UAE inaugurates first utility-scale wind project

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STORY: These windmills are part of the first utility-scale wind project in the United Arab Emirates.

Spread out across four locations... they use new technology to make wind power possible in a country known for its hot and humid weather.

The turbines are part of a project run by UAE renewable energy firm Masdar, which partnered with PowerChina and GoldWind International.

The wind turbines use a new technology to capture low wind speeds at utility-scale, adopting advances in material science and aerodynamics.

GoldWind International's Wu Kai says the project's proximity to the sea created some challenges.

"Not only humidity, but also salty. So all such kind of things put together for sure lead to the operation issues, how to - under really high temperatures - still keep the turbine moving smoothly. Particularly, if we are talking about one year, two years, three years, or even longer as the asset, maybe 25 years. Also considering all the major issues from corrosion."

MOHAMMAD ABDELQADER EL RAMAHI: “This project is very important..."

Masdar’s Chief Green Hydrogen Officer Mohammad Abdelqader El Ramahi says the project will produce around 230 gigawatt hours of clean renewable energy per year.

That will help power around 23,000 houses.

EL RAHAMI: "This project will be producing the green electron directly to the grid, so it will be part of the national grid-scheme, it is part of UAE's vision and leadership as one of the pioneers in sustainable development and energy transition to reach net-zero by the year 2050, and also do all measures that help us decarbonize.”

The wind project aligns with the country's effort to reach its climate goals as it prepares to host the COP28 summit later in the year.

Here's El Ramahi, again.

"This is only the first step, whereby we will be moving towards more accelerated steps into larger-scale, commercially-driven, utility-scale, wind projects complimenting solar PV (photovoltaic cells), to become one of the reliable energy-mix resources here in the UAE."