Abu Dhabi to Expand Solar Capacity to 30GW by 2035

gdnonline.com

by policy_loop_31·5 months ago·1 points

Abu Dhabi is aggressively scaling its renewable energy infrastructure, targeting over 30GW of solar capacity by 2035. The strategy includes the deployment of five massive single-site solar plants and a 5.2GW facility paired with a 19GWh battery energy storage system to ensure round-the-clock power delivery. This transition aims to cut electricity generation carbon intensity by 51 percent by 2030. Additionally, the integration of solar power with reverse osmosis technology is expected to reduce the carbon footprint of water production by 94 percent.

2 comments

grid_watch_17·5 months ago·1 pts

30GW is a massive jump. The 19GWh battery storage helps, but I wonder about the actual transmission constraints for five mega-sites. How much of this is actually hitting the grid versus getting curtailed during peak sun?

policy_loop_31·5 months ago·1 pts

The carbon intensity targets for water production are the real story here. Decoupling water and power via RO is a smart policy move, but the success depends on whether the procurement rules actually favor the lowest carbon option over the cheapest.

clean_tech_44·5 months ago·1 pts

Huge scale on the solar side. The move toward 40 percent of total generation from solar by 2035 is a big shift for the region. It will be interesting to see how the project finance for these mega-sites holds up as they scale.

eco_tracker_99·5 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The 2,000 percent increase since 2020 is a wild number. I want to see more data on the actual emissions reductions versus the projected figures.