Masdar deal commits Abu Dhabi energy company to 8 GW of battery storage

Masdar has signed a new strategic framework with Abu Dhabi’s sole electricity buyer that commits the two companies to “rapidly scale” renewable energy deployment, backed by battery energy storage

The collaboration framework agreement (CFA) established a roadmap for deployment of more than 8 GW of BESS in power output terms alongside 30 GW solar.

Masdar is a leading utility-scale solar developer in the Middle East, while Abu Dhabi has ambitious renewables targets and has stepped up its BESS deployment in.

Under the CFA, Masdar expects a more streamlined process in its dealings with EWEC from early-stage project development through to financial close.

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said the agreement strengthens the company’s long-standing collaboration with EWEC, “and builds on our track record in advancing the UAE’s energy transformation.”

“Together, we are accelerating world-leading solutions, such as our gigascale Round-the-Clock solar project, while helping to diversify the UAE’s energy mix, strengthen national energy security, and provide local UAE industry with reliable, affordable, clean power,” said Al Ramahi.

Ahmed Ali Alshamsi, CEO of EWEC, described the framework agreement as a “pivotal strategic tool” that will allows the electricity buyer to speed up deployment to ensure Abu Dhabi meets 60% of energy demand from renewable and clean sources by 2035.

“By streamlining the development of utility-scale solar PV capacity, forecast to exceed 30GW by 2035, and integrating more than 8GW of battery energy storage, we are reshaping the sector while ensuring the long-term security of supply.

“Crucially, this framework reflects our commitment to continuously optimizing our processes and procedures to reduce costs and further optimize our operations,” said Ali Alshamsi.

The EWEC agreement is the latest in a line of deals from Masdar. The developer recently announced it had reached financial close on a 300 MW solar plus 75 MWh battery energy storage project in Uzbekistan, and another in Oman.