The Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) is continuing strengthen its position in the clean energy sector and drive the sector’s development, in line with the UAE’s promotion of clean technology and renewable energy solutions.
The company has undertaken a series of commercial projects as part of a long-term strategy to ensure a sustainable future and to support the UAE’s economic and social development goals, in line with the ‘Principles of the 50‘.
International projects
Last year, Masdar opened several solar and wind energy plants and signed a number of agreements to support future projects in several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Iraq, the US, Uzbekistan, Poland, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Greece. In August, Masdar inaugurated the Nur Navoi solar power plant in Uzbekistan, with a production capacity of 100 megawatts. Masdar also co-owns two wind energy projects in Poland, their first investments in the Polish renewable energy sector.
In February of 2021, Masdar completed the first phase of an agreement to acquire a 50 percent stake in a 1.6-gigawatt clean energy portfolio in the US from EDF Renewables North America, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Mubadala, Masdar and Ukraine’s DTEK to explore the investment potential of Ukraine’s clean energy sector.
The company is also continuing the construction a wind farm project in Saudi Arabia, which has been connected to the main electricity network and is leading a project development consortium to jointly develop a 330-megawatt solar power plant in Jeddah.
Agreements aiming to launch diverse clean energy projects were signed with the Armenian National Interests Fund, Tribe Infrastructure Group, the Ministry of Electricity and the National Investment Authority in Iraq, PTP Jawa-Bali in Indonesia. Masdar also signed agreements with companies in Greece and Asia, along with the Ethiopian government.
Abu Dhabi Hydrogen Alliance
Mubadala, ADNOC and ADQ formed the Abu Dhabi Hydrogen Alliance, to produce hydrogen using natural gas and renewable energy and market it overseas, as well as in the UAE. Under the framework of this alliance, Masdar joined the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, Etihad Airways, the Lufthansa Group, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Siemens Energy and Marubeni in an initiative to establish a pilot plant project in Masdar City that aims to explore opportunities in green hydrogen, sustainable fuels, and kerosene production from electricity for transportation, shipping and aviation.
Masdar City
Masdar City continued its expansion in 2021 as a pioneering hub for research and development initiatives in Abu Dhabi. The city’s Free Zone now houses more than 1,000 companies and has launched a new range of options for businesses, including initiatives aimed at female entrepreneurs. The City encourages entrepreneurship through the Technological Innovation Support Unit, which is the first business accelerator unit for emerging companies specialising in sustainability in the Middle East.
Masdar was founded in December 2021 to consolidate Abu Dhabi’s clean energy initiatives.
