Power generation in the UAE will increase by more than 1.5 gigawatts in 2017, enough to power around 150,000 homes, according to a new report.
The State of Energy Report in the UAE 2015, prepared by the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence and the United Nations, highlights energy projects across the UAE focusing on energy diversification and government policy.
The report reveals that the UAE will increase power generation with a mix of energy sources from natural gas to solar and nuclear power.
From 2008 to 2012, national power demand grew 37 per cent. Abu Dhabi increased its power-generating capacity by 43.6 per cent and Dubai increased capacity 44.5 per cent. The UAE’s energy demand is growing at about 9 per cent a year.
One of the three projects listed in the report is the Shah Gas Development, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Occidental Petroleum. The project is the first of its kind in the country, and is anticipated to come online early next year.
Located in Abu Dhabi's Liwa desert, the Shah marks the country's first venture into sour gas processing and is expected to add 5 million cubic feet per day. Sour gas contains a high amount of hydrogen sulphide, which makes processing more costly. However, this type of gas makes up the majority of the UAE's natural gas.
Natural gas represents 99 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s power generation mix. Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea) expects the emirate’s power consumption to rise by 11.3 per cent each year, forcing Abu Dhabi to tap the more difficult gas.
The UAE is also looking to diversify its energy mix with the goal of generating 24 per cent of its total power generation by clean energy projects by 2020. “We continue to draw a clear strategy in energy, and we believe our economy is based on diversification,” the UAE Minister of Energy Suhail Al Mazrouei said last week.
The Minister of Economy Sultan Al Mansouri said that the country was the front-runner for branching out from the oil and gas sector.
“The UAE is the most diversified economy in the Middle East,” Mr Al Mansouri said.
Two major clean energy projects are expected to feed electricity into the grid in two years.
The second phase in the Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will generate 100 megawatts of solar photovoltaic (PV) power.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) issued the tender for the second phase on November 20. Dewa expects the project to be completed in 2017.
“The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park [will be] one of the largest renewable energy projects in the region and demonstrates our commitment to achieve our vision to become a sustainable world-class utility,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the Dewa managing director and chief executive.
The third project expected to increase power generation in three years’ time is Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation’s power plant in Barakah capable of generating 1.4 GW, which is located 300 kilometres west of Abu Dhabi. Enec said in September that more than 57 per cent of the first of four reactors had been completed.
Enec expects the second unit to follow in 2018 and units three and four will come online in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
The company said that the four reactors would provide about 25 per cent of the country’s electricity needs.
lgraves@thenational.ae
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