The UAE is one of the countries in the Gulf region actively working on zero carbon dioxide emission. The national energy policies focus on achieving socio-economic and cost-effective transportation strategies. Notably, the government of the UAE has hosted a number of initiatives to produce jet fuels that are locally available and renewable (Farzaneh et al., 2020). For instance, after several researches documented by Farzaneh et al. (2020), there are prospects of using aquatic biomass, including the seaweed, as the primary source of renewable fuel. In addition, by 2032 UAE will be able to generate 60 gigawatts (GW) of photovoltaic renewable energy (Masdar Institute and IRENA, 2015). However, the specific projections for the transport industry are not provided. Therefore, one of the future outlooks in clean energy is the replacement of petroleum products. In the case of transport, the type of energy that fossil fuel will be replaced with should be taken into account. However, considering various variables, about 79% of the total energy needed for the country can be covered and replaced (World Economic Forum, 2021). Thus, the use of alternative energy sources is a fairly relevant way.
Clean transportation will also be achieved as people continue embracing body health, such as using bikes to replace the motor. It is expected that many people will feel comfortable walking and riding to and from work instead of driving in the near future. Many people use vehicles only when there is no alternative form of transport that is convenient to reduce fossil fuel. Taha Kandil (2022) states that the country is making significant socio-economic cost-benefit estimations to enhance decarbonization from the effects of business-as-usual (BAU). Qualitatively, the UAE government set up the National Decarbonization plan that considers multiple ways of renewing energy in the transportation sector. In addition, there is more information now about the health benefits of walking and riding, which is changing the future of the UAE. Another qualitative method implemented to reduce carbon dioxide is an agreement by stakeholders in the industry to be mindful of what they use and evaluate scenarios before choosing the fuel to use.
There is a high chance of total replacement of fossil fuels with clean energy in the UAE. The Totally Enclosed, Fan-Cooled (TEFC) electric vehicles will increase to 718 in 2030 compared to 222 in 2012 (Masdar Institute and IRENA, 2015). However, since the progress in researching and implementation clean energy is slow, it may take centuries before the actualization of fully renewable energy. For example, the UAE already has started using bio fuel from fermented produce on a small scale (Viswambharan et al., 2018). Moreover, as they continue advancing in the use of renewable fuel and increasing its sustainability then in future there is possibility for complete replacement of fossil fuel by metro electric plane which uses clean energy fuel the system.
The challenge is that only the 760 V train is using clean energy. Other motorists still use petrol which is non-renewable; thus, the total replacement of energy from fossil fuels will take a long time. Taking into account quantitative research, then in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it is necessary to switch to 100% emission-free public transport. Based on current emissions, this will reduce the total amount by about 23%, which is a significant reason for switching to alternative energy sources.
Notably, the UAE has significant reserves of crude petrol, which has even contributed to the growth of the economy. Driving is one of the most convenient ways to move around the UAE, and the fuel prices are also cheap. Expectedly, it is difficult to completely withdraw the fossil fuel from their energy production because it will negatively influence their economy and social life. Nonetheless, there is still a possibility for future progress where people prefer walking or riding instead of using motors which have other negative influences on the environment. The Masdar city already has a transportation strategy where the pedestrians are at the top as stakeholders who are contributing to sustainable transportation. To complement their efforts the eco bus go around picking people at clen point-to-point services.
References
Farzaneh, R., Dansoh, C., Augousti, A. & Wang, J. (2020). A review of UAE native seaweed as potential bio-refinery feedstock for jet Fueland high value chemicals. (2020).Advance in Environmental Waste Management & Recycling, 3(1), p.1-10. Web.
Masdar Institute and IRENA. (2015). Renewable Energy Prospects: United Arab Emirates. Web.
Taha Kandil, T. (2022). Towards a deep decarbonisation scenario for the UAE transport and energy sectors. SSRN Electronic Journal. Web.
Viswambharan, V. K., Kumar, V., Amjad, K., & Ghani, A. (2018). A case study — Solar powered metro in UAE.2018 5th International Conference on Renewable Energy: Generation and Applications (ICREGA). Web.
World Economic Forum. (2021). What will the future look like by 2050 if it’s powered by renewables? Web.