Shams Power Company and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Shams Power Company is contributing to the achieving the United Nation’s SDGs and here is how:

SDG 4: Quality Education

Education is one of the most powerful tools to build societies of the future. Formal and informal education is critical to promoting sustainable development, improving the capacity of humankind to address environmental issues and create a greener world.

How are we supporting the Quality Education goal?

• By collaborating with schools from Al Dhafra region, especially those with a technical focus, supporting various school events and activities.
• Sharing knowledge about importance of sustainability and global warming, trying to highlight the positive impact of renewable energy on CO2 emissions and the environment.
• Through the Al Dhafra Innovation Centre, we will host workshops and knowledge sharing, targeting students, adults and tourists. Our goals is to expand people’s knowledge about renewable energy projects in the UAE and contribute to achieving Vison 2030.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

In spite of all the technological advancements, there are more than 800 million people around the world who do not have access to basic drinking water services. Even more worrying is the fact that 2.3 billion people have no access to basic sanitation, which often results in death, chronic disease, and high mortality rates. Water demand for agriculture, industrial and domestic use is rapidly rising, and often followed by an increase in water pollution and a loss of ecosystems due to the growing amount of untreated wastewater.

How are we supporting the Clean Water and Sanitation goal:

• Shams Power Company saves 200 million gallons of water every year through the use of air-cooled condensers that cool the steam and recycle it back into the closed-loop system. The residual water, which cannot be turned back into the system, is used for the irrigation of the Innovation Centre’s outdoor area.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

Sustainable Development Goal 7 aims at ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Electricity production generates 30% of greenhouse gas emissions. Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today. Sustainable energy is an opportunity to transform lives, economies and the planet. There needs to be a substantial increase in the production of renewable energy across the world.

How are we supporting the Affordable and Clean Energy goal:

• Since 2013, Shams has successfully demonstrated that it can deliver electricity that is sustainable, affordable and secure.
• We generate clean energy from the sun. Concentrated solar power (CSP) is a proven method for using the sun’s energy to generate electricity and is one of the most efficient and cost effective methods.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Community

Our lives today exist predominately in cities. More than 50% of the population and 80% of all activities are concentrated in cities. The number of people living in cities will reach an estimated 70% by 2050. Cities are facing old/new challenges such as reducing pollution, improving air quality, creating new infrastructure and services to respond to the needs of an ageing population and managing resources

How are we supporting the Sustainable Cities and Community goal:

• The power of the sun used for heating our collectors is enough to supply 20,000 houses. The clean energy we produce displaces around 175,000 tons of CO2 per year, which is equivalent to removing 15,000 cars from the streets of Abu Dhabi or planting 1,500,000 trees.

SDG 13: Climate Action

Climate change is one of the major challenges facing our world today, affecting the majority of the population and is the reason for the extreme temperatures we face each year. CO2 emissions are the main contributor towards global warming. The commitment of decarburization is vital in reducing global warming.
As one of the key players at global energy market, the UAE has an important role in finding a solution for preventing the emission of CO2. In achieving that goal, the country decided to diversify its energy mix and focus on sustainable and clean energy.

How are we supporting the Climate Action goal:

• The launch of Shams was a historic milestone for the UAE and a pivotal moment for the global renewable energy sector. As the first and largest CSP plant at MENA region, it signified that the UAE is ready for the new challenges and communicated a clear message that we care about our planet and think about the future generations.