In a significant step toward advancing clean energy, the UAE has launched the world’s largest renewable energy project combining solar power with battery storage. The initiative underscores the country’s role in sustainable innovation and its broader goal of supporting global decarbonization while maintaining a stable, continuous power supply.

H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs, attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the project, which will provide 1 gigawatt (GW) of continuous renewable power at a globally competitive tariff.

Developed by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC (Masdar) and Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), the project combines a 5.2GW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant with a 19 gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery energy storage system (BESS), the largest and most advanced of its kind. Addressing the issue of intermittency represents a major step forward in renewable energy generation and offers a potential model for other countries pursuing energy transitions.

With an investment exceeding $6 billion, the project is expected to create more than 10,000 jobs, establish new manufacturing facilities, and offset around 5.7 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually once it becomes operational in 2027. It will also incorporate advanced technologies such as virtual power plant integration, grid-forming and black start capabilities, and AI-powered forecasting and dispatch systems.

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar, said, “Today, Masdar and EWEC are breaking ground on the future, here in Abu Dhabi. The UAE proudly offers a new vision for technologically enabled growth.”

Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi described the initiative as “a blueprint for the world,” while EWEC CEO Ahmed Ali Alshamsi called it “a testament to the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and a new era of energy in the UAE.”