Dubai Gets Its 1st Solar-Powered Gas Station — Really

Originally published on Gas2.

It’s a bit of a paradox — a solar-powered gas station. But, if anything, it’s another sign of how the world is slowly but surely turning away from fossil fuels toward clean, renewable energy. Dubai is part of the United Arab Emirates, the fourth-largest oil producer in the world. Yet the UAE is also positioning itself for the transition away from fossil fuels that its leaders see coming. Among other things, the UAE sits on the edge of the Persian Gulf. Much of its land area will be threatened by rising sea levels if the melting of the world’s ice shelves continues unabated.

In recognition of the country’s commitment to sustainable energy, the International Renewable Energy Agency has chosen Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s other major city, as the home for its global headquarters. Solar farms are springing up everywhere to take advantage of the abundant sunshine that falls on that part of the world every day.

ENOC, which stands for Emirates National Oil Company, has now opened the first solar-powered gas station in the country. Solar panels on the roof have a rating of 120 kW, which is 30% more than the station needs for its operational needs. The excess is fed back into the local electrical grid.

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The new ENOC station has other “green” features. It uses a system to collect the vapors released from its fuel tanks and solar lighting. It also recycles its wastewater. Clean water is in short supply on the Arabian peninsular. All ENOC stations will soon have charging equipment for electric cars. Seven do at the present time.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has agreed to lease 200 Tesla electric cars for use as taxis in Dubai, which will increase the need for more EV charging infrastructure in the area. The new ENOC is not the world’s largest solar-powered gasoline station. That distinction belongs to a BP station located in central Ohio.

Source and photo credit: Muslim Village