Abu Dhabi: Yas Marina Circuit has revealed its updated LED track lighting system, which can substantially reduce the circuit’s annual carbon emissions, ahead of the UAE hosting COP28 next week.
Installed earlier this year, the state-of-the-art lighting system increases efficiency by 34 percent, leading to a 24 percent reduction in annual electricity usage. This will further contribute to a reduction in the circuit’s annual carbon emissions by up to 30 percent.
The new initiative aims to save 927 metric tons of CO2 per year, which is the equivalent of 399,115 liters of gasoline, 2,167 barrels of oil, or 476,083 kilograms of coal. In commercial terms, the cutting-edge technology used also provides Yas Marina Circuit with annual energy savings of over $2.7 lakhs.
The upgraded track lighting is only one facet of Ethara’s sustainability commitment and complements its existing green-friendly efforts, such as all staff uniforms being made from recycled plastics, a ‘plastic-free’ environment introduced at the Media Center, Paddock, and Pit Lane, as well as Team Villas, and the introduction of an innovative water recycling system called ‘Eshara’ at key locations.
The new green programs being rolled out across the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix align fully with the Abu Dhabi government’s Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative, as well as the Formula 1 environmental sustainability plan, which aims to enable the championship to reduce its carbon footprint.
Yas Marina Circuit is also a champion of sustainability in motorsports, receiving the Three-Star Environmental Certification from the FIA, the governing body’s highest recognition of sustainability. The award is an acknowledgement of the circuit’s long-standing commitment to environmental management with the objective of standing with Formula One in becoming Net-Zero Carbon by 2030.