UAE Renewable Energy Projects
Introduction
The United Arabs Emirates has a gross domestic product per capita of $ 39543.71 in 2015. Oil plays a significant role in the UAE economy. According to Nader, S. the oil in the UAE is to be depleted in the nest 40 to 70 year. According to Juaidi, Montoya, Gzquez and Manzano-Agugliaro, the UAE spend not more than 0.3 of its GDP per capita on scientific research and innovations as compared to the European countries that spend 2.5 of their GDP per capita in research. Moreover, oil face challenges in the global market. The world is shifting to renewable sources of energy such as solar energy. Oil has faced a constant drop in the prices. Therefore, UAE has to find out more stable sources of energy that are environmental friendly. Currently, according to Norton Rose Fulbright, the United Arabs Emirate experience the highest carbon footprints per capita due to the power needed for air conditioning and desalination. The UAE has therefore developed several renewable energy projects to reduce the depletion of petroleum in the region.
The Reasons Why the United Arabs Emirates Should Increase Renewable Energy Projects
The United Arabs Emirates target seven percent renewable energy use by 2020. The UAE cities are committed to developing a sustainable source of energy within the United Arabs Emirate cities. The UAE wants to produce a clean and renewable source of energy that produces 40,000 MW by 2020. The United Arabs experience favorable climatic conditions and strategic geographical that enable the region to benefit from solar and wind energy. The implementation of renewable environmental friendly will reduce the high value of carbon consumption per capita in UAE. The United Arabs Emirates produce the highest quantity of carbon in the world. The UAE experience environmental issues because the region is covered with desert.The region faces air pollution that results from the use petroleum products that cause breathing problems to residents. Developing renewable sources of energy will reduce the depletion of oil and exploitation of natural gas. Moreover, constructing renewable sources of energy will help in providing jobs and enhance economic diversification. The demand for power in United Arabs Emirates increases yearly due to the rapid economic growth in the region.
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Types of Renewable Energies Suitable For the United Arabs Emirates
Solar energy technology is suitable for the UAE region due to the availability of power throughout the year. According to Alnaser, two technologies used for solar energy production include concentrated solar panels with reflecting mirrors that are used in rotating turbines to produce more electricity. Photovoltaic solar panels are used for small activities at home. The technology uses photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity using semiconductors. Windmills are suitable for producing energy in the United Arabs Emirates. However, wind energy face challenges due to lack of consistency of the wind in the region. Reducing the effect of wind patterns requires several wind turbines should be located in a wide geographical area in the United Arabs Emirates. According to Alnaser and Alnaser, the UAE can take advantage of geothermal electricity in suitable locations. Masdar has geological conditions that favor the implementation of geothermal electricity in the UAE. The quantity of energy produced through geothermal in UAE may be insufficient, but the source of energy is environmental friendly when compared to the use of petroleum.
The United Arabs Emirates Renewable Energy Projects
The Masdar City Project
The major renewable energy projects launched in the UAE include Sham 1 solar project and geothermal in Masdar City. According to Reiche, the UAE renewable energy in Masdar City focuses on making the city a neutral carbon city. The cost of the project was assessed to be $ 22 billion. The UAE is converting nonrenewable oil source of energy income into a more reliable and environmentally friendly source of energy. The funds used to complete the projects are the savings from oil business from 25 years ago. The Sham 1 project will be located 120 kilometers in Madinat Zayed. On installing the project, the station will generate 100 MW that the UAE plans to increase to 200 MW in future.The project will introduce green payment in Abu Dhabi that will be used in financing ADWEC and PPA due to the provision of subsidized electricity. Moreover, the geothermal facility project in Masdar will be the first geothermal station in UAE. The power produced by the geothermal station will be used in powering air conditioning facilities in the city that raise the UAE carbon consumption per capita.
The UAE- Pacific States Renewable Energy Projects
According to environmental solutions and consultancy, the UAE signed a partnership agreement with Pacific island states to put in place renewable energy projects whose cost sum to $50 million. The bodies responsible for funding the project include the Abu Dhabi Funds for Development. The projects include installation of solar panels at Nauru, Marshal, Solomon and Palau Island. The renewable source of energy is expected to solve the challenges that arise from climatic risks, water security, changes in energy and sustainable development. The four solar energy projects will reduce environmental pollution caused by petroleum products. Moreover, the use of energy is expected to cut the consumption of by one million litters yearly. The project will reduce the depletion of UAE oil. The measure will mitigate the release of 2,759 tones that UAE emit to the atmosphere. According to the UAE Vision 2030, the region wants to increase their target of producing clean energy to 30 percent.
Dubai Solar Power Energy
The first solar station with a capability of supplying 10 to 100 MW will be constructed in Dubai to help the city meet its power supply demands. Dubai wants to meet the sustainable energy demands in the future since the forecast of the presence of oil in UAE is estimated to be within 40 to 70 years. The Dubai solar station is the second station after the Sham 1 project in Masdar. According to Griffiths, the technology used for the solar panels that are proposed for the project will use thermal and photovoltaic technology. Dubai remains the city globally with the lowest carbon footprint. The city generates not less than seven percent of its power from a clean source of energy. Moreover, Dubai has Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park that is the largest renewable energy project in United Arabs Emirates. The project will produce 5000 MW that will help Dubai meet its power demand by 2030. The power generated is expected to light 800,000 homes by 2030.
Development of Nuclear Energy in UAE Project
The UAE is experiencing an increase in the economic development. The city has developed the tallest buildings, improved transport and communication network and the cities have five-star hotels. Moreover, UAE has the largest shopping malls, biggest world banks and industries. According to AlFarra and Abu-Hijleh, the rise in development make the city to predict the challenges the city may develop due to power inadequacy. The UAE has foreseen nuclear energy as an additional source of energy to supplement electricity in the region. According to the UAE officials, the demand for power in 2020 will triple the UAE power consumption currently. The UAE has experienced 9 percent annual growth yearly since 2007. The nuclear energy is a better option for the United Arabs Emirates because of its renewable and environmentally friendly nature. According to Jewell, Nuclear Energy Program developed by the UAE officials formulate the Emirates Nuclear Energy Cooperation that is charged with the responsibility of implementing nuclear energy plans in Abu Dhabi.
Conclusion
To conclude, the United Arabs Emirates has taken big steps in implementing renewable sources of energy. The renewable solar energy project in Masdar and Dubai play an important role improving the quantity of energy that will be demanded in future due to rapid economic expansion. Moreover, the geothermal power at Masdar will help in reducing pollution caused by the use of petroleum in air conditioning facilities. The UAE-pacific project will help in ensuring energy sustainability within the four island. The UAE has not invested heavily in the wind turned turbines due to inconsistency the wind patterns. However, the regions could spread the number of wind turbines over a wide geographical location to help in solving the wind pattern issues. However, the future of stable renewable energy for the United Arabs Emirates depends on developing a nuclear power plant. The economic growth of the UAE will require a triple amount of energy that the region is musing currently. Education plays a significant role in advancement in technology. The Unite Arabs Emirates should invest heavily in research and development to help the region discover additional renewable energy projects that could help the UAE in solving vision 2030 power crisis. Collaboration between the UAE and the western nations will help the region to gain knowledge and advice concerning ways to improve the renewable energy sector. However, the United Arabs Emirates has improved its renewable energy sector that has cut the rapid rate of depletion of natural gas and oil. The UAE implemented renewable projects show the capability of the region in achieving 7 percent use of renewable and clean sources of energy.
