Emirates Flight Catering (EKFC), one of the world’s largest catering operations owned by Emirates Airlines, has announced the commissioning of a solar power system at its premises.

Under the project, 8,112 solar panels were installed. These solar projects cover eight of its flight catering facilities. It is expected to generate 4,195 MWh of electricity annually, allowing the company to reduce traditional energy consumption by 15% across its laundry, food manufacturing, and staff accommodation facilities.

The solar system is expected to help reduce three million kgs of greenhouse gas emissions annually – the equivalent of the annual electricity use of 518 family homes. The annual energy bill reduction is likely to amount to 1.86 million AED (~$0.51 million).

The move is part of EKFC’s initiative to support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which was launched in 2015. Under the strategy, the Emirates aims to produce 75% of its energy requirements from clean sources by 2050.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Emirates Airline and Group, said, “Sustainability is an important pillar of the Emirates Group strategy. We are committed to responsible business and environmental stewardship, and we apply eco-efficient technologies across our operations to minimize our impact even as we continue to grow. Emirates Flight Catering’s latest initiatives open new opportunities to improve resource efficiency, underpinning Dubai’s strategy to become a global center of clean energy and green economy.”

Meanwhile, the UAE Ministry of Education plans to introduce training initiatives around low-carbon forms of energy into its national education system. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was recently signed between Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi, the minister of education of the UAE and Francesco La Camera, the director-general of IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) at the 17th IRENA Council held in Abu Dhabi.

Yellow Door Energy (Yellow Door), a UAE-based solar developer, had announced earlier this year that it had raised $65 million in a Series A financing round to scale its investments in solar energy and energy efficiency solutions in the Middle East and Africa. According to Yellow Door, this was one of Middle East’s largest private placements in distributed solar.

Image credit: Jay Rex [CC BY-SA 3.0]

Anjana is a news editor at Mercom India. Before joining Mercom, she held roles of senior editor, district correspondent, and sub-editor for The Times of India, Biospectrum and The Sunday Guardian. Before that, she worked at the Deccan Herald and the Asianlite as chief sub-editor and news editor. She has also contributed to The Quint, Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, Reader’s Digest (UK edition), IndiaSe (Singapore-based magazine) and Asiaville. Anjana holds a Master’s degree in Geography from North Bengal University, and a diploma in mass communication and journalism from Guru Ghasidas University, Bhopal.