Dr. Sultan Al Jaber Unveils ‘World First’ 24/7 Renewables Project; Global Megatrends Call for New Path to Socioeconomic Progress
The Voice of Chandigarh:
At the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2025 and the awards ceremony of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, HE Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Masdar Chairman, called for a new approach to unlock growth, drive sustainable economic progress and unleash unprecedented economic opportunity. At the first major international event of 2025, he noted that the world stands at a pivotal moment for progress driven by the global megatrends of emerging market growth, exponential rise of Artificial Intelligence and transformation of energy systems. Together these trends will require a diversity of energy sources to supercharge sustainable progress.
H.E. Dr. Al Jaber was speaking in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. Addressing an assembled audience which included 13 heads of state and over 140 ministers and government officials, he highlighted the UAE’s energy leadership – with world firsts and landmark achievements in solar, wind, nuclear, and AI, thanks to the far-sighted guidance of His Highness, the President of the UAE, and the legacy of the UAE’s founding father Shiekh Zayed Al Nahyan.
World stands at a pivotal moment
“As we enter the second quarter of the 21st century, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment. We are standing at the edge of two worlds, the world as we know it, and the world as it could be. This is a moment that I like to call ‘the nexus of next,’” HE Dr. Al Jaber said.
He emphasized that the world was poised at an inflection point driven by three powerful forces: the growth of emerging markets, the fundamental transformation of our energy systems, and the exponential growth of AI; with the potential to not just accelerate progress, but to “put progress into overdrive”.
UAE advancing leadership in energy, space and international diplomacy
HE Dr. Al Jaber said the UAE embodies “the nexus of next” as a nation uniquely positioned at the intersection of tradition and transformation, made possible under the legacy of the founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed. Turning to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, Dr Al Jaber continued,
“This legacy of leadership continues to this day. Your Highness, you are constantly inspiring us to break new ground. Under your guidance, we have set records in solar. From the biggest single site power plant to a world-leading desalination plant. We have set the pace in wind, creating wind farms that can operate in rough seas and at low speeds. We have set the bar in nuclear, with all four units of the Barakah plant fully operational. We have set benchmarks in Artificial Intelligence, from the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the first ever home-grown university entirely dedicated to AI, to strategic investment vehicles like MGX. We have set foot in space, sent a probe to Mars and we are not stopping there. We will soon send a mission to the asteroid belt with the MBR Explorer, and we will map our planet with our own satellite, MBZ-SAT.
“And it was your call for unity that nurtured multilateralism, allowed determination to conquer doubt and brought the world together to deliver the historic UAE consensus at COP28,” HE Dr. Al Jaber added.
Overcoming the barrier of renewable energy intermittency
HE Dr. Sultan noted that intermittency has been for decades one of the biggest barrier facing renewable energy, the ability to source constant power 24 hours a day, but thanks to a record-breaking UAE project, that barrier had been overcome.
“For decades, the biggest barrier facing renewable energy has been intermittency. It has been the moonshot challenge of our time. How can we power a world that never sleeps with energy sources that do? How can we transform renewable resources into reliable power? Today, we have an answer. Excellencies, colleagues and friends, I am pleased to announce the launch of the world’s first renewable energy facility capable of providing renewable energy, at scale, around the clock.
“In partnership with the Emirates Water and Electricity Company, Masdar is combining 5.2GW of solar capacity with 19GW hours of storage to produce 1 GW of uninterrupted clean power. This will, for the first time ever, transform renewable energy into baseload energy,” HE Dr. Sultan added.
Calls for a diversity of energy options to meet the world’s future energy demands
He highlighted the power surge being created by the three global megatrends, and particularly the growth in AI, creating unprecedented demands on power production.
“Before AI took off, power demand was already on track to grow from 9,000 to over 15,000GW by 2035. But with apps like ChatGPT growing by half a billion visits every month and using ten times as much energy as a google search, demand by 2050 could reach as high as 35,000 GW. We are talking about a 250 percent increase. I am sure you would all agree that no single source of energy can meet this demand.”
HE Dr. Al Jaber outlined the need for a diversity of energy options to ensure energy security and energy access for billions. In this regard he noted the newest addition to Abu Dhabi’s diversified energy portfolio, XRG. XRG is an energy investment company that will help respond to emerging energy needs across the entire value chain, including gas, chemicals, low carbon fuels and diverse energy infrastructure to ensure all energy- electrons and molecules- can get to the end user.
“In a world where a billion people still lack access to energy, we need to have a diversity of energy options. And allow me to be clear, policies and regulations that prematurely reduce those options are just self-defeating. Simply put, we need an and-and approach.
Highlighting the Zayed Sustainability Prize that puts people at the heart of progress
HE Dr. Al Jaber emphasized the importance of placing people at the heart of progress for the benefit of lives and livelihoods as embodied by the Zayed Sustainability Prize.
“The nexus of next means putting people at the heart of progress. It means uniting to address global challenges. And it means recognizing that no discovery is worth making unless it helps humanity and improves lives. That is what the Zayed Sustainability Prize is all about. Thanks to the Prize, every day, somewhere in the world, a village drinks clean water for the first time. A child is able to study under solar-powered light. A farmer harvests crops from land that was once barren. This continues the legacy of Sheikh Zayed, who believed that the future we are creating is not just about generating power — it’s about empowering people.”
Setting a new path which unlocks growth, driving prosperity and unprecedented economic opportunity
In closing, Dr Sultan appealed for unity in charting a new path and new narrative that unites energy access and sustainability, calling for a new approach and new ways of thinking.
“For too long we have been trapped in a false choice between energy access and sustainability. This ‘either-or’ thinking is paralyzing progress. It is time to change the narrative. The truth is, energy and sustainability are not opposing forces. They are essential partners. The choice is not between two paths – it’s about creating a new path, together. A path that unlocks growth, drives prosperity and unleashes unprecedented economic opportunity. A path that delivers the nexus of next.”
UAE President witnesses launch of world’s first 24/7 Solar PV, Battery Storage gigascale project to be built in Abu Dhabi
In the presence of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar and Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) today announced the launch of the world’s first large-scale ‘round the clock’ gigascale project, combining solar power and battery storage in Abu Dhabi.
The launch was announced by His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar, and His Excellency Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Minister of Investment and Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of ADQ.
The launch marks a pivotal moment in the clean energy transformation, allowing renewable energy to be dispatched 24 hours a day, seven days a week, reaffirming the UAE’s position as a global pioneer in renewable energy deployment.
Delivering up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of baseload power every day generated from renewable energy, it will be the largest combined solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) in the world.
Located in Abu Dhabi, the project will feature a 5.2GW (DC) solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, coupled with a 19 gigawatt-hour (GWh) BESS, setting a global benchmark in clean energy innovation.
His Excellency Dr, Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar, said, “For decades, the biggest barrier facing renewable energy has been intermittency—to be able to source uninterrupted clean power day and night. This has been the moonshot challenge of our time, and now, thanks to the resolute support of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with this groundbreaking project we have found the solution. In collaboration with EWEC and our partners, we will develop a renewable energy facility capable of providing clean energy round the clock. For the first time ever, this will transform renewable energy into a world-leading 1GW of reliable baseload energy every day on an unprecedented scale – a first step that could become a giant leap for the world.”
“This initiative demonstrates the remarkable scale and ambition of the UAE’s energy transformation, delivering clean energy to power advancements in emerging technologies. The world-leading project reflects the vision and commitment of the UAE leadership in driving socioeconomic and environmental progress.”
His Excellency Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Minister of Investment and Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of ADQ, said, “The accelerated integration of solar power and advanced battery energy storage sets a new benchmark in clean energy, driving sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. By advancing energy infrastructure, we are leading the way in developing cost-effective, scalable renewable energy, solidifying Abu Dhabi’s position as a key player in shaping the future of global energy. Guided by the UAE leadership, this united effort within the energy sector powers the nation’s technological advancement, ushering in a new era of intelligence, resilience, flexibility, and commercial opportunity while ensuring sustainable and uninterrupted energy for exponential growth.”
Othman Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer of EWEC, said, “By launching the world’s largest solar PV and Battery Energy Storage System, Abu Dhabi is setting a new global standard for sustainable energy development and innovation. This landmark project embodies EWEC’s unwavering commitment to decarbonising the energy sector while driving the UAE’s socioeconomic growth. As the backbone of the nation’s clean energy transition, this facility supports critical industries such as AI and advanced technologies, ensuring their power needs are met sustainably and reliably.”
“This project not only underscores Abu Dhabi’s growing reputation as a leader in utility-scale renewable energy innovation but also cements EWEC’s role in ensuring energy security for future generations. Collaborating with partners like Masdar and TAQA Transmission to facilitate the development of network infrastructure enables the achievement of our transformational milestones that accelerate the UAE’s journey to achieving its Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.”
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said, “Developed in the UAE by Masdar, this record-breaking project will create over 10,000 new jobs, driving innovation and economic growth. As Masdar’s largest and most ambitious project to date, combining an incredible 5.2GW of solar PV with 19GW hours of battery storage – the largest ever for a power utility project – this is truly clean energy on an unprecedented scale. Masdar, EWEC, and its valued project partners are setting a new global benchmark in technological innovation to address the challenge of renewable energy intermittency to generate 1GW of clean, uninterrupted power 24 hours a day, round the clock.”
The solar PV and BESS facility will provide unparalleled stability and efficiency by overcoming the intermittency challenges of renewable energy. The 19GWh battery storage facility will enable seamless integration of solar power into the grid.
By integrating state-of-the-art renewable technologies with energy storage solutions, this landmark project exemplifies the UAE’s commitment to scaling innovative clean energy solutions to meet evolving energy demands. This initiative also supports the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, and the facility will play a transformative role in energy systems, ensuring the UAE continues to lead by example in delivering towards the historic UAE Consensus agreed at COP28.
