Masdar power

The largest solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generating facility in the Middle East has been connected to Abu Dhabi's municipal grid in the UAE.

The Masdar facility at Mena has 87777 solar panels with a predicted generation capacity of 17500 MWh. The AED 185 million (US$ 50 million) project has an installed power capacity of 10 MW.

Masdar is a project in the Mena region of the UAE owned by Mubadala Development Company which researches energy security and sustainability. The aim is to create a sustainable carbon neutral environment.

Designed and constructed by Enviromena Power Systems, work on the 212000 m² facility started in August 2008 and was linked to the municipal grid on 31 May 2009.

The solar facility will provide electricity to the temporary Masdar site administration offices and power the ongoing construction activities at Masdar City as well as the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.

Masdar estimates the solar power facility will reduce Abu Dhabi's carbon footprint by 15000 tonnes of CO₂ a year.

"This 10 MW solar power plant is a testament to our leadership's dedication to the advancement of renewable energy," said Dr Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar. "The connection of this plant marks an important milestone in the development of Masdar City and in our emirate's history. We believe this is just the first delivery of the rich potential of solar energy."

His Highness Sheikh Diab bin Zayad Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority attended a ceremony to integrate the facility with the municipal grid.