Post by : Mariam
Al-Faris
Photo: WAM
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, the Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, officially opened the emirate’s largest solar power plant on Wednesday.
The new plant is named Sana, which means “bright light.” It’s located at the Sajaa Gas Complex and spreads across a huge area of 850,000 square meters. With a capacity of 60 megawatts, it can produce enough clean electricity to power about 13,780 homes every year.
This solar project took eight years to complete and will mainly provide electricity to Sharjah’s oil and natural gas processing facilities. It’s also expected to cut down 66,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year, helping protect the environment.
During the opening, Sheikh Sultan described the project as a big step forward in Sharjah’s move towards sustainable energy. He also said it reflects the emirate’s strong commitment to environmental protection.
UAE’s Growing Clean Energy Use
Across the UAE, clean and low-emission energy sources are growing quickly. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), 35% of the UAE’s electricity came from low-emission sources in 2023, up from just 3% in 2019.
This growth was largely driven by the country’s investments in solar and nuclear energy. In fact, solar energy production grew by 29% and nuclear by 25%, which helped reduce the use of traditional thermal power by nearly 8%.
The UAE aims to produce 30% of its energy from clean sources by 2030. In the wider Middle East, renewable energy use is also expected to grow by about 14% each year between 2025 and 2027, increasing its overall share from 5% to 7%.
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