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Abu Dhabi Breaks Ground on 24/7 Gigascale Solar-and-Battery Project Delivering 1GW Baseload Power

The Masdar–EWEC venture pairs 5.2GW of solar PV with 19GWh of storage to supply AI-ready, low-carbon electricity by 2027.

Overview

  • The capital outlay exceeds $6 billion, with developers projecting more than 10,000 jobs and new manufacturing capacity in the UAE.
  • Developers say the facility will supply power at a globally competitive tariff and avoid about 5.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.
  • The system will incorporate virtual power plant integration, AI-enhanced forecasting, intelligent dispatch, and grid-forming and black-start capabilities.
  • The groundbreaking in Al Wathba was witnessed by senior officials including Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dr Sultan Al Jaber.
  • Masdar and EWEC describe the plant as a replicable blueprint, with plans to pursue similar projects domestically and internationally to meet fast-growing data-centre and AI demand and advance Masdar’s 100GW-by-2030 target.