The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched its first wind project of commercial size, making use of technology to exploit low wind speeds. The 103.5-megawatt project run by renewable energy firm Masdar is set to power more than 23,000 homes a year, spanning four locations.
The project developed by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar, demonstrates for the first time the latest technology and innovation to capture low wind speeds at utility scale, adopting advances in material science and aerodynamics to make wind power possible in the country. It marks the debut of cost-effective, large-scale, utility wind power on the UAE’s electricity grid, diversifying the country’s energy mix and advancing its energy transition.
The wind project will help displace around 1,20,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide or carbon footprint annually, which would be the equivalent of removing around 26,000 cars from the roads.
The four locations chosen for the project are the scenic Sir Bani Yas Island (45MW), the historical pearl-diving centre, Delma Island (27MW), and Al Sila in Abu Dhabi (27MW), and Al Halah in Fujairah (4.5MW). Home to free-roaming wildlife, Sir Bani Yas Island also has a 14 MWp (megawatt peak) solar farm.
