Masdar joint venture powers COP27 with zero-carbon energy
- 05 Nov 2022
Infinity Power Holding, the joint venture between the UAE’s Masdar and Egypt’s Infinity, announced on Saturday that the solar photovoltaic (PV) plant it has developed in Sharm El-Sheikh is now fully operational – ready to provide clean, renewable energy to ‘Conference of the Parties’ COP27, the United Nations climate change conference taking place in the Egyptian city.
The 6-megawatts (MWp) plant – which can generate as much as 11,723 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy per year, enough to power more than 5,000 homes while cutting CO2 emissions by over 4,000 tonnes – will continue to operate after the conference, providing clean energy to the city for years to come. Two other solar plants of equivalent size have also been developed ahead of COP27.
Dr Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Special Envoy for Climate Change and Chairman of Masdar, said, “Masdar is fast developing as the partner of choice for many of Egypt’s most important clean energy projects, and I am proud that we are able to deliver clean energy to support COP27 through our Infinity Power platform. The United Arab Emirates and Egypt share a common commitment to expanding the supply of renewable energy and supporting sustainable economic growth.”
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said, “COP27 represents a vital opportunity to turn positive words into impactful actions, so it is important that we do what we can to reduce its carbon footprint and showcase sustainable solutions to the world. This solar power plant will help deliver clean energy to the conference and will also provide a legacy of sustainability for the people of Sharm El-Sheikh in future years.”
Mohamed Ismail Mansour, Chairman, Infinity Power, said, “We are delighted to be able to support COP27 in Egypt, by delivering clean, renewable energy-based solutions to power the event. We will continue providing sustainable energy solutions to Sharm El-Sheikh for years to come through our solar plant, providing clean power to a city with an important role in Egyptian diplomacy and international relations.”
Nayer Fouad, CEO, Infinity Power said, “The solar power plant will not only contribute towards powering COP27 but will also provide sustainable energy, making an invaluable contribution towards Sharm El-Sheikh’s growing infrastructure. We look forward to delivering similar solutions to other cities in Egypt and across Africa, as we move forward in our journey to provide sustainable energy solutions to the entire continent.”
Infinity Power, which has been named a Principal Partner for COP27, was established in 2020 to target power generation projects through renewable energy sources, including solar and wind technologies on utility- and industrial-scales in Egypt and Africa. With current projects located across Egypt, South Africa, Senegal and Ghana, Infinity Power aims to eventually expand its operations across all 54 African countries, enabling electricity across all locations in Africa that are in most need of power.
Masdar, one of the world’s fastest-growing renewable energy companies, is targeting a portfolio capacity of 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, with ambitions to double that in following years. In December 2021, the UAE government announced Abu Dhabi energy champions TAQA, ADNOC, and Mubadala are to join forces as shareholders in Masdar, creating a global clean energy powerhouse that will be a major force in renewables and green hydrogen.
Established in 2014, Infinity is the only dedicated renewable energy solutions provider in Egypt that develops clean energy solutions across several sectors and scales. For nearly a decade, Infinity has been leading the shift to a sustainable future for Egypt and Africa, through meticulously developed, commercially viable energy solutions that provide efficient and sustainable access to energy resources for everyone.
Masdar’s Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) platform recently launched a global campaign, I Am WiSER, to raise support for women at the forefront of efforts to tackle climate change and encourage world leaders to press forward with initiatives to build a more inclusive and sustainable future.
The campaign urges policymakers, heads of industry, and individuals to take the #IAmWiSER pledge to champion women as agents of sustainable change, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) 5 and 7, which aim to “achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls,” and “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all,” respectively.
At the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC COP 27) in Egypt this November, WiSER will host delegates at its booth in the UAE Pavilion and invite them to take the #IAmWiser pledge. As host of COP 28 next year, the UAE has set ambitious targets to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, making it the first Middle Eastern country to do so.
Separately, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi’s only planned and approved R&D cluster for innovative technologies, and Zero Carbon Ventures, a company dedicated to bringing carbon-reducing technologies to the Middle East, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to advance carbon reduction in the Middle East.
Already underway at Masdar City, the first project to be explored under the agreement will involve deploying Zero Carbon Venture’s game-changing graphene technologies to reduce the need for maintenance and reduce the energy consumption of key buildings.
