Solar power companies vie for attention in the heat of UAE's booming market

Solar power companies from across the world are vying for attention in the UAE's booming market as the country establishes itself as a regional leader in the renewable energy industry.

Earlier this week, Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, told the RAK Energy Summit the UAE, which aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, will initiate “one or two” solar farms a year until the end of the decade. It comes as the country seeks to hit a 2030 target of generating 30 per cent of its energy from clean sources.

"The UAE is already home to three of the world’s largest and lowest-cost solar plants, and the country continues to develop its solar sector at a rapid pace," said Neil Colquhoun, president of Epson in Middle East, Turkey, Africa, and Central & West Asia region, who believes the entire Gulf is a prime market for international firms due to its high solar potential, geographical location and its strong government focus on sustainability.

At Big 5 Global, a technology and sustainability showcase for the construction sectors taking place this week at Dubai World Trade Centre, companies from Greece, India and the UK, among others, have stands displaying solar-powered solutions. Various other exhibitions, such as Solar Expo, which takes place in Abu Dhabi in April, and the World Future Energy Summit at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in January, also attract firms from far and wide.

Christopher Decker, partner in energy and natural resources at management consultancy Oliver Wyman, India, Middle East and Africa, said the UAE combines some of the highest solar irradiation levels in the world, with a clear, transparent and proven regulatory framework. "This synergy has positioned the UAE as a regional leader, not only in advancing solar power but also in driving decarbonisation and economic diversification," he added.

At the same time, the solar photovoltaic supply chain has faced significant pressures, leading to increased project costs and delays, Mr Decker said. "The primary challenge for developers is remaining competitive in a market that attracts top-tier international developers and well-established local renewable energy leaders," he said. "Given the scale of the UAE's solar projects, often exceeding one gigawatt, forming partnerships across the value chain is critical, [as] collaboration helps mitigate risks and enhances competitiveness in this dynamic market."

Harnessing the power of the UAE Sun

London-based tech start-up Pavegen launched its first hybrid solar-powered product at Big 5 Global. “There’s always been really strong demand from the UAE for our product,” founder Laurence Kemball-Cook told The National. “But we had this breakthrough moment when we realised that people don’t walk around at certain times of day here. What we do have is an ambient source of sunlight, however. So why not make this hybrid solution that allows us to make the most of the climatic conditions in the UAE?”

The original kinetic tile is installed in more than 37 countries and uses an electromagnetic generator so that, when you step on it, the downwards motion of the footstep spins a flywheel, producing rotational energy that is then converted into off-grid electricity. Mr Kemball-Cook launched the technology in 2009 and Pavegen tiles have since been used in Washington near Dupont Circle to power LED lights, and around UK transport hubs to help power monitors and mobile phone-charging stations. At Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, the company also worked with Masdar City in 2019 to install tiles that linked terminals 1 and 2 and powered monitors showing the real-time creation of energy using footsteps.

While the original tiles generate a “relatively small amount of electromagnetic energy”, three to five joules per footstep, the new Solar+ Tile promises to produce 30 times more energy in optimal conditions. They can give continuous power from the Sun during the hottest part of the day, then continue to generate energy via people’s footsteps as it cools down at night. “It allows us to do things like charge electric vehicles and go into larger off-grid solutions, so it gives us a different quantum of power,” he added. “It's got a really smart system, so it will decide which energy source to use ... typically, after sunset, there isn't much available solar energy, so then we'd use the people power."

At the moment, there are only a few Solar+ Tiles in existence and these are kept closely guarded, Mr Kemball-Cook told The National. He is working on securing deals with local institutions in Dubai this week, although he is unable to divulge many details. “We realised we get over 30 times more energy in a city like Dubai with the hybrid solution. In London, it would be very different but we saw there was a huge opportunity to use this technology in this market.”

Mr Kemball-Cook envisions Pavegen tiles forming an important part of this wider solar-powered society in the future. “We believe that you need 100km of solar in the desert but also the most important thing about the UAE is the people and the happiness and the communities, and we can help to be that final thread that links people to their community around sustainability, rather than being this hidden thing that no one really knows about.”

Wider vision

It was during crunch Cop28 talks in Dubai last year that the international community pledged to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030, with solar power being viewed increasingly as a way forward to keeping those ambitions on track. The Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, part of the UAE Consensus, translates to the world having a renewable energy capacity of 11,000 gigawatts at the end of the decade.

According to research organisation Ember, 29 per cent more solar power capacity was installed in the first seven months of this year compared to the same period in 2023. If this trend continues, total new solar power installations for 2024 will reach 593 gigawatts.

There are numerous solar-powered projects in the UAE, including the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the world’s largest single-site solar park, which is expected to have a 5,000MW production capacity by 2030. Last year, the two-gigawatt Al Dhafra solar power plant opened in Abu Dhabi. It supplies power to 200,000 homes and is expected to cut the emirate's carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2.4 million tonnes annually, equivalent to removing about 470,000 cars from the roads.

In September, the UAE’s Energy Ministry also announced its partnership with Etihad Water and Electricity to set up residential solar panels in the Northern Emirates. Customers, including homes, businesses and farms, will be able to install rooftop solar panels to generate power, which will be sent back to the grid.

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