UAE Announces Four New Renewable Energy Projects in the Pacific under $50m Fund

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) today signed partnership agreements with four new Pacific island countries to deploy renewable energy projects under the US$50 million UAE-Pacific Partnership Fund. Grant funding is provided by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs managing the initiative and Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, leading implementation. The solar-powered projects – in the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, and the Solomon Islands – are expected to be completed in 2016. The announcement brings the total number of projects under the fund to date to 10.

CEO Stresses the Commercial Viability of Renewable Energy

Dr. Ahmad Belhoul, Masdar CEO, today delivered the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the eighth World Future Energy Summit (WFES), a key event as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. During the keynote, Dr. Belhoul stressed the need to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy as a commercially viable technology to meet the world’s rising demand for electricity.

Women in Sustainability Unite at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week

Young Emirati to Join Solar Impulse team on Historic Round-the-World Flight

Hasan Al Redaini will join the Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) team on its round-the-world journey set to take-off this March from Abu Dhabi. Si2 is the first solar-powered plane able to fly day and night without a drop of fuel.

Michael Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, Tours Masdar City

Michael Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, and a former mayor of New York City, toured Masdar City yesterday to learn how Abu Dhabi’s low-carbon mixed-use development is pioneering a “greenprint” for how cities can accommodate rapid urbanization and dramatically reduce energy, water and waste.

Masdar Launches Second Edition of International Blogging Contest

Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s Renewable Energy Company, has launched the second edition of its international Engage Blogging Contest ahead of January’s Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2014 – the region’s largest gathering on sustainability. Under the theme “Cities and Sustainable Development,” the competition asks contributors to discuss their views of the critical role our cities play in driving sustainability.

Bid success for Noor Midelt Phase 1 hybrid solar power plant in Morocco

The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN) has announced that the consortium of EDF Renewables, Masdar, and Green of Africa has been awarded the tender for the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the Noor Midelt Phase 1 multi-technologies solar power plant.

Masdar Announces Winner of Second International Blogging Contest

Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, today announced the winner of its annual Engage Blogging Contest. Masdar initiated the competition to drive international discussion about the role cities can have on sustainable development across the world. The contest received 117 entries from six continents and motivated thousands of readers to share their ideas about sustainability across Masdar’s web site, blogs and social media platforms in advance of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), the largest gathering on sustainability in the Middle East.

5 Pacific Countries to Receive Grants from UAE’s $50m Renewable Energy Fund

The United Arab Emirates today signed partnerships with five Pacific island countries to deploy renewable energy projects, financed from the US$50 million UAE-Pacific Partnership Fund. The solar and wind projects – in Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu – represent one of the largest capital investments in the region’s clean energy sector. With grant financing from Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), project completion is expected in late 2014.

HRH Crown Prince of Denmark Visits Masdar Projects during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week

HRH Crown Prince of Denmark today visited two of Masdar’s flagship projects including Masdar City, the low-carbon urban development, and Shams 1, the 100-megawatt concentrated solar power plant in Abu Dhabi. The Crown Prince was in the United Arab Emirates to participate in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) where Denmark yesterday signed a framework agreement with the UAE to explore and co-develop renewable energy projects.

Indian Ocean Rim Countries Launch Partnership to Accelerate Growth of Renewable Energy Markets

Ministers and senior officials from 25 Indian Ocean Rim Association countries today launched a series of new initiatives to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy throughout the Indian Ocean region.

Sustainability Festival Attracts Thousands to Masdar City

The Festival at Masdar City – a two-day celebration of sustainability for the whole family, attracted thousands of UAE residents to Abu Dhabi’s low-carbon urban development today. The event, which ends tomorrow, forms part of this year’s Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week – a week-long series of events and conferences dedicated to advancing sustainability.

Turbine installation complete at London Array

With all turbines in place and 55 connected and supplying power to the national grid, the wind farm is on track to be fully operational in Spring 2013. The wind farm has been generating energy since October 2012 when the first turbine began producing power.

Queen Rania of Jordan to Speak at Opening Ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week

Taking place January 13-17, ADSW is the largest gathering on sustainability in the history of the Middle East and will address the interconnected challenges that affect the global adoption of renewable energy, water security and sustainable development.

Masdar Launches Renewable Energy Desalination Program

Masdar today launched a pilot program to test and develop advanced energy-efficient seawater desalination technologies suitable to be powered by renewable energy sources. The long-term goal of the program is to implement renewable energy-powered desalination plants in the United Arab Emirates and to have a facility at commercial scale by 2020.

Masdar Invests In Offshore Wind Farm; Expanding Its Presence In The UK Wind Energy Market

Today, Masdar announced its partnership with Norway’s Statoil and Statkraft in a 402 MW offshore wind farm project, off the Norfolk coast in Eastern England. Masdar acquired a 35 percent stake in the project from Statoil. This leaves Statoil retaining a 35 percent stake and remaining operator of the project, with the remaining 30 percent owned by Statkraft.

Abu Dhabi Named Host City For The First Round-The-World Solar Flight By Solar Impulse 2

Abu Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will be the start and finish of the first solar-powered flight around the world, which co-founders and pilots, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg are planning to undertake in March 2015 with Solar Impulse 2.

Masdar to Build the First Large-Scale Wind Farm in the GCC

Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, today signed a joint development agreement with the Rural Areas Electricity Company (RAECO) to build the first large-scale wind farm in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The $125 million, 50-megawatt wind farm in the Sultanate of Oman will be constructed in the country’s Dhofar Governorate.

Masdar And Etisalat Agree To Collaborate On Renewable Energy And Efficiency Solutions

Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, is to collaborate with Etisalat, the region's leading telecommunication service provider, to help it integrate sustainable, energy solutions into its operations.

Pope Tawadros II Visits Masdar City

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, and leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, visited Masdar City today. Accompanied by his H.E. the Ambassador of Egypt, Ehab Hamouda, the leader of all Egyptian Coptics was given a guided tour by Yousif Al Ali, General Manager of Shams Power Company.