Masdar to develop Abu Dhabi’s largest rooftop solar PV project

Masdar has announced the signing of an agreement with Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading curator of experiences, to develop Abu Dhabi’s largest rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) project to date at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi on Yas Island.

The agreement aims to provide an estimated 16,000 solar modules across the theme park’s roof area of 36,000 square metres (sqm) and will produce nearly 40 per cent of its annual energy demand.

Under the agreement, Masdar will provide a full turnkey solution for the 7-megawatt peak (MWp) project, including the design, procurement, and construction, as well as operation and maintenance of the plant. The project is scheduled to be operational in Q4 2021, and once complete, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi will become the largest solar powered theme park in the GCC.

“Masdar is pleased to be entering into this partnership with Miral to develop Abu Dhabi’s largest rooftop solar project. According to the World Green Building Council, building-related emissions contribute almost 55 per cent of global electricity demand and optimising energy efficiency in the built environment is critical to achieving the UAE’s clean energy goals,” said Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar.

He added, “We are proud to be supporting Abu Dhabi’s 2030 energy efficiency strategy to reduce overall electricity consumption by 22 per cent and we look forward to leveraging our energy services experience to support Miral’s efforts of implementing energy efficient solutions across its destinations and attractions.”

The project will be executed under Masdar’s Energy Services department, who pursue projects, in which Masdar invests, across the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Chief Executive Officer of Miral, commented, “We are delighted to be partnering with Masdar on this landmark agreement. Sustainability is high on our agenda and with Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi recognised as the world’s largest indoor theme park, it is the ideal location for a project of this scale. This collaboration is a testament to our commitment of harnessing the most efficient, innovative and sustainable systems across our developments on Yas Island, further positioning it as a top global destination for entertainment, leisure and business.”

Meanwhile Masdar, one of the world’s leading clean energy developers and a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, last month announced its second strategic investment in the United States (US) in a deal with EDF Renewables North America that will see it acquire a 50 per cent stake in a 1.6-gigawatt (GW) clean-energy portfolio.

Under the terms of the agreement, Masdar has acquired a 50 per cent interest in three utility-scale wind farms in Nebraska and Texas totalling 815 megawatts (MW), and five photovoltaic (PV) solar projects in California - two of which include battery energy storage systems - totalling 689 MW of solar and 75 MW of lithium-ion battery energy storage.

The 243 MW Coyote wind project is located in Scurry County, Texas; the 273 MW Las Majadas wind project is in Willacy County, Texas; and the 300 MW Milligan 1 wind project is in Saline County, Nebraska. All three wind projects are currently under construction and expected to begin commercial operations in the fourth quarter of 2020.  In Riverside County, California, the Desert Harvest 1 and Desert Harvest 2 PV projects total 213 MW of solar and 35 MW / 140 MWh of battery storage.

WAM