On February 26, 2019, SESAME opened its 6.48 MW solar power plant, becoming the first large accelerator complex in the world to be fully powered by renewable energy. The installation, constructed on grounds next to JAEC (Jordan Atomic Energy Commission) thanks to the Government of Jordan which generously agreed to allocate funds provided by the European Union (EU), provides clean energy to the facility and makes SESAME both environmentally and economically sustainable.
But SESAME's contribution to green energy goes beyond just powering its accelerators. Since it opened as the first synchrotron in the Middle East, SESAME has shown how a world-class scientific infrastructure can be used to protect the environment and help the region grow. The research done here is directly related to understanding and improving sustainable technologies. SESAME’s beamlines help to improve materials that are important for the global energy transition. For example, to investigate the structural and electrochemical characteristics of catalysts for the production of clean hydrogen, or to explore novel methods for producing eco-friendly bioplastics directly from agricultural waste. Scientists have also utilised the light of SESAME to work on environmental problems, using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy to identify pollution sources.
We celebrate the International Day of Green Energy showing day by day how research at SESAME can help the environment and lead to new green technologies.
