Ras Al Khaimah to host energy summit as transition to clean power picks up pace

The emirate aims to boost contribution of renewables in the energy mix to 20% by 2040

The UAE is building new renewable energy projects including the world’s largest solar plant in Al Dhafra region in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Wam

Ras Al Khaimah will host an energy summit this year to discuss developing trends and initiatives in the field of sustainable products as it focuses on boosting the contribution of renewables in the energy mix to 20 per cent by 2040.

The first RAK Energy Summit will take place at the Al Hamra International Exhibition and Conference Centre on October 4 and 5, the Ras Al Khaimah Municipality said on Wednesday.

The conference will “bring together international and regional experts and leaders from the government and the private sector to discuss emerging trends and initiatives in the field of sustainable energy", it said.

“At the summit, participants will discuss emerging trends in green buildings, building retrofits, efficient mobility, efficient water use and reuse, solar applications, energy from waste and many other related topics.”

The RAK Energy Efficiency and Renewables Strategy 2040 targets 30 per cent electricity savings, 20 per cent water savings and a 20 per cent share of renewable energy in the generation mix by 2040.

The strategy, already well under way through a "multitude of programmes and initiatives", connects with federal strategies and supports the UAE’s commitments to climate change mitigation as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, it said.

The UAE aims to become carbon neutral by 2050, with clean and renewable energy investments worth Dh600 billion ($163.5bn) planned over the next three decades.

The country is building new renewable energy projects to boost the supply of clean energy in the country, including the world’s largest solar plant in Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi with a capacity of 2 gigawatts, as well as Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park in Dubai with a 5-gigawatt capacity. It is also constructing Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the Arab world’s first multi-unit operating nuclear plant.

The UAE is becoming a global success story in clean energy transition as a result of its policies and strategies, the managing director and chief executive of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation said.

“In the UAE, we have our target and our clear path … to [achieve] net-zero by 2050. We are already at full speed with projects that will help us reach our goal,” Mohamed Al Hammadi said at the Global Manufacturing and Industrialisation Summit in Dubai last year.