United Arab Emirates - First-ever wind-power plant in the region commissioned

Sir Bani Yas, the island off the west coast of Abu Dhabi, has earned a marked distinction for its programme of captive breeding of endangered animals, many of which have been reintroduced into the wild. Now, it has acquired a new feather to its cap with the commissioning yesterday of the first-ever wind power plant in the region.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the inauguration of the plant took place in the picturesque landscape of the island, in the presence of Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Director-General of the Office of the President, Shaikh Diyab bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Director of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), Shaikh Hamid bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Director of Abu Dhabi Economic Department and Jurgen Steltzer, Ambassador of Germany. The hub of the plant, towering to a height of 65 metres, sports three giant blades. Implemented by the consortium of Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH and Dornier Consulting-DaimlerChrysler Services, the wind power plant weighing 77 tonnes has a rated power of 850kw. It can generate power at wind speeds as low as 5 metres per second.

The design and construction of the plant have been carried out in less than 12 months, Herbert Grunwald President, CEO of Dorneir Consulting said. The plant has been specially designed to sustain severe climatic conditions. The operation data are transferred online to network stations in Abu Dhabi and Germany, and all information is recorded in a database using state-of-the-art software for automatic quality control, Mr Grunwald said. Electricity generated by the plant will be fed into the local power grid of Sir Bani Yas island. The project is regarded as the first of its kind and an important step into the future use of alternative, environment-friendly energy resources, said Shaikh Diyab.