UAE Announces $6 Billion Mega Solar, Battery Project, Aiming for Uninterrupted Renewable Energy

The United Arab Emirates is taking a major leap forward in its clean energy transition with the announcement of a massive $6 billion solar and battery storage project, Bloomberg reports.

Spearheaded by Abu Dhabi’s state-controlled renewable energy company, Masdar, the project aims to provide a reliable, uninterrupted power supply and significantly boost the nation’s renewable energy capacity.

The facility, planned to be operational by 2027, will boast 5.2 gigawatts of new solar capacity, according to Masdar Chief Operating Officer Abdulaziz Alobaidli. Crucially, it will be integrated with a large-scale battery storage system, positioning it to become one of the world’s largest such facilities upon completion.

This groundbreaking project addresses a critical challenge for renewable energy: intermittency. Solar and wind power are dependent on weather conditions, leading to unreliable supply during periods of high demand. By incorporating significant battery storage, Masdar aims to “transform renewable energy into baseload energy,” according to Masdar Chairman Sultan Al Jaber, who also serves as CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.

The project, spanning 90 square kilometers in the Abu Dhabi desert, will be financed through a combination of debt and equity and will see collaboration with the state utility Emirates Water and Electricity Co. Masdar is aiming for a staggering 19 gigawatt-hours of battery storage for the facility. To put that into context, the current world’s largest solar and battery project, the ChatGPT project in Nevada, USA, has a storage capacity of 1.4 gigawatt-hours, according to BloombergNEF.

The UAE, the first Gulf state to declare a net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050, is actively pursuing a diversified energy strategy. Alongside the construction of solar facilities, the country is also operating nuclear reactors to reduce reliance on fossil fuels for power generation. The addition of more solar and battery storage projects is a crucial element of this strategy, as the oil-rich nation strives to generate more carbon emissions-free electricity.

The UAE’s initiative highlights a growing trend in the Gulf region. Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, is also investing in solar and wind projects, aiming for a larger share of renewables in its power mix.