President Al-Zubaidi and UAE Ambassador Inaugurate New Solar Power Station in Ataq

President Aidarous Qassem Al-Zubaidi, President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and Vice Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council (LPC), inaugurated on Thursday the Shabwa Solar Power Station in the city of Ataq, along with His Excellency Mohammed Hamad Al Zaabi, the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to our country; Mr. Mohammed Al-Ghaithi, a member of the STC's Presidium and Head of the Consultation and Reconciliation Commission (CRC) supporting the PLC; Eng. Mane'a Al-Nahdi, Minister of Electricity and Energy; Sheikh Awad bin Al-Wazir, Shabwa Governor; and several high-ranking officials.

The project, which has now entered service at its full 53-megawatt capacity, was completed by the Emirati company Global South Utilities in cooperation with our Ministry of Electricity, as it is equipped with a 15-megawatt battery storage system and is expected to provide clean electricity to approximately 330,000 homes.

The power plant generates roughly 118,642 megawatt-hours of clean electricity annually and contributes to a reduction of an estimated 62,727 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, an amount equivalent to the emissions from tens of thousands of vehicles.

The project's infrastructure includes the installation of 85,644 solar panels, six substations, a central control and monitoring building, and a 15-kilometer overhead transmission line connected to the national grid via 51 towers.

The station will fully meet the power needs of Ataq, the downtown of Shabwa governorate, and supply six neighboring districts: Al-Saeed, Al-Musaina, Jardan, Nisab, Marakhah, and Habban, and is expected to ensure the provision of electricity for homes, schools, hospitals, and health centers, thereby stimulating economic activity throughout the governorate.

Eng. Ali Al-Shammari, Managing Director and CEO of Global South Utilities, said the Shabwa station helps expand access to clean electricity in both urban and rural areas, reaffirming that investment in renewable energy projects, like the Shabwa station, is vital to improving quality of life, reducing reliance on fuel, and enhancing resilience to climate change.