A massive solar power plant has been inaugurated near Abu Dhabi, with the aim of helping the United Arab Emirates (UAE) achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The UAE currently has one of the highest per capita carbon emissions in the world, with 21.79 tonnes per person in 2021, compared to the global average of 4.69 tonnes. However, the Gulf states have recently announced their commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2050, with a significant expansion of renewable energy sources. The new solar plant, located in the desert near Al Dhafra, about 30 kilometres south of Abu Dhabi, covers an area of 21 square kilometres and has a maximum capacity of two gigawatts, enough to power around 160,000 households.
According to the project’s website, the Dhafrah PV2 Energy, the solar plant can save more than two million tonnes of CO? emissions annually, equivalent to the removal of 800,000 cars from the road. To achieve maximum efficiency, the solar panels rotate with the sun and are continuously cleaned by robots to prevent sand and desert dust from reducing their effectiveness. The UAE’s new solar plant is one of the largest in the world, with similar high-capacity facilities being built in other countries, such as China, which recently launched a combined solar and wind power plant with a capacity of one gigawatt in the Gobi Desert. China plans to build an additional 450 gigawatts of solar and wind energy capacity in the coming years, with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.
The inauguration of the solar plant in the UAE is a significant step towards achieving the country’s carbon neutrality goals. The expansion of renewable energy sources is crucial in reducing carbon emissions and mitigating the effects of climate change. The use of advanced technology, such as rotating solar panels and cleaning robots, ensures maximum efficiency and sustainability of the solar plant. The UAE’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 is a positive example for other countries to follow in the fight against climate change.
