Sharjah will soon get its largest solar plant. The plant will be developed by United Arab Emirates Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC), the executive oil and gas entity of Sharjah, and Emerge, the joint venture between Masdar and EDF Group.
To this end, a solar power agreement has been signed by these firms to develop the largest solar plant in the emirate. The estimated capacity of the solar plant will be 60 MWp, under a build-own-operate-transfer basis for 25 years.
The partnership will focus on the development of solar PV solutions for the Sajaa Gas Complex, which is directly linked to SNOC’s power supply and main power grid. Excess solar power will also be distributed to Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA), which will assist in SNOC’s operations at night.
The Solar Power Project is expected to start operations by the end of 2024. The agreement is a part of SNOC’s decarbonisation and net-zero emissions plans by 2032, and UAE’s Net-Zero by 2050 initiative. It will also fulfill the current power demand, converting SNOC’s gas-powered units to electrical drives and cutting down greenhouse gas emissions in the future.
“SNOC will implement this project alongside its other planned initiatives, including carbon capture and storage, elimination of methane leaks and flaring, and optimizing operational efficiencies. It will contribute to the reduction of CO2 by approximately 66,000 tons per annum, equivalent to taking more than 14,600 cars off the road,” Hatem Al Mosa, CEO of SNOC, stated.
