The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has unveiled the world’s first large-scale, 24/7 gigascale renewable energy facility, combining solar power with advanced battery storage. This groundbreaking project was announced by Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar, alongside Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Minister of Investment and Group CEO of ADQ.
The new facility integrates 5.2 GW of solar capacity with 19 GW hours of battery storage, enabling the generation of 1 GW of uninterrupted, baseload renewable energy. Developed in collaboration with the Emirates Water and Electricity Company, the facility is designed to tackle the challenge of renewable energy intermittency by ensuring a continuous supply of clean power day and night.
“For decades, the biggest barrier facing renewable energy has been intermittency—sourcing uninterrupted clean power day and night,” Dr. Al Jaber said. “This groundbreaking project solves that issue, thanks to the visionary leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.”
Dr. Al Jaber emphasized the significance of the project: “For the first time, this transforms renewable energy into 1 GW of reliable baseload power every day on an unprecedented scale. This marks a pivotal step that could become a giant leap for the world.”
The facility is a key component of the UAE’s broader vision to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It sets a new global standard for sustainable energy while reducing dependence on fossil fuels, signaling a major advancement in the country’s commitment to a sustainable energy future.
Discover more from SolarQuarter
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
