World’s Largest Single Unit Solar Plant to Launch in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi is taking big steps in the direction of renewable energy. Within the first quarter of this year, Shams 1, otherwise known as the world’s largest single unit concentrated solar power plant, is due to light up its facilities. It is hoped that Shams 1 will reduce carbon emissions in Abu Dhabi by 175,000 tons every year, which would be the same as taking 15,000 cars off the road. It works like this: parabolic trough collectors track the sun throughout the day, directing the sunlight onto embedded tubes filled with a synthetic oil-based heat transfer fluid. The fluid can reach up to 400 degrees celsius in the tubes, before it is heated a further 140 degrees in a natural gas powered booster. The heat is then used to boil water and produce steam for steam turbines.
Shams 1 is a $6000 million project, largely funded by the United Nations as part of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Shams 1 aims to help Abu Dhabi reach its goal of supplying 7% energy through renewable sources, by 2020.
