Sharjah has taken a major leap toward clean energy with the launch of its first utility-scale solar power plant.
The facility, named “SANA” and located near the Sajaa Gas Plant, was officially opened by Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of both the Sharjah Petroleum Department and the Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC).
The 60-megawatt plant is built on 850,000 square metres and is designed to power the emirate’s oil and gas facilities while exporting surplus electricity to the grid. Developed by SNOC.
The project, built by SNOC, is a collaboration between the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) and Emerge, a joint venture between Masdar and France’s EDF Group – which will operate the plant for 25 years.
The plant incorporates over 98,000 solar panels mounted on 13,000 sun-tracking poles, enough to supply electricity to approximately 13,780 homes and offset 66,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually.
“This is not just an energy project, it is an investment in people and in the future of sustainable development,” said SNOC CEO Khamis Al Mazrouei, noting that many of the engineers were Emirati graduates. He added that the move aligns with Sharjah’s ambition to diversify its energy sources and support the UAE’s broader net-zero goals.
Emerge Chairman Abdulaziz Al Obaidli called the project a “milestone for Sharjah and the UAE,” citing its impact on both energy security and carbon reduction.
The SANA project originated from a small pilot plant built at the Hamriyah LNG terminal in 2018. Officials say it now serves as a model for further public-private partnerships aimed at scaling up renewable capacity across the region.
