Researchers are carrying out work on a rotating solar island they believe may offer a solution to RAK's energy needs.
Researchers are carrying out work on a rotating solar island they believe may offer a solution to RAK's energy needs.

RAK's solar islands could power emirate



RAS AL KHAIMAH // A series of floating, rotating solar islands off the coast of RAK could be the solution to the emirate's energy woes. Heat generated from the solar panels creates steam in an underwater tank, piped to a turbine on shore. A prototype is in the testing phase and statistical results are expected in two years, with real-world applications coming afterwards.

A small solar island with a diameter of 88 metres, like the prototype being tested in the RAK desert, can produce up to 1 megawatt (MW) of thermal power and would be able to cool or heat a small mall. Larger islands between 500m to 5km in diameter can produce between a tenth of a MW to several gigawatts (GW) of thermal power. "It's the biggest precision mechanism Swiss technology has ever made," said Dr Hamid Kayal, chief executive of CSEM-UAE, the company behind the solar-island prototype.

The idea of a solar island is not new. Five years ago, the RAK government teamed up with a Swiss research centre called La Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique (CSEM) to create a prototype that would marry academic knowledge with business know-how. "The basic technology is known and it works," Dr Kayal said. "The problem is not in the technology, the problem is using it in a reliable and an effective way.

"The prototype is not to show we can produce electricity; it is to show how economically we can produce it, at what size, and where." Much of this comes down to economies of scale. The CSEM-UAE islands may range from 500m to 5km in diameter, hovering up to 20m off the ground. "Testing the island from a mechanical point of view is a priority, and this will lead to some conclusions about the size and economic aspect," said Dr Kayal.

"The aim of the study is to see if and with which size we can compete with the present cost of electricity." The first stage involves testing the mechanics. In the first test, the 250-tonne platform was lifted using no more power than is needed to run four hairdryers. The second test measured its rotation, and a two-week test last month measured its accuracy at tracking the sun, confirming that the prototype can track the sun to within 0.02 degrees of precision.

The next step will be to optimise the structure of the solar radiation collectors on the platform and test their stability and reliability against the elements, dirt and wind. The final step will be designing a profitable thermal structure with an efficient thermal to electrical conversion. The islands can be installed on shore as well as at sea, and large islands could be connected to a grid, while smaller ones will probably be better suited for distinct industrial applications.

"We need to have a structure that is not consuming the energy it produces," said Dr Kayal. "We are studying whether there is a market for this," he said, adding that RAK-based companies had already consulted CSEM-UAE for advice on immediate energy solutions. If this prototype proves successful, CSEM-UAE will build a 500m-diameter island. Funding is provided by the RAK government on a six-month basis with step-by-step objectives.

"The government of RAK is expecting that we come with results very fast," Dr Kayal said. When this stage of the project is finished, the island prototype will be used for research into other applications that require direct heat from the sun to produce district cooling or to desalinate water. "If we do not find that this is going to give a real advantage to the electrical way of heating in a few years we can use it to experiment on ways to save electricity," Dr Kayal observed.

CSEM-UAE is collaborating with Sweden's Royal Institution of Technology in Sweden and research institutes in Switzerland and Dubai. Work is ongoing to open a research centre within the next three months to study the economical scale of solar cooling. The Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority has donated 60MW of industrial waste heat that CSEM-UAE will use to study the economical effectiveness of using waste heat for cooling and water desalination.

"Our aim is to study how we can make a project out of it. Bring it from a concept to an economic solution," said Dr Kayal. "Today, if you take cooling for one room it is feasible but it's not economical. The objective is to bridge between real academic knowledge and real economic need." Ras al Khaimah has 0.1 per cent of the country's oil reserves and 0.6 per cent of the gas reserves, and consequently many businesses rely on generators for their power.

Last year, a report by Oxford Business Group cited power shortages as the biggest bottleneck to the emirate's industrial sector, which uses 35 to 55 per cent of the emirate's power supply. azacharias@thenational.ae

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Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
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Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

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Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

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Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now

There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:

1. Rising US interest rates

The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.

Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”

At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.

2. Stronger dollar

High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.” 

3. Global trade war

Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”

4. Eurozone uncertainty

Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.

Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”

The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”

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What is dialysis?

Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.

It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.

There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.

In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.

In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.

It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.