[Source: UAE Interact ]

The Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) is working with Ras Al Khaimah emirate to develop a prototype for a 'solar island'. The project has a US$5 million budget aims to demonstrate that it is possible to convert solar energy into hydrogen on a very large scale and at low cost, said Daily News Wednesday. It added that the concept for the full-scale project involves huge floating islands covered in solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity or hydrogen. 

Dr Thomas Hinderling, CEO of CSEM said he is pleased that the government of RAK intends to go ahead with the innovative project, adding that "it represents a clear signal of trust and confidence for us. Through construction and implementing the project we will gain the opportunity to gather a great deal of experience in a technology that is of enormous importance for the future of energy supply of our planet". 

He noted that if the results are positive, they will have a significant influence on the future development and utilisation of solar energy. 

Plans are in place for the prototype to be in operation by the end of 2008. It will include a thermal energy reservoir and will be able to supply energy for 24 hours a day peak output will be 1 megawatt with medium output estimated at 250KW. 

Because of its floating structure, the island can be easily turned to always face the sun, generating maximum power. To avoid having to connect the island to the mainland, the electricity could also be used to make hydrogen that could then be stored on the island before being shipped elsewhere. 

However, building such a facility involves a few restrictions. There has to be around 350 days a year of sunshine, and it needs to sit somewhere between the tropics, near the equator for optimal performance. In many respects, the coastal region of the UAE fits the bill, and this is why RAK is footing a large part of the development costs, contributing $5 million to the project. He added that "we began working on renewable energies with the emirate three years ago, indicating that the market with the biggest potential for solar energy and water technology".
Hinderling noted that the biggest hurdle to the project seems to be the construction of the island itself. For example, it is still unknown how the infrastructure will react in high winds, adding that, "we have done simulations that have not revealed any problems, but it is not until we have tested in the real world that we will know if it works." The prototype under construction in RAK will have a diameter of 100 metres, one-tenth of the size of an actual solar island. - Emirates News Agency, WAM