The 103.5MW project will make use of the latest technology and innovation to capture low wind speeds at utility scale. By Sania Aziz
It is part of the UAE’s goal to create cost-effective, large-scale, utility wind power on the country’s electricity grid. The UAE Wind Programme is expected to power more than 23,000 UAE homes a year. It is expected to displace 120,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to removing over 26,000 cars from the road annually.
The project spans four locations including Sir Bani Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, where a 45 MW capacity wind farm plus 14 MWp (megawatt peak) solar farm has been developed on the island. The other wind farm locations include the historical pearl-diving centre, Delma Island (27MW) in Abu Dhabi, Al Sila, Abu Dhabi (27MW) and Al Halah, Fujairah (4.5MW).
HH Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the inauguration ceremony held on Sir Bani Yas Island, where he witnessed the signing of the Power Purchase Agreement between EWEC (Emirates Water and Electricity Company) and Masdar for the wind power generation from the Sir Bani Yas Island, Al Sila, and Delma Island projects.
According to Masdar, wind energy was not viable due to low wind speeds in the UAE. Bigger turbine sizes, lower hardware prices and the discovery of a unique weather phenomenon that generated high winds at night made this project scalable and economically viable.
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, chairman of Masdar, said, “For a viable energy transition, the world must triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement goals. As we look forward to hosting COP28, today’s inauguration shows the UAE’s firm commitment to this target, boosting clean energy investments both at home and abroad.”
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Masdar's CEO, said, “We were able to pioneer cutting-edge technology to overcome the UAE’s low wind speeds and harness the power of this formidable natural resource. As we accelerate our path to Net Zero by 2050, the UAE wind programme shows that anything is possible when you have vision, passion and a pioneering spirit.”
