CATL to supply 19 GWh BESS for Masdar’s round-the-clock Abu Dhabi project

Masdar, the Emirati state-owned renewable investment company, has announced preferred contractors and suppliers for the world’s first giga-scale ’round the clock’ solar-plus-battery storage project in Abu Dhabi.

The project announced last week includes 5.2 GW of solar capacity and 19 GWh of energy storage, making it the largest solar and BESS project in the world. The project will be capable of delivering up to 1 GW of baseload power 24 hours a day, setting a global benchmark for the development of clean energy. 

CATL, as preferred supplier for the BESS, will provide its latest TENER technology for the total capacity of 19 GWh. The TENER series of products was first unveiled in 2024, with the flagship system featuring 6.25 MW capacity in a 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container. At the time, CATL described TENER as the world’s first mass-producible energy storage system with zero degradation in the first five years of use.

Jinko Solar and JA Solar are preferred suppliers for PV modules amounting to 2.6 GW capacity each, with both companies providing their latest TopCon technology. Larsen & Toubro and POWERCHINA were selected as preferred engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors.

The $6 billion giga-project will be located across an area of land in the Abu Dhabi desert spanning 90 square kilometers. Construction is underway and the project is expected to be operational by 2027, said Masdar Chief Operating Officer Abdulaziz Alobaidli said in Dubai last week. 

Following the announcement, Shenzen-listed CATL shares rose by more than 5% to CNY 266.73 yuan on Monday. The market value surge marked a recovery for the Chinese battery giant, which saw its stock suffer earlier in January after the US administration deemed it linked to the Chinese military.