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UAE infrastructure to be painted 'green' to cut carbon emissions, filter foul smell

Dubai - This falls in line with the UAE policy, vision and national agenda to go greener.

Soon enough, all infrastructure projects in the country will be painted "green", not the colour but the eco-friendly kind of green. The Ministry of Infrastructure Development recently said it is set to use the Smart Paint - which can absorb carbon dioxide - in all its federal projects.
Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development, said the first phase of the Smart Paint plan will be implemented in the ministry's premises in the southern region.
"This falls in line with the UAE policy, vision and national agenda to go greener, and be one of the top countries in this regard worldwide."
The innovative paint is made of materials that can capture not only carbon dioxide but also any foul odour in the air. This technology is expected to significantly reduce the carbon emissions of the UAE, the minister said.
Its application in other countries has, in fact, contributed to a 20-per-cent reduction in air pollution, studies showed.
In October 2018, the Dubai Municipality announced that it would be applying Smart Paint across its public parks.
Khawla Al Ali, principal landscape architect at the municipality's public parks department, said they have already painted 3,000 square metres of Al Mamzar Park's theatre with the Smart Paint. "One square metre of the Smart Paint is equivalent to one tree in absorbing carbon dioxide," Al Ali said. Thus, painting a 3,000sq-m area means planting 3,000 trees.
Besides the paint, the ministry will also be using environment-friendly cement and other green construction materials for its projects.
Dr Al Nuaimi said: "These specially made materials are to be used in all infrastructure projects of the ministry, in line with recent partnerships with international companies that specialise in sustainability."
These materials can also reduce power consumption by up to 25 per cent because of their insulation capabilities, he said.
Going green is a key priority for the ministry, and its sustainability drive has been evident in a number of its recent initiatives.
Science behind Smart Paint
>Smart Paint works with CristalACTiV photocatalytic technology where its titanium dioxide (TiO2) transforms water vapour into hydroxyl and peroxyl free radicals at the surface.
>These free radicals break down nitrogen oxides (NOx) coming from emission of vehicles once it comes into contact with the paint's surface.
>The harmful NOx is then converted to nitric acid that is rapidly neutralised by alkaline calcium carbonate particle in the paint.
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com