Is UAE leading the way for concentrated solar power in the Gulf?

(Eco Business, 10 May 2019) Oil-rich United Arab Emirates has set a target to source up to 30 per cent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 and has become the only country to have the concentrated solar power technology in the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Last month, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) published a report on a renewable energy “roadmap to 2050”.

The report highlighted the possibility that by 2050, about 86 per cent of the world’s power demands could be met by renewable power. It also highlighted that 50 per cent of global electricity production could be provided via renewable energy sources.

What could this mean for the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which comprises Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)?

There seems to be a massive shift in the region’s policies towards economics, and subsequently, technology. The UAE for one has initiated the Vision 2021 programme, which includes sustainability as one of the country’s major goals—and seems to be taking it quite seriously.

The country has set a target of achieving 30 per cent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030. That might not be as ambitious as Denmark—a country that has slightly lesser GDP than the UAE, but has still set a goal to achieve 50 per cent of its energy from wind power.

Still, the UAE is leading in the region, especially when it comes to concentrated solar power (CSP) technology. The UAE was, until recently, the only country to have that technology in the GCC.

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Eco Business, 10 May 2019: Is UAE leading the way for concentrated solar power in the Gulf?