Masdar launches facility to produce 1GW of uninterrupted renewable energy

UAE state-owned renewables firm Masdar has launched a renewable energy facility that will produce 1 gigawatt of uninterrupted clean power, the company's chairman said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the opening of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, Sultan Al Jaber, who also serves as the chief executive of energy giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC) and is the UAE minister of industry and advanced technology, called the project a significant step in transforming renewable energy into baseload power.

"This will, for the first time ever, transform renewable energy into baseload energy. It is a first step that could become a giant leap," Al Jaber said.

"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," Al Jaber said before announcing the project.

Al Jaber said that the rapid growth of energy-hungry applications like ChatGPT could lead to a 250% increase in energy demand by 2050, reaching 35,000 GW. This highlights the need for diverse energy sources to meet the unprecedented demand, he added.