Dubai plans big solar plant

The emirate of Dubai is poised to unveil a big solar power plant as part of a push to get 5 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, vice-chairman of Dubai's Supreme Council of Energy, said on Monday.

Under Dubai's Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, the Middle East emirate plans to reduce energy imports and climate warming carbon dioxide emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, using its own solar power and nuclear power imported from neighbouring emirate Abu Dhabi to reduce reliance on gas.

"In line with Dubai's energy strategy the plan is to have 5 per cent of renewables in the electricity supply mix. This is mainly going to be solar," Tayer, who is also chief executive of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), told a news conference.

"Soon we will have a very big (solar) project in Dubai we are trying to find a date to announce it. We have identified the place."

A Dewa executive declined to say how many megawatts the solar plant project would have.

The UAE is one of the highest per capita electricity consumers in the world, with soaring temperatures driving up air conditioning use from June-September, forcing energy-hungry Dubai -- home to nearly 2 million people -- to buy ever more natural gas.

The UAE expects to start its first nuclear power plant in 2017, and hopes nuclear energy to eventually supply 25 per cent of its power.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.