UAE Launches World’s First Facility for Uninterrupted Renewable Energy

The UAE has launched the 'world’s first' facility capable of providing renewable energy at scale around the clock.

The groundbreaking project, spearheaded by Abu Dhabi’s clean energy company Masdar, will combine 5 GW of solar capacity with 19 GWh of energy storage to produce 1 GW of uninterrupted clean power. The facility is a joint venture with the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC).

At the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, and chairman of Masdar, highlighted that the major challenge for renewable energy has been intermittency. He described the project as addressing this 'moonshot challenge' — transforming renewable resources, traditionally intermittent, into reliable, 24/7 power. "This will, for the first time ever, transform renewable energy into baseload energy," Dr. Al Jaber noted, emphasising that it is a step toward a much-needed solution.

The launch comes at a time when global efforts to meet climate targets are intensifying. The international community faces increasing pressure to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030, as stipulated by the Paris Agreement. These goals are crucial for maintaining the 1.5°C temperature rise limit set by the agreement.

However, recent assessments, including from Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), highlight that the world is currently off track to meet these targets. La Camera called for stronger action to realign policies and market designs to support renewable energy expansion. Furthermore, IRENA has pointed out that global renewable energy investments must triple to USD 1.5 trillion annually by 2030 to stay on course, even though USD 570 billion was spent in 2023. National plans, according to the agency, are currently expected to deliver only half of the necessary renewable power growth to meet the targets.