a range of solar energy technologies, including photovoltaic, concentrated solar power, Stirling Dishes and Parabolic dishes.

As the Park will also have a research and development centre to test and innovate new solutions and technologies for solar energy, this has the added advantage of positioning Dubai to take a lead in the field of solar energy.

It will also provide opportunities for local educational institutions, universities and schools to learn more about, and build expertise in, solar power. This will help achieve another core objective of the park – to generate local research and development of solar power technologies and to educate a new generation of UAE Nationals to become experts on solar energy on the world stage.

These plans have the potential to create a significant economic advantage of solar energy for Dubai. Countries like Denmark have taken the lead in producing wind power with considerable test and development sites there, in addition working with factories operating there.

Having a dedicated centre at the Solar Park, combined with Dubai’s position as a hub for business, finance and tourism, has the potential to create what economists call a comparative advantage – an advantage that favors one region over another in delivering products or services.

Work on the park has been underway since the announcement, with preparations for the first phase underway, and is expected to be operational by 2013. This will be a 10 MW plant using photovoltaic cells that can connect directly to the Emirate’s grid.

Further projects are in the planning stage and this project is being financed by the member companies of the SCE, including DEWA, Dubal, Dubai Petroleum, Dubai Supply Authority, ENOC and Dubai Municipality, with DEWA overseeing the construction and management of the Solar Park.

Another major advantage of positioning the Solar Park is that it can make use of desert land and turn it into a valuable resource. Also, not being sited on the coastline or bedrock is not a requirement.

This is why the site has been located in the Seih Al Dahal area, 30km away from Dubai off the Dubai to Al Ain road interchange with Lusaily road – to the South East of Dubai. As space is vital, 48 square kilometers have been set aside there to generate the planned 1,000 MW by 2030.

The environmental benefits are also obvious – no carbon emissions or fuel requirements – yet this Park will play a major part in managing Dubai’s existing and future energy requirements. Previously, a major requirement for positioning major power plants has been that it be located by the shorelines or have heavy foundation work to ensure the structural integrity of the power stations.

Should solar technologies proliferate as hoped, it means that the deserts of the Gulf can give rise to a new export – solar-generated electricity from large-unused, yet highly solar-irradiated tracts of desert that can drive new plants. With ongoing plans to interconnect the Middle East and North Africa, there is now more than one meaning for the region of a bright future.