The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched what it expects to be the world’s first facility that can provide renewable energy at scale around the clock. For the project, the Emirati renewable company Masdar will combine 5.2 GW of solar capacity with 19 GWh of battery storage to produce 1 GW of “uninterrupted clean power”.
The project, led in partnership with the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), is expected to cost around US$6bn and is expected to be commissioned by 2027. It would cover about 90 km2 in the Abu Dhabi desert.
The United Arab Emirates’ total installed capacity was 42 GW (end of 2023) and is dominated by gas (77%), followed by nuclear (10%), solar (7%), and coal (6%).