Shams 1, a 100MW concentrated solar power plant in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region, has won the Project of the Year Award from the Emirates Solar Industry Association (ESIA).
The Masdar project, which is being developed in collaboration Abengoa and Total, is the largest solar power plant in the MENA region.
Locatied in Madinat Zayed, 120km southwest of Abu Dhabi, the plant extends over an area of 2.5 km², with a solar field consisting of 258,048 parabolic mirrors.
“We are delighted that Shams 1 has received such a prestigious award,” said Yousif Al Ali, general manager of Shams Power Company. “This demonstrates the leading role that Masdar plays in the region’s renewable energy sector and a realisation of the vision that our wise leadership has for renewable energy in the UAE.”
Consisting of 258,048 parabolic mirrors, Shams 1 will generate enough electricity for 20,000 homes.
When it begins feeding power to the Abu Dhabi grid early next year, the plant can generate enough electricity to power 20,000 homes, and will offset 175,000 tonnes of C02.
