Sharjah to establish largest solar energy station

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Petroleum Council and Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC), has emphasised that the Emirate of Sharjah, guided by the vision and directives of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has made the concern and caring for the environment and preservation of environmental diversity the foundational basis of initiating and implementing all development projects, helping the Emirate successfully tackle all environmental, social and economic challenges.

He was speaking on the occasion of the signing of an agreement between the Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC), the executive arm of the oil and gas industry in the Emirate, and Emerge Company, co-owned by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and the French Electricity Company (EDF) to build the largest solar power station in Sharjah. The agreement was inked on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC).

The agreement was signed by Engineer Hatem Al-Mousa, Executive Director of Sharjah National Oil Corporation, and Michel Abi Saab, General Manager of Emerge.

Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed stressed that the establishment of the largest solar energy station in Sharjah is in line with the development initiatives and plans unveiled by the Emirate to enhance energy sources in general and sustainable ones in particular, and supports efforts to achieve the strategic goal of the United Arab Emirates to reach carbon neutrality by the year 2050.

He pointed out that the goal of the SNOC aimed to achieve carbon neutrality in its operations by 2032, stressing that the new solar energy station will constitute an important addition to the energy sector in the Emirate as it will provide electrical power using clean and natural solar energy.

Public-private partnership for the environment

The Deputy Ruler of Sharjah also underscored the importance of cooperation between government and private institutions in working to achieve national goals through energy projects that aim to benefit from natural resources and provide energy in a way that does not harm the environment.

He pointed out the importance of the role played by the SNOC in the energy sector of the emirate by developing systems, procedures and sustainable projects in the energy sector, and exploring new sources of energy generation.

New solar energy station to come up at Sajaa

According to the agreement, SNOC, in cooperation with Emerge Company, will implement the solar energy project at its Sajaa Gas Complex site to provide the electrical energy necessary for the complex’s operations, while exporting surplus solar energy during the day to Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA), which in turn will provide the electricity necessary for the SNOC’s operations during the night.

It is expected that the total energy produced by the solar power station will exceed the current demand of the SNOC, which will allow for the expansion of the use of electricity generated from solar energy by converting more units that currently operate on gas to electrically powered devices.

All of this will lead to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The capacity of the new solar power station in Sharjah, which is expected to be operational by the end of 2024, will be 60 megawatts.

All international technical and operational standards will be adhered to in the project design plans, in accordance with the technical standards applied by the SEWA within the electrical transmission and distribution network systems.

Clean energy to Sharjah at competitive cost

The project will provide clean, renewable energy to Sharjah at a competitive cost compared to the cost of gas power plants. It also offers an ideal solution to both the SNOC and SEWA, as surplus energy from photovoltaic solar panels will be available during peak hours in during the day, while SEWA meets SNOC's electricity needs during the night, when the overall demand for electricity is lower.