Abu Dhabi: The emirate of Abu Dhabi has a diversity of energy projects in the Al Gharbia region, where many are under construction and being expanded in line with the Abu Dhabi Vision 2030.

 

Nuclear plant

The UAE will build four nuclear power reactors (near Silaa) and plans to generate 25 per cent of power needs from nuclear energy by 2020.

Barakah was selected as the preferred site for the plant following a comprehensive analysis of multiple locations across the UAE. The analysis included seismic history, security, distance from large population centres, proximity to large supplies of water and environmental considerations.

The overall construction cost of the four units will be Dh73.5 billion (US$20 billion) and Australia will provide the UAE with uranium fuel once nuclear plants are operation by 2017.

The four nuclear energy units will start delivering electricity to the grid by 2020, which will produce 5,600 megawatts of low carbon electricity to the national grid, avoiding emitting about 12 million tonnes of carbon each year.

 

Developing the energy future

About Dh147.2 billion (US$40 billion) will be spent on development of Sour Gas fields at Shah by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Occidental over 10 years, a report by Al Gharbia showed.

The Shah Gas Field, which is Abu Dhabi’s leading upstream gas project since the first engineering, procurement and construction packages were awarded two years ago, has become Adnoc’s fist sour gas development since that time.

At a total cost of Dh36.8 billion (US$10 billion), Shah is expected to yield 28.3 million cubic metres (mcm) of sour gas, or 15.3 mcm of network gas per day by 2015.

The Khuff reservoir exists in the same geological zone as Qatar’s North Field and has been under development since 1994 at Umm Shaif, Abu Al Boukhoosh and the upper Zakum field’s production facilities. The reservoirs total sour gas output of 34 mcm per day, which is piped to Das Island for processing. The integrated gas development will increase production from the Khuff reservoir at Umm Shaif by 255 mcm per day by autumn 2013.

Umm Shaif’s associated gas is produced from Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (Adma–Opco)’s Umm Shaif field from two 4.2 mcm per day wellhead platforms and two producer/injector platforms connected to the Umm Shaif Supercomplex.

The Asab oil field and to a lesser extent the neighbouring Sahil oil field produce a total of 8.5 mcm per day of associated gas, which is processed at Asab’s gas processing facility, to be completed end of 2012.

GASCO plans to produce 14.2 mcm per day of sour gas from the Hail field when the ongoing development operation is completed in 2015.

Associated gas has long been produced at the Bab field, Abu Dhabi’s largest onshore oil field. Ongoing redevelopments should increase gas production to 36.6 mcm per day by 2015 after expansion projects.

Habshan Gas Plant, which was originally built in 1983, has been vastly expanded to cope with increasing gas processing needs. Most recently, a fifth plant is being built as part of the Integrated Gas Development project at a cost of Dh17.2 billion (US$ 4.7 billion), which will increase the Habshan complex’s total processing capacity to 198.2 mcm per day, according to Al Gharbia report,.

It added that the processed gas, condensate and liquid sulphur is then transported to the Ruwais Fractionation plant, Takreer, Fertil, Borouge and Dubai’s Jebel Ali Power station.

 

Renewable energy projects

Abu Dhabi is transforming a desert from rolling, towering sand dunes into a site for the world’s largest concentrated solar power plant with its Shams1 project, which is expected to generate 100 MW. Shams 1 will produce enough energy to power 20,000 homes.

The report shows that in order to meet Abu Dhabi’s 2020 renewable energy targets, it is estimated that there is a need to produce 1,000MW to bridge the gap between the current 12 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity and a target of 1,500MW.

The report showed that the current target is to produce seven per cent of electricity needs from renewable sources (solar and wind) by 2020.