UAE inaugurates 3 projects under $50m energy fund

Three climate-resilient solar power projects in the Bahamas, Barbados, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are being inaugurated this week under the $50 million UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund (UAE-CREF).
The fund is a partnership between the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, and Masdar. In total, the three projects, which broke ground in November 2018, will deliver 2.35MW of solar and 637kWh of battery storage capacity, while displacing more than 2.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Combined, they will also achieve diesel savings of more than 895,000 litres per year, worth about $1.1 million.
The Bahamas, Barbados, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines face some of the highest power costs in the world, due to their reliance on diesel. All three projects are designed to withstand up to 160 mile per hour winds and extreme weather, per a new requirement instituted in the UAE-CREF in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The projects will be inaugurated by Bader Almatrooshi, UAE Ambassador to Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica and Representative to the Association of Caribbean States.
"By funding renewable energy solutions globally, ADFD is enabling Small Island Developing States to tackle their development challenges, meet their outlined priorities, and optimise use of their natural resources," said Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of ADFD, the UAE's leading national entity for international development aid, which fully finances the UAE-CREF.
The three projects all represent significant steps forward in realising the three countries' renewable energy ambitions. In the Bahamas, which hopes to generate 30 per cent of its power needs from renewable sources by 2030, the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium 925kW Solar PV Carport Power Plant will displace 310,000 litres of diesel per year, saving the government $350,000 and offsetting 856 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
In Barbados, the government aims to generate 100 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. As part of this target, the Bridgetown 350kW Solar PV Carport Power Plant and Bow Manston 500kW Solar PV Power Plant in Barbados are expected to save $381,000 per year by displacing 265,000 litres of diesel fuel and 975 tonnes of carbon annually.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the project - with 600kW of solar PV and a 637 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery - is unprecedently able to supply 100 per cent of Union Island's daytime power requirements. The plant alone also meets over 30 per cent of Union Island's energy needs and will displace 320,000 litres of diesel fuel per year, saving the island $368,000 and offsetting 825 tonnes of carbon annually.
Masdar CEO, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, said: "These landmark solar projects will pave the way for further investments in clean energy across the countries. By delivering tailor-made solutions to address the specific energy needs of each country in partnership with their governments, Masdar is fulfilling its mandate to deliver on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ensure sustainable energy for all."
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com