UAE’s only private utility provider Utico has joined forces with top sustainable energy developer Yellow Door Energy (YDE) to build a first-of-its-kind solar plant in the northern emirate of Umm Al Quwain.

 

The solar plant and battery energy storage system (BESS) will generate 4,700 megawatt-hours of clean energy annually, said the duo at the recently concluded 25th Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment (Wetex) and Dubai Solar Show expos.

 

Significantly, the Utico-YDE solar plant will remove 82,000 MT of CO2e from the environment during the system lifetime, complementing the carbon-neutral strategy of the UAE and global climate change mitigation endeavours. 

 

Announcing its key green initiative, Group CEO Hussain Al Lawati said: "For Utico, this is a significant step in our journey towards being carbon neutral and support the UAE’s strategic goals of sustainability and Net Zero by 2050 target. The project, a first in the UAQ, will help Utico enhance diversification of its energy mix for utilization in our operations."

 

The solar power plant announcement comes close on the heels of Utico partnering with Shandong Tianyi Chemical Corporation of China for a pathbreaking circular economy project to extract industrial chemicals from brine, a first of its kind in the GCC in recycling waste seawater from desalination plants. 

 

YDE Chief Operating Officer Rory McCarthy said: "As the leading sustainable energy partner for businesses in the region, we are honoured to support Utico on its sustainability journey. The solar and BESS project showcases our company’s commitment to helping businesses decarbonise their operations, save money and become more resilient."

 

"Ahead of COP28 and in line with the UAE Net Zero by 2050 target, we are proud to be here today to congratulate Utico and its leadership on this important sustainability milestone,"" he stated. 

 

The hybrid Umm Al Quwain plant will supply green energy to run Utico’s pumping station in Umm Al Quwain. The solar deployment will be within the Utico pump station premises, he added.-TradeArabia News Service