From 2019 to 2022, the UAE succeeded in doubling its renewable energy capacity, according to Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. Victor Besa / The National
From 2019 to 2022, the UAE succeeded in doubling its renewable energy capacity, according to Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. Victor Besa / The National
From 2019 to 2022, the UAE succeeded in doubling its renewable energy capacity, according to Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. Victor Besa / The National
From 2019 to 2022, the UAE succeeded in doubling its renewable energy capacity, according to Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. Victor Besa / The National

UAE’s clean energy share reaches 27.83% of total mix, minister says


Sunil Singh
  • English
  • Arabic

Clean energy production accounted for 27.83 per cent of the UAE's total energy mix last year, marking a significant milestone in the push towards climate change goals, the energy and infrastructure minister said.

Suhail Al Mazrouei spoke as the UAE government seeks to hit a 2030 target that would see 30 per cent of energy come from clean sources.

As of last week, the four-reactor Barakah nuclear power plant is fully operational, while a heavy investment into solar energy is paying off. Prior to this, more than 95 per cent of the UAE's power came from gas-fired plants.

From 2019 to 2022, the Emirates succeeded in doubling its renewable energy capacity as part of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 to triple the installed capacity by 2030, the minister told state news agency Wam, ahead of the World Utilities Congress, which gets under way in Abu Dhabi on Monday,

He added that last year, the UAE achieved growth of 70 per cent in installed renewable energy capacity, which reached 6.1 gigawatts.

The UAE, Opec's third-largest producer, has been investing heavily in clean energy projects, ranging from nuclear to solar, to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Arab world’s second-largest economy announced the updated version of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and the development of the National Hydrogen Strategy that were approved by the UAE Cabinet in July last year.

Under the updated objectives of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, the country will invest between Dh150 billion and Dh200 billion by 2030 to ensure energy demand is met while sustaining economic growth in the UAE.

These projects include the 1.8 gigawatts phase VI of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the second phase of Dubai’s waste-to-energy project, and two major photovoltaic projects – the 1.5 gigawatts Al Ajban and the 1.5 gigawatts Al Khazna – both in Abu Dhabi.

A hydroelectric power plant in Hatta and the recently commissioned fourth reactor at the Barakah plant are set to make significant contributions, he said.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, about 50km south of Dubai. AP
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, about 50km south of Dubai. AP

He emphasised the importance of Adnoc's carbon management projects in the UAE's climate change strategy.

Adnoc is leading the way in implementing carbon capture and storage technologies, with the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2045. As part of this initiative, Adnoc aims to increase its carbon capture capacity to 10 million tonnes annually by 2030.

The minister added that in April last year, the Cabinet approved a policy to regulate the UAE's energy services market, enhancing collaboration between energy services firms, government entities, and the private sector.

“The policy aims to develop the UAE's energy services market through public-private partnerships, promoting investment in energy efficiency and renewable projects, supporting the National Energy and Water Demand Side Management Programme 2050, and fostering sustainable economic development,” he said.

Renewable energy is the cheapest and reduces the levelised cost of electricity – the average cost of generating power over the lifetime of a power plant – Mr Al Mazrouei said in April during a panel session at the World Economic Forum’s special meeting in Riyadh.

The UAE may surpass its target of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030 due to low clean energy prices and as more solar capacity is installed to produce green hydrogen, he said at the time.

In 2021, the UAE unveiled its Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative, a Dh600 billion plan to invest in clean and renewable energy sources over the next three decades.

It was the first Gulf country to commit to net-zero emissions by 2050.

World record transfers

1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

How tumultuous protests grew
  • A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
  • Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved 
  • Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
  • At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
  • Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars 
  • Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
  • An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital 
Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

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The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

Cricket World Cup League 2

UAE squad

Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind

Fixtures

Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

How to increase your savings
  • Have a plan for your savings.
  • Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
  • Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
  • It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings. 

- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

 

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Lamsa

Founder: Badr Ward

Launched: 2014

Employees: 60

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: EdTech

Funding to date: $15 million

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Updated: September 16, 2024, 9:53 AM`