Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) has released a major new report forecasting the rapid rise of space-based solar power (SBSP), a technology the foundation says could become a transformative global energy source as electricity demand is expected to triple to 70,000 TWh annually by 2050.
Launched during the fourth edition of the Dubai Future Forum, the world’s largest gathering of futurists, the study identifies SBSP as a potential $2n market capable of delivering continuous clean energy.
The report highlights how SBSP operates by capturing solar energy in space, outside Earth’s atmosphere, and wirelessly transmitting it to the ground via microwaves.
Dubai explores space solar power
DFF said the technology offers a sustainable, uninterrupted source of clean power and could unlock new economic and developmental opportunities across multiple sectors, including space and aviation, energy, financial services, infrastructure, construction, automotive and public utilities.
Abdulaziz AlJaziri, Deputy CEO of DFF, said the report showcased a promising opportunity that could drive a transformative shift in the global energy landscape in the coming years and decades.
He noted that SBSP offers humanity the possibility of accessing a sustainable and unlimited clean energy source.
The report outlines the five essential components required for a full SBSP system. These include:
- Launch systems to transport dedicated solar power satellites into outer space
- In-orbit assembly platforms to build SBSP stations
- Solar energy capture technologies
- Wireless transmission systems to beam collected energy to Earth
- Ground receiving stations to convert transmitted energy into usable electricity
Future energy demand
DFF’s analysis suggests that by 2050, 90 per cent of rapidly growing global electricity demand will be met by renewable sources.
However, it warns that existing renewable technologies are currently expected to meet only two-thirds of global electricity needs, increasing the urgency for large-scale alternative solutions such as SBSP to help advance global decarbonisation.
The report also highlights the accelerating global momentum behind SBSP as governments and companies across Asia, Europe and North America invest in experimental systems, pilot projects and new innovations.
SBSP builds on mature technologies such as spacecraft used to deploy satellites and advanced microwave transmission systems.
Unlike terrestrial renewable energy sources, SBSP provides uninterrupted clean energy day and night, unaffected by weather conditions or geographic constraints.
In addition, the report examines the pathway to commercialisation, detailing the technological infrastructure, regulatory frameworks and international collaboration required to shift SBSP from experimental concepts to full-scale deployment.
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