UAE to build Dh3.2b solar power plant
Billed to be world’s largest, the facility in Abu Dhabi will generate 1,177mw of green energy
Abu Dhabi will build a Dh3.2 billion solar power plant, billed to be the world’s largest, to generate 1,177 megawatts of green energy, it was announced yesterday.
The solar power plant will be completed by 2019 in Sweihan and is part of a major joint international collaborative effort involving Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), Japanese company Marubeni, and Chinese manufacturer Jinko Solar.
The construction of the solar plant comes in line with the strategic vision of the Abu Dhabi Government towards diversifying its energy resources to keep up with rising energy demands, and moving to more sustainable and renewable sources of energy.
A signing ceremony was attended by Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development.
Abu Dhabi will build the world’s largest solar power plant in its push towards cleaner energy. The $870 million project, to come up in Sweihan, is a joint international collaborative effort by Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), Japanese company Marubeni, and Chinese manufacturer JinkoSolar. The plant is expected to completed by 2019, and the official signing ceremony for the ambitious project took place in the capital on Wednesday.
The solar plant comes in line with the strategic vision of the Abu Dhabi Government towards diversifying its energy sources to keep up with rising energy demands, and moving to more sustainable and renewable sources of energy.
Status consolidated
Shaikh Hazza Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, said the massive project consolidates the status of Abu Dhabi as a leading capital for modern practices in the field of economy, environment and technology on a global scale.
Shaikh Hazza said the project is a huge step forward in the comprehensive development strategy being spearheaded by Abu Dhabi in all fields, and is considered a real achievement not just in terms of expected outcomes, but also in terms of policies that have been extensively researched for completing such projects in accordance with the best governance practices.
Several high-ranking officials were in attendance to witness the signing ceremony, including Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development.
“This is an important occasion for Abu Dhabi’s development, and is represented by the launching of the world’s largest independent solar power plant,” said Abdullah Musleh Al Ahbabi, Chairman of ADWEA.
Al Ahbabi said the solar power plant would be able to generate 1,177 megawatts of electricity, enough to provide power to hundreds of thousands of homes.
“Today we are witnessing the launch of the largest solar power plant project of its kind in the world. The power plant will be opened in the second quarter of 2019, and will be able to produce 1,177 megawatts of electricity,” he said.
Hirohisa Miyata, chief operating officer at Marubeni, who took part in signing the agreements, hailed the significance of the project, and said that the move towards clean energy was crucial.