Abu Dhabi rolls out the red carpet as Solar Impulse 2 enters final straight

Solar Impulse 2 (Si2), the solar-powered plane attempting to become the first aircraft in the world to circumnavigate the Earth without using a drop of fossil fuel, will complete its epic journey in the early hours of Tuesday morning, returning to the city where its adventure began in March last year.

London Array Proves Viability of Large-Scale Renewable Projects

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the inauguration and completion of London Array – the world’s largest offshore wind farm. The sophisticated, 630-megawatt wind power project – and Masdar’s largest international investment to date – continues to deliver clean and reliable energy to more than half-a-million homes throughout the United Kingdom.

Fire at Masdar Offices Under Control

A fire started at approximately 1:30 am at the temporary Masdar offices on the outskirts of Masdar City. Masdar City and its buildings were not affected by the fire, and no one was injured. The fire caused damage to Block 1 and 2, a section of Masdar’s temporary offices. Abu Dhabi Civil Defence brought the fire under control and is looking into the cause.

Lights On Across Egypt’s Remote Areas as Masdar Delivers Solar Projects

Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, has completed the delivery of 30 megawatts of utility-scale clean energy projects and 7,000 solar home systems in remote and strategic areas across Egypt. Together, the four clean energy projects developed by Masdar’s Special Projects unit will power 25,800 homes and displace 42,700 tonnes of CO2 annually, as well as advance the development objectives of the Egyptian government.

Masdar Passes 10-Year Milestone

Today, Masdar employees and alumni gathered in Masdar City to mark ten years of achievement in advancing the clean energy industry in Abu Dhabi and around the world. Under the banner “Seizing the Next Decade,” participants were invited to reflect on Masdar’s significant and widespread impact to date and the promise of the next ten years, as part of an organisation defined by the spirit of partnership, collaboration and innovation.

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

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’s Global Clean Energy Achievements to be Showcased During ADSW 2014

Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, will showcase its past year’s global contribution to clean energy development at the 7th World Future Energy Summit during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) – the region’s largest gathering on sustainability. Masdar will use the platform to highlight a year in which it has inaugurated solar and wind projects in the UAE, UK, Seychelles and Mauritania, installing over 750 megawatts of renewable grid capacity in the process.

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.

Masdar Achieves Financial Close of London Array Project

Masdar Energy UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, today announced the completion of a 12 year limited-recourse project financing of up to £266 million for its stake in phase one of London Array. The landmark financing is the first time that a limited-recourse structure has been completed for an unincorporated joint venture within the renewable energy industry.

Siemens strengthens Middle East presence with new headquarters at Masdar City

Siemens, the global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering operating in the energy, infrastructure, industry and healthcare sectors, today inaugurated its new Middle East headquarters at Masdar City – Abu Dhabi’s low-carbon, sustainable city – where Siemens is an anchor tenant. The Siemens building has been designed with sustainable materials and energy efficient technologies, making it the first LEED Platinum certified office in the United Arab Emirates’ capital city. The building has become a benchmark for future projects in the Middle East and beyond, due to the sustainability standards and development methodology used in building it.

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.

First Eco-Friendly Credit Card Launched in the UAE

Major leading UAE financial institution, First Gulf Bank (FGB), will launch the UAE’s first green Visa Credit Card next week in association with Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, at the sixth World Future Energy Summit during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. The First Gulf Bank Masdar Card allows members of the community to become more involved in different environmentally sustainable initiatives. The product falls in line within a series of socially geared products that FGB has developed recently.

UAE and New Zealand Sign Partnership Arrangement to Deploy Renewable Energy Project

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), along with Masdar, today signed a partnership arrangement with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to accelerate the global deployment of renewable energy, particularly in Pacific Island countries. Potential project financing comes from a NZ$65 million (US$54 million) pledge by the New Zealand government and the US$50 million grant UAE-Pacific Partnership Fund, which is endowed by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD). The partnership was signed during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the Middle East’s largest gathering focused on sustainability.

Masdar to Develop 15MW Solar Plant in Mauritania

“Mauritania has some of the highest levels of solar radiation in the world, making it an ideal place for solar power installations,” said Mauritania’s Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Mines H.E. Taleb Ould Abdivall. “We are pleased to be working with such esteemed partners on this important project and remain committed to harnessing our abundant renewable energy resources. Masdar has gained tremendous experience in the renewable energy sector through its projects worldwide and we look forward to future opportunities for cooperation,” H.E. Abdivall added.

Zayed Future Energy Prize Jury Members Visit Masdar’s Shams 1 Solar Power Station

The largest CSP plant in the Middle East and North Africa when commissioned later this year, Shams 1 will offset nearly 175,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, which is equivalent to planting 1.5 million trees or taking 15,000 cars off the road.

Masdar’s Mauritania Solar Project Underscores Commitment to UN ‘Sustainable Energy for All’

Sustainable Energy For All was created to mobilize actions in support of three key objectives: universal access to modern energy services; double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

Shams 1 Wins Project of the Year Award

“We are delighted that Shams 1 has received such a prestigious award,” said Yousif Al Ali, the general manager of Shams Power Company, a subsidiary of Masdar. “This demonstrates the leading role that Masdar plays in the region’s renewable energy sector. It also represents a realisation of the vision that our wise leadership has for renewable energy in the UAE.”