DUBAI, UAE, 20 January 2021: Nuclear and waste-to-energy projects are gradually gaining momentum in the country along with solar power, which in turn, is expected to create an ample opportunity for the power sector as new projects come online, said Giuseppe Gregorini, representative of Graded Spa, an energy solutions provider headquartered in Italy. “The UAE has demonstrated that it holds some of the best solar resources in the world, while the supporting economic and regulatory policies have helped its clean energy programme to excel,” he added

For Gregorini, this showcases a rapid shift, pointing out that in 2018, the power sector in the UAE was dominated by gas-fired power plants, accounting for over 95% of the total power generation. However, Gregorini pointed out that the country has witnessed strong growth in electricity consumption at an annual rate of five per cent over the past five years. “The increase in consumption is mainly driven by strong economic activity, rising population, infrastructure development, and industrialisation,” he said.

Gregorini said the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 has a target to increase the contribution of clean energy in the overall national energy mix of the country to 50% by 2050, which has been instrumental in cultivating a market for the type of technologies that Graded has to offer. “With particular reference to the indoor air conditioning sector, an increase in demand for particularly high-performance, efficient and lower-cost systems is expected,” he said. “These three characteristics are our key differentiators in our products.”