The Emirate of Sharjah oil and gas industry leader, Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC) of the United Arab Emirates, and Emerge Limited, a joint venture between Masdar and the EDF Group, celebrated a significant milestone today with the groundbreaking ceremony for the largest solar installation in Sharjah to date. EDF is for Électricité de France SA, commonly known as EDF, a French multinational electric utility company owned by the government of France.
The 60MWp ground-mounted solar PV plant, located at SNOC’s Sajaa Gas Complex, will generate enough clean energy to offset 66,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually, equivalent to removing more than 14,600 cars from the road each year.
The project supports SNOC’s commitment to decarbonization and its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2032. It will significantly decrease SNOC’s dependence on traditional fossil fuels for its operations and provide a cost-effective source of clean energy.
The project aligns with the United Arab Emirates’ ambitious Net-Zero 2050 strategy. By promoting renewable energy sources, this initiative contributes to the UAE’s transition towards a more sustainable, environmentally conscious future for Sharjah and the wider region.
The UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative is a national drive to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, making the Emirates the first Middle East and North Africa (MENA) nation to do so. The initiative aligns with the Paris Agreement, which calls on countries to prepare long-term strategies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 C compared to pre-industrial levels.
SNOC Chief Executive Officer, Hatem Al Mosa, said “SNOC is happy to witness this significant milestone on its path to achieve Net-Zero by 2032 across its own operations and to support the Emirate of Sharjah’s sustainability agenda and commitment to protecting the environment.”
Michel Abi Saab, Emerge General Manager, said: “This project will empower SNOC to achieve its decarbonization goals, and also to secure a more cost-effective energy future for the Emirate as a whole.”
Emerge will handle the entire project lifecycle under a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) agreement. This includes financing, design, procurement, construction, operation, and maintenance of the solar modules for a period of 25 years.
