UAE breaks ground on world’s largest solar and battery project

The UAE has started construction on the world’s largest renewable energy project integrating solar power and battery storage, capable of delivering one gigawatt of clean energy around the clock.

Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs, attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the landmark project.

Developed by Masdar and the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), the AED22 billion project combines a 5.2-gigawatt solar plant with a 19 gigawatt-hour battery storage system, the largest and most advanced of its kind worldwide.

Once operational in 2027, it will supply constant, baseload renewable energy at a globally competitive cost, cut 5.7 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually, and create more than 10,000 jobs.

Officials say the development redefines what’s possible in clean energy by overcoming the challenge of intermittency, ensuring reliable power day and night.

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar, said the project marks “a step towards redefining the role of renewable energy for the information age".

Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi described it as “a blueprint for the world,” adding that the project demonstrates renewable energy can be dispatched 24/7 to meet fast-growing power demand.

EWEC CEO Ahmed Alshamsi said the initiative supports the UAE’s vision for sustainable energy and will power new industries such as artificial intelligence.

Masdar aims to expand its global clean energy portfolio to 100 gigawatts by 2030, with this project setting a new benchmark for renewable power generation and energy storage innovation.