University of Vaasa - Vaasan yliopisto

The MASDAR Initiative in Abu Dhabi: A Bold Move
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In April 2006, Abu Dhabi took a bold and historic decision to embrace renewable
and sustainable energy technologies. Hence the MASDAR Initiative was created. It
is a multi-billion dollar comprehensive economic development program designed to
leverage Abu Dhabi's considerable financial resources and energy expertise into
innovative solutions for cleaner, more sustainable energy production and resource
conservation.The MASDAR Initiative has four primary objectives:
1. To help drive the economic diversification of Abu Dhabi.
2. To maintain, and later expand, Abu Dhabi's position in evolving global
energy markets.
3. To position the country as a developer of technology, and not simply an
importer.
4. To make a meaningful contribution towards sustainable human development.
To implement the MASDAR Initiative, Abu Dhabi government has created the Abu
Dhabi Future Energy Company (ADFEC). ADFEC is a private joint stock company
wholly-owned by the government of Abu Dhabi through Mubadala Development
Company. The following is a brief description of the different business units of
ADFEC.
1. Property Development Unit. Overseeing the building of MASDAR City.
MASDAR's Special Free Zone (SFZ) is a unique, integrated ‘Green
Community' in the heart of Abu Dhabi and will be completed in 2016.
Renewable energy is main source of energy, 230 Megawatts, to power the
city. The main RE technology used in the PV, about 90%, which will be
installed on the roofs of the buildings. The other 10 percent will come from
other RE technologies such as CSP, biomass, and geothermal. MASDAR
City has commissioned in April 2009 its first 10 MW PV power plant that
will used to power the first phase of the city. This is the first power plant of
its kind in the region. The plant is also register in the United Nations as a
CDM project eligible for carbon credits 98 .
2. Industries. Main objectives is to invest in RE manufacturing plants around
the world for both money making operations and to develop the technology
know how and transfer it later to Abu Dhabi. ADFEC has identified both
Wind and Solar as the most profitable between all RE technologies. For
example, ADFEC has already invested and built a Thin Film manufacturing
plant (to use in PV) in Germany using new technology that was developed
by German scientists with ADFEC funding. Today, ADFEC will be
building a second thin film manufacturing plant in Abu Dhabi. ADFEC is
investing in a Wind turbine manufacturing plant in Finland and London
Array Offshore wind farm.
3. Carbon Management. ADFEC signed several projects related to Carbon
Capture and Storage in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. In addition, ADFEC is
23 http://cdm.unfccc.int/Projects/registered.html