UAE Ministry of Defence, Masdar sign partnership agreement to develop multi-solar plants across Abu Dhabi

The UAE Ministry of Defence and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC (Masdar) have signed a partnership agreement to develop multi-solar plants across Abu Dhabi.
Emerge, a joint venture between the UAE’s Masdar and France’s EDF Group, will provide a full turnkey solution for the projects, including finance, design, procurement, construction, operations, and maintenance for 25 years.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Major General Sheikh Ahmad Bin Tahnoon Bin Mohammad Al Nahyan, Deputy Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, COP28 President and Masdar Chairman, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, Luc Koechlin, CEO Middle East of EDF Group, and Michel Abi Saab, General Manager of Emerge.

The agreement was signed at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi by Brigadier General Saeed Al Ketbi, Commander of the Military Works Command from the UAE Ministry of Defence and Abdulaziz Alobaidli, Chief Operating Officer of Masdar and Chairman of Emerge.

Dr Sultan Al Jaber said: “At COP28 UAE, the world came together to agree the historic UAE Consensus and Action Agenda to deliver unprecedented climate action in this critical decade. The UAE will continue leading by example, and we are proud to be supporting the UAE Ministry of Defence in its Climate Change Strategy as the nation advances its Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.”

In December 2023, the Ministry of Defence launched the UAE Armed Forces' Climate Change Strategy on the sidelines of the COP28, the first of its kind in the region. It aims to strengthen the UAE Armed Forces' commitment to reduce carbon emissions and encourage active participation at all levels in the transition to sustainability.

Emerge, a joint venture between Masdar and EDF Group, was formed in 2021 to develop distributed solar, energy storage and hybrid solutions for commercial and industrial. As an energy services company, Emerge offers clients full turn-key solutions through solar power agreements and energy performance contracting at no up-front cost to the client.