Masdar’s overarching zest for clean energy

The move by Masdar, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, to ink a pact with Singapore’s Tuas Power, France’s EDF Renewables, and PT Indonesia Power to explore the development of renewable energy within Indonesia for export to Singapore is praiseworthy, to say the least.

The agreement envisages the development of solar photovoltaic (PV) facilities with a capacity of as much as 1.2 gigawatts (GW), and potential associated storage.

Singapore is looking to import as much as 4 GW of low-carbon electricity by 2035, which would constitute 35 per cent of its total supply.

The UAE is eager to collaborate with countries in Asia to help them on their energy transition and to meet climate objectives.

Masdar is known for its overarching clean energy focus, and has been leaving its stellar stamp wherever it goes.

Founded by Mubadala, Masdar today is an investor in renewable energy and sustainability projects with a total value of almost $20 billion, and a combined capacity approaching 13 gigawatts. It is one of the fastest-growing renewables companies in the world, active in more than 30 countries across the globe.

“Masdar has achieved this success by not losing sight of why we were founded – to foster innovation and the development of cutting-edge technologies that support the diversification of both the UAE’s economy and energy supply,” said Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi.

Many of the solutions that Masdar has championed have been ‘world-firsts’ – such as the Hywind project established off the coast of Scotland, the first floating offshore wind farm. Masdar is also involved in some of the biggest renewable energy projects, including the 2 GW Al Dhafra solar plant, set to be the largest single-site solar facility in the world.

Masdar City is home to more than 900 companies from six continents. Over the past decade Masdar City has piloted technology in areas such as mobility, transportation, construction, renewable energy and sustainable living.

The ongoing Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week bears testimony to its green energy commitment. It is the first global gathering of its kind after COP26. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai said, “Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week lays a pathway for COP28 when the UAE will welcome the world in 2023. The continued success of ADSW, which every year sets the sustainability agenda for the year to come, fully reflects our nation’s leadership in the field of climate action.”

Masdar is also highlighting the role of the energetic youth, a key pillar in the nation’s growth, in its clean energy drive. The 2022 Youth 4 Sustainability (Y4S) forum is a series of youth-led discussions taking place till January 19th as part of ADSW 2022.  The Y4S platform, held under the patronage of Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed Bin Zayed, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, is a year-long, youth-led programme dedicated to creating awareness of the skills needed for future jobs in the green economy, and educating up to one million young people in sustainability by 2030 through a blended learning experience.

As Dr. Lamya Fawwaz, Executive Director, Brand & Strategic Initiatives at Masdar, very aptly and succinctly puts it, “The UAE is committed to supporting the development of young people – both here and beyond our borders. The Y4S platform addresses a defining issue of our time – the need to empower the next generation to be the sustainability champions of tomorrow.

“By equipping youth today with the right skills and education through quality learning opportunities, we can prepare them for the workforce of the future, and to lead the next generation towards a thriving, more sustainable world.”