Solar Islands off RAK 14, September 2010
Posted by thegulfblog.com in The Emirates.Tags: Gulf solar projects, Rask Al Khaimah, Rask Al Khaimah power needs, Solar Islands, Solar projects
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Another day another spectacular project planned in the Emirates. This time Ras Al Khaimah is planning to launch a series of solar islands off its coast. In conjunction with a Swiss research centre a prototype has already been made. The National reports that the islands could be anywhere from 500m-5km in diameter hovering up to 20m off the ground.
Such a plan would contribute to lessening the Emirate’s power shortages. This plan, however, as with so many in the past, seems rather overly grandiose. Such projects often seem to have two goals. Firstly, the stated ‘literal’ goal of the project. Secondly, and no less important, such publicity-grabbing ideas are to boost the image of the state as a modern, advanced etc etc state. This goal often pushes project planners to ever greater lengths to grab attention in an environment ever more inured to spectacular projects.
The Gulf blog 
Um, why isn’t it being placed in the desert?
I suppose that RAK isn’t exactly huge…perhaps that’s the rational. Still, the whole thing is faintly ridiculous.