The construction of the $3.4 billion Hassyan plant in Dubai appears puzzling, as the United Arab Emirates hosts the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency. It's also building the peninsula's first nuclear power plant and endlessly promotes its vast solar-power plant named after Dubai's ruler. Dubai has also set the lofty goal of having the world's lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050—something that would be impacted by burning coal. The coal plant's arrival comes as Gulf Arab nations remain among the world's hungriest for energy and amid political concerns over the use of natural gas imported from abroad, concerns underscored by a years long dispute with gas-producer Qatar, which is boycotted by four Arab nations, including the UAE.
The Hassyan power plant is being built in part by China, which describes the plant as a "major engineering project of the Belt and Road Initiative," a project which seeks to expand its influence in Africa and Asia. China anticipates that the plant, which has General Electric Co. involved in its construction, will meet 20% of Dubai's electrical demand. China says the Hassyan plant has high-tech equipment to limit its emissions, but carbon dioxide still will be emitted. Coal use has slowed in the West over environmental concerns and public protests. But in Dubai, a hereditarily governed sheikhdom where Sheikh Mohammed wields absolute power, the coal plant was relatively quickly approved.
At the time Hassyan was approved, "coal looked much cheaper than other sources of energy," said Aisha al-Sarihi, a research associate at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center. "Now the renewables are much cheaper than the coal itself." Al-Sarihi warns new costs could loom as well. Dubai's coal will need to be imported, possibly from Australia or Indonesia. Possible carbon taxes could be put on the coal, pushing down demand that in turn sees less of it mined—further raising prices. China and India remain the world's top coal consumers. But for now, the Paris-based International Energy Agency predicts an 8% decline in worldwide coal demand this year, the largest drop since World War II, as demand for electricity has fallen due to an economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Read More: https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-dubai-oil-rich-uae-coal-power.html
The Hassyan power plant is being built in part by China, which describes the plant as a "major engineering project of the Belt and Road Initiative," a project which seeks to expand its influence in Africa and Asia. China anticipates that the plant, which has General Electric Co. involved in its construction, will meet 20% of Dubai's electrical demand. China says the Hassyan plant has high-tech equipment to limit its emissions, but carbon dioxide still will be emitted. Coal use has slowed in the West over environmental concerns and public protests. But in Dubai, a hereditarily governed sheikhdom where Sheikh Mohammed wields absolute power, the coal plant was relatively quickly approved.
At the time Hassyan was approved, "coal looked much cheaper than other sources of energy," said Aisha al-Sarihi, a research associate at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center. "Now the renewables are much cheaper than the coal itself." Al-Sarihi warns new costs could loom as well. Dubai's coal will need to be imported, possibly from Australia or Indonesia. Possible carbon taxes could be put on the coal, pushing down demand that in turn sees less of it mined—further raising prices. China and India remain the world's top coal consumers. But for now, the Paris-based International Energy Agency predicts an 8% decline in worldwide coal demand this year, the largest drop since World War II, as demand for electricity has fallen due to an economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Read More: https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-dubai-oil-rich-uae-coal-power.html
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