Masdar’s journey full of achievements, leads in clean energy, sustainability

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

This month, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) is celebrating its 17th anniversary, continuing its journey full of achievements and leadership in clean energy and green hydrogen.

Masdar was established in April 2006, embodying the forward-looking vision of the UAE’s leadership to boost the country’s efforts in energy, diversify its economy and sources of energy, and drive the process of sustainable development and climate action.

Seventeen years ago, the UAE’s leadership ordered the establishment of Masdar and instructed Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO and Founder of the Company and Current Chairman of its Board of Directors, to establish, manage and develop its business and oversee its strategy.

Subsequently, the company has achieved progress and became the first company to lead the country’s innovative efforts in clean energy and sustainability. Today, Masdar is one of the major contributors to Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification as one of the fastest-growing clean energy companies in the world.

Masdar actively operates in over 40 countries on six continents and invests or has pledged to invest in international projects valued at more than US$ 30 billion, with production capacity amounting to over 20 gigawatts (GW). It is sufficient to supply energy to 5.25 million houses and offset 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum, equivalent to removing 6.5 million cars.

In 2022, Masdar strengthened its stature as a leading international company in the field of green energy by forging a strategic agreement with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) and Mubadala, enabling each entity to own a stake in Masdar, to create an international investment portfolio in renewable energy and green hydrogen. The company aims to reach a production capacity of 100 GW of renewable energy by 2030.

Coinciding with the Year of Sustainability and the UAE’s hosting of COP28, Masdar will help accelerate the pace of achieving sustainable development and support the country’s commitment to becoming one of the principal developers, owners and operators of global renewable energy and green hydrogen projects.

On the occasion, Mohammed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said that the decision to establish the company underscored the wise vision of the country’s leadership, as well as its keenness to invest in innovative technologies and promote and develop commercially viable clean energy solutions, to support the process of national development and achieve economic diversification.

Al Ramahi stressed that Masdar, through its new structure and the expertise of its partners, will continue its leading role as a global investor in renewable energy and green hydrogen projects to double its project portfolio and explore further investment opportunities that support global climate action and help drive the efforts aimed at achieving the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.

Successful journey: Since its establishment, Masdar has completed many leading projects in solar or wind power. In March 2013, Masdar launched the Shams Solar Power Plant, one of the world’s largest concentrated solar power plants and the largest renewable energy project in the Middle East.

Masdar cooperated in establishing the 100-MW solar power plants with major international companies. The Shams project also supports diversifying the country’s energy mix and reducing its carbon print.

Moreover, Masdar has completed phase three of the 800-MW Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai. The project was developed through a coalition led by Masdar in collaboration with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and EDF Renewables.

Masdar partnered with the BEEAH Group to develop the Sharjah Waste-to-Energy Plant, the first commercial plant of its kind in the Middle East.

On the global front, the company has implemented several pioneering projects, which include Hywind Scotland in the United Kingdom, the world’s first floating offshore wind farm. The 30-MW farm supplies electricity to nearly 6,600 houses. The company also developed the London Array offshore wind farm, which meets the needs of over 500,000 houses.

In Serbia, the company developed the Čibuk 1 wind farm, the largest utility-scale commercial wind project in Serbia and the Western Balkans. The 158-MW plant meets the needs of nearly 113,000 homes for clean and sustainable electricity, in addition to offsetting 370,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

On the regional front, Masdar developed the Dhofar Wind Farm, the first large-scale wind farm in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), generating 50 MW of electricity sufficient for nearly 16,000 houses.

In Saudi Arabia, Masdar developed the 400-MW Dumat Al Jandal Wind Farm, Saudi Arabia’s first wind farm and the largest in the Middle East. The wind farm produces electricity for nearly 70,000 houses in the kingdom.

A coalition led by Masdar with EDF Renewables and Nesma is developing a 300-MW utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Masdar has recently launched several solar and wind power plants and signed agreements to develop future projects in many countries.