UAE To Start Operating The Largest Solar Power Plant In The World

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is known to be the place where things having superlative titles are: The tallest building in the world, the largest artificial island in the world, et cetera. But just very recently, the country has started to operate also the largest solar power project in the world.

Marking the commitment of the UAE’s upper class on changing the nation associated with oil money around to become independent from it.

A Solar Power Giant

The Emirate Water and Electricity Company has begun to operate Noor Abu Dhabi, currently the world's biggest individual operational solar power project.

The installation has a peak power production capacity of over 1.18 Gigawatts of energy and it only fell behind solar parks (Where multiple solar power projects share the same ground) in term of energy production capability. So it’s not very surprising that in comparison to the largest plant the U.S. has to offer, the Solar Star with a capacity of 569 Megawatts, Noor Abu Dhabi is absolutely gigantic.

The benefits to the environment of the installation were spoken about quite a lot by the region’s authority. The plant containing some 3.2 million solar panels can generate enough power to sustain 90,000 people. The amount of CO2 emissions for the region was also estimated to sink 1 million metric tonnes with the plant in action. To put the number into perspective, it is the equivalent of reducing 200,000 cars off the road.

A Step In The Right Direction

However, it is not difficult to see that the UAE is wielding the plant as a publicity tool similar to the many ‘most’ in the country. Even though the plant is a step in the right direction in term of environmental protection and emissions reduction.

The UAE is still extremely reliant on the money that their rich oil deposits generate on a daily basis. Rather than shying away from fossil fuels like much of the sentiments regarding environment mandate, they cut down oil production to balance the market, instead.

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Still, the operation of Noor Abu Dhabi is a good sign for environmental advocates and with the example of the plant, many countries might follow to also open up their own record-breaking plants.

More: China Is Constructing A Solar Power Plant That Orbits The Earth

The Emirates Water and Electric has drawn up preliminary plans for a 2 Gigawatts installation. And Saudi Arabia has made up a basic agreement on the construction of a 2.6GW project in Mecca.

There’s no doubt that the region so famed for oil is gradually being better to the planet, although it could not leave behind fossil fuels just yet.