ABU DHABI — Under the bright desert sun, rows of photovoltaic panels stretch toward the horizon, their steel mounts casting parallel shadows on pale-yellow sand.
The vast solar array is part of the 1.5-gigawatt Abu Dhabi PV3 Al Ajban solar project in northeastern Abu Dhabi. With a Chinese company involved in its construction, the project is nearing grid connection, highlighting the growing China-UAE partnership in advancing the transition to low-carbon energy.
Inside the substation area, electrical equipment of different sizes stands in orderly rows, while workers in helmets and reflective vests are completing the remaining construction work.
“Once completed, the plant is expected to generate 4.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, enough for about 160,000 households,” said Wang Xinjin, project manager with Power Construction Corporation of China, or PowerChina.
The project is expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions by around 2.4 million metric tons each year, supporting the UAE in expanding its clean energy supply and advancing its low-carbon transition, Wang added.
Spanning about 20 square kilometers, the project is Power-China’s first large-scale solar power project in the country. PowerChina’s Huadong Engineering Corporation Limited is responsible for its engineering, procurement, and construction.
Greater automation
Chinese-made photovoltaic installation robots have also been deployed at the site, bringing greater automation to module installation.
From solar panels to intelligent construction equipment, China’s renewable energy advances are increasingly being applied in energy infrastructure projects across the Gulf region.
The UAE has accelerated renewable energy development in recent years to diversify its energy mix and has committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Several solar and wind projects involving Chinese companies have begun operations, harnessing the country’s abundant sunshine and wind resources to generate clean electricity.
In the desert south of Dubai, phases four and five of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park present different approaches to converting sunlight into electricity.
The fourth phase, built by Shanghai Electric Group, combines 700 megawatts of concentrated solar power with 250 MW of photovoltaic capacity.
Shanghai Electric also participated in the fifth phase, a 900-MW photovoltaic project now in operation, expected to reduce carbon emissions by about 1.18 million tons per year. Together, the two projects can cut emissions by about 2.78 million tons annually.
Chinese companies are also helping the UAE explore renewable sources beyond solar power.
The UAE Wind Program, the country’s first utility-scale wind power project, was completed by PowerChina in 2023, with wind farms spanning islands, mountainous terrain and semidesert landscapes.
Meanwhile, as renewable energy capacity expands, ensuring a reliable power supply has become a major challenge, prompting China-UAE cooperation to move beyond stand-alone solar projects to integrated photovoltaic and large-scale energy storage projects.
Francesco La Camera, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency, said in a recent interview with Xinhua that China has made important contributions to the global energy transition by advancing technology and lowering the cost of clean energy equipment, making clean energy more affordable.
XINHUA

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