UAE opens world's largest solar plant project

Posted by: D. Satya Narayana Tuesday, 19 March 2013 11:43 AM[UAE] - United Arab Emirates

I m very delighted to see this achievement in solar power by UAE government. By venturing similar renewable energy projects we can control the climate change and protect the planet.
I am confident other countries would also focus on renewable energy to utilize the resources available such as wind, solar, waste to energy, etc.
I was more happy to recollect my previous achievements way back in 1977 where my UG students and me a PG student designed solar refrigerator of 420 liters capacity in Guindy Engineering college, Chennai, project was sponsored by University of Madras and was appreciated even back then at that time, Specially visited and appreciated by that time solar experts Dr. Chellapa from Australia and other experts from USA

Posted by: Telcoguy Tuesday, 19 March 2013 9:52 AM[UAE] - UAE

@Raj you will be happy to know that India is planning to have 3 plants this size in 2013 and Abengoa is busy working on one that is 350Mwatts in Mojave
And if you measure output at station not at plant level, there are maybe 20 or so this size or bigger, half of them in Spain where they have been an unmitigated financial and regulatory disaster
You will be even happier to know that there are several photovoltaic plant this size or larger (larger I think is 250 Megawatts)
@Hunter, because you need 56 like this to match the output of a single nuclear plant. Or some 800 to provide the additional 90 Terawatts the UAE will require by 2020
@RS, this is very different from your residential solar cells. There are good reasons you do not want to build this close to inhabited areas. Unless you want to cook wandering children or pets, that is. That and cost/efficiency, you are talking a very different game with this, but even with (I think) quite reasonable costs you are talking a huge CAPEX

Posted by: procan Tuesday, 19 March 2013 9:08 AM[UAE] - canada

Solar Power leaders mmmmm lets see. Germany 9,745 MW Spain 3,380 MW Japan 1,650 MW UAE 100 MW keep up the good work.

Posted by: Hunter Monday, 18 March 2013 9:03 PM[UAE] - UAE

Great! Now remind me why we need a nuclear plant...?

Posted by: Calvin Tuesday, 19 March 2013 9:12 AM[UAE] - India

So you don't end up like Kuwait, expecting power cuts in 2014!
Better safe than sorry.

Posted by: procan Tuesday, 19 March 2013 9:02 AM[UAE] - canada

Solar power is not storable in a fiscal way its use it or lose it.
Nothing beats Nuke is there when you want .Most conditions ie night time, sand storms, low light conditions but I am just a lay person. Lets get a expert to explain . Oh sorry they were expats ask to leave county. Have they figured out how to self clean solar panels yet ? We call it maintenance not exactly third world labour work so you might need more over payed expats. Previous to this press release Canada had the largest single solar plant 97 MW in Sarina ,Ontario. Sam would know we build, service, every thing with our own Canadian team .By 2015 we will produce 2650 MW here. Humbly we a minor players thou Germany produces 9,745 MV, Spain 3,380 MW, Japan 2,633 MW and so on. So welcome new guys

Posted by: Red Snappa Monday, 18 March 2013 3:31 PM[UAE] - Ireland

Now that is what I would term a giant step for the UAE, excellent news, they should start building sollar power farms all across the country. Take Dubai inland developments like Emaar's Arabian Ranches or Nakheel's (Is it still Nakheel, I heard it had been taken over?) Jumeirah Golf Estates could quite easily be powered by solar, take the strain off DEWA and the source is free, if not the equipment.

The latter could represent a huge manufacturing industry in UAE, a public sector style entity even with many new jobs on the assembly lines and in engineering and installation for nationals.