Abu Dhabi’s pivot towards renewables and nuclear power is paying dividends, enabling the emirate to meet rising demand for electricity while also cutting gas consumption. State offtaker Ewec says that power generation from its fleet of plants hit an all-time high 94.5TWh in 2022, yet the ramp-up of the Barakah nuclear power plant meant that gas consumption fell to an 11-year low.
Nuclear and solar energy contributed a record 24.3% of total electricity for Ewec’s plants in Abu Dhabi and Fujairah last year, up from 13.4% in 2021. That figure is set to rise significantly once again in 2023, potentially pushing well above 30%. Barakah’s third 1.4GW unit is being readied to start commercial operations, potentially as soon as March, while the UAE’s largest solar plant, the 2GW Al Dhafra solar PV facility, is due to start commercial operations this year. Indeed, Ewec’s figures show that it already contributed modest power to the grid last year. (CONTINUED - 786 WORDS)
