Abu Dhabi Ministry of Energy confirms plans to support UAE’s ambitious 2050 net zero strategic plan

During COP26 in Glasgow, Abu Dhabi’s Ministry of Energy today confirmed key sectoral initiatives for the next decade to help accelerate the UAE’s sustainable economic growth, while supporting its ambitious 2050 net zero strategic plan.

The U.S. Department of Energy outlines nine existing and planned projects, focusing on clean energy production from solar and nuclear energy, the electrification of water production systems through reverse osmosis (RO) technology, and supporting policies and energy efficiency measures, which combine these measures Has the potential to reduce electricity-related emissions in the next 10 years to increase power generation and water production by at least 50%.

He Ying Awaidha Al Marar, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Energy, reiterated that Abu Dhabi has been committed to leading the transition to renewable and clean energy in accordance with the UAE’s strategy of achieving sustainable economic growth in the next 50 years. He said: “Based on 15 years of climate innovation record and the UAE’s sustained support for the Paris climate agreement, our commitment is supported by a strategic shift to low-carbon technologies and large-scale investments in solar and nuclear energy to reduce emissions. For example. , Abu Dhabi has developed a world-class sustainable development investment tool through Masdar City launched in 2008 as one of the world’s first carbon neutral development projects. Since then, we have been deploying renewable energy In a leading position in the region.

“By 2021, our 1.2GW Noor Abu Dhabi Solar photovoltaic power plant will increase the share of renewable energy in our energy mix to 6% of the total installed capacity of the emirate, and the start of the first reactor of the Barakah nuclear power plant in 2020 will also Increased that by 2021, the share of carbon-free energy production in the emirate’s energy structure will reach 7%.

“With more upcoming renewable energy deployments, such as the 2GW Al Dhafra solar photovoltaic project in Abu Dhabi, which expires in 2023, and the baseload nuclear power expected to be fully operational at the Barakah plant, the emirate’s clean power generation The total capacity will reach 8.8GW in 2025. By 2025, the share of clean energy capacity in the energy mix will be increased from 13% in 2021 to 31%.”

Al Marar added: “Through these solar and nuclear energy projects, it is estimated that by 2025, 7% of the electricity generated will come from solar photovoltaic sources and 47% from nuclear energy.

“This means that 55% of Abu Dhabi’s electricity will come from clean energy in 2025, and it is expected to reduce 40 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation.₂ Emissions in 2020 will be reduced to approximately 20 million tons in 2025. “

DoE is a partner of the UAE’s National Zero Net Zero Initiative in 2050 led by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. The initiative reflects the “50 Principles”-the UAE’s roadmap for accelerating development was launched in September to commemorate the country’s golden jubilee .

The UAE initiative includes key existing and planned projects in the energy sector of Abu Dhabi, which will reduce total emissions by more than 29 million tons per year by 2030. These include:

• Noor Abu Dhabi Solar photovoltaic power plant is expected to avoid up to 1 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year
• Baraka nuclear power plant can avoid 21 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year
• Al Dhafra 2GW single-site solar photovoltaic power station can reduce 2.4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions
• Two additional solar projects with a total capacity of 2GW, which can avoid 2.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions
• The two waste-to-energy plants in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain are expected to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2.4 million tons.Only these clean energy initiatives

In addition, Abu Dhabi is contributing new planned water production electrification projects to support the energy transition and ensure that the UAE’s ambitions of net zero become a reality in the future.

Commenting on the importance of decarbonization in the water sector, Al Marar said: “Water is a vital resource and a national priority. It can meet the current and future water needs of our population, maintain our food security, and maintain our We recognize the importance of continuous innovation to reduce emissions related to water production and utilize desalination technologies and new water demand management strategies.

“Our four desalination plants in Abu Dhabi currently use reverse osmosis technology, which will account for 24% of the emirate’s desalinated water production by 2021. With the implementation of new reverse osmosis projects including the Al Taweelah RO desalination facility, By 2025, this proportion is expected to increase to 43%. It is expected to become the world’s largest factory with a total production capacity of 200 MIGD, which can avoid 1.2 million carbon dioxide emissions per year.

“By 2030, additional reverse osmosis projects with a total daily capacity of approximately 680 million gallons are expected to increase the share of reverse osmosis in Abu Dhabi’s total water production to 80% and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 4 million tons per year.”

The UAE’s Net Zero Strategic Initiative also outlines a package of proposals to make the UAE’s energy, environmental, industrial and transportation policies suitable for accelerating the necessary greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the next ten years. “We will optimize our strategies, policies and regulations to expand our clean energy production capacity, while maximizing the scope of our energy efficiency measures to ensure an effective energy transition and accelerate national climate mitigation and sustainable development goals. “The Chairman of the Department of Energy said.

A notable initiative in this regard is Abu Dhabi’s demand-side management and energy rationalization strategy. The Ministry of Energy aims to solve supply and demand issues through a multi-stakeholder approach to 9 projects, aiming to reduce power consumption by 22% and 32%. Of water consumption. By 2030.

It is expected that the implementation of this strategy will avoid more than 9 metric tons of CO emissions₂ Emissions in the atmosphere-equivalent to removing 1.5 million cars from the road for a full year.

Between 2019 and 2020, the DSM initiative in Abu Dhabi has helped to achieve cumulative annual electricity savings of 6,183 GWh and annual water savings of 230 Mm3, which means short-term cost savings of approximately Dh1.1 billion and avoidance of emissions of approximately Dh3.2 Tons of carbon dioxide₂ Into the atmosphere.

Today’s announcement by the US Department of Energy highlights the UAE’s track record and ambitions in progressive climate action, as the country expanded its proposal to host COP28 in Abu Dhabi in 2023. The UAE proposes to host the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference because it seeks to unify climate efforts through multilateral initiatives aimed at turning the climate crisis into an opportunity for global sustainable development.