DUBAI // Solar power plants with a combined capacity of 100 megawatts are being planned for the Northern Emirates in a Dh500 million project that aims to cut the cost of energy production and lower carbon emissions.
Mohammed Saleh, director general of the Federal Electricity and Water Authority (Fewa), told the state news agency Wam that the plants will be built in partnership with the private sector. Work on the first plant will start this year.
A plant with a capacity of 100 MW can produce enough power to meet the needs of 20,000 homes. In terms of carbon emissions savings, this equals about 175,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year – the equivalent of removing 15,000 cars from the roads.
Fewa’s decision follows the Vision 2021 strategy which has set a clean energy target. By 2021, 24 per cent of the country’s power should come from renewable sources or nuclear energy, according to the strategy.
In 2013, only 0.02 per cent of energy in the country came from such sources.
Further details of the Northern Emirates project are yet to emerge, but the announcement was welcomed by solar industry observers.
Claudio Palmieri, technical director of the Clean Energy Business Council and chief executive of CLS Energy Consultants, said: “The decision is a clear indication that the UAE Government is serious about achieving its renewable energy targets and dedicated to protecting the environment.”
Sami Khoreibi, chief executive and founding partner of solar power installer Enviromena Power Systems, said it remained to be seen how the plans would be implemented, but he welcomed the move.
“My guess is, it would be that a lot of the solar capacity will be displacing diesel and oil generation capacity,” Mr Khoreibi said.
He explained that should this be the case, some solar technologies were “definitely at grid parity” with conventional resources. Mr Khoreibi expected the technology involved to be solar photovoltaic (PV) panels that capture the sun’s light and transform it into electricity.
The technology, he said, “is no longer just a green option” but an economically sound one, too.
“It would definitely make sense for it to be solar PV technology,” he said. “PV is producing at substantially lower costs than other sources.”
The announcement comes months after Dubai Electricity and Water Authority decided to double the size of a solar PV plant for the emirate after achieving record low prices in a tender process involving major global and regional players.
That 200MW plant, expected to go online in April 2017, will be the biggest such facility in the Middle East and North Africa.
It will be built and operated by Acwa Power, a Saudi Arabian company that will finance and construct the plant, receiving a fixed tariff for the electricity produced over a period of 25 years. The company will be paid 5.84 US cents per kilowatt hour.
The project, said Mr Khoreibi, is “proof that solar can be installed in the UAE at rates more competitive than other energy sources”.
vtodorova@thenational.ae
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday
