Business

Masdar completes first UK battery storage project

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar on Wednesday announced the start of commercial operations at its battery energy storage system (BESS) facility in Stockport; the first project to be completed under Masdar’s £1 billion commitment to invest in UK battery energy storage.

The company will also develop two new BESS projects in Cardiff and Chesterfield.

With a capacity of 20 megawatts (MW)/40 megawatt-hours (MWh), the Stockport facility, located in Welkin Road, can store enough clean electricity to power 20,000 homes for over two hours.

The Chesterfield and Cardiff projects, which will have a combined capacity of 150MW and 300MWh, will together store enough electricity to power more than 35,000 UK homes for an entire day. Construction began on the Stockport project in May 2024.

Following its acquisition of Arlington Energy in 2022, Masdar committed to investing £1 billion in a 3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) pipeline of BESS projects in the UK, part of the company’s wider commitment to the UK’s energy transformation. The UK government is aiming to build up to 27GW of battery storage by the end of this decade under its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan.

Husain Al Meer, Masdar Director, Global Offshore Wind & UK, said, “Today’s announcements demonstrate that we are accelerating progress towards delivering on our £1 billion pipeline. BESS is critical to helping the UK to transform its energy systems, unlock more renewables deployment, and bring tangible benefits to consumers, businesses, and local communities. Masdar is proud to be at the forefront of this sector in the UK and beyond.”

BESS solutions balance and stabilise the intermittent energy supply from renewables, providing flexible energy to the grid by storing energy in periods of low demand and releasing it at peak times. This flexibility enhances grid stability and energy security, supports the integration of renewable energy, and contributes to lowering consumer bills and carbon emissions.

Built to international standards of safety and security, Masdar’s BESS projects incorporate state-of-the-art fire detection and suppression systems, with 24-hour CCTV monitoring and local response capability.

Masdar’s UK BESS projects are also being built in close consultation with local stakeholders to ensure they deliver positive impact to local communities, as well as providing tangible national economic benefit.

The Welkin Road plant is located on a previously developed brownfield site in Stockport. Local biodiversity was enhanced during construction, with bird and bat boxes being provided to protect wildlife, the control of Japanese knotweed and the planting of naturally occurring flora. A community fund is also being established to donate money to local causes.

The Chesterfield project, located in Calow Green, will sit on land previously used for coal mining and will transform the area into a hub for clean energy generation and storage. The project development will respect the area’s agricultural character while repurposing previously disturbed ground for a positive environmental use, demonstrating how former industrial sites can be reimagined to support a sustainable energy future.

The Cardiff project is also situated on an industrial brownfield site, in Ipswich Road, repurposing under-utilised land and avoiding the need for new greenfield development, while making efficient use of established utilities and access routes.

In October, Masdar broke ground in Abu Dhabi on the world’s first gigascale 24/7 solar and battery storage project. The project will feature a 5.2GW solar plant, coupled with a 19GWh BESS, the largest and most technologically advanced system of its kind in the world, to deliver up to 1GW baseload power every day.

Masdar’s major projects in the UK market include a €5.2 billion co-investment with Iberdrola in the 1.4GW East Anglia THREE offshore wind facility, which will provide enough power for 1.3 million British homes, and the 3GW Dogger Bank South offshore wind farm being developed in partnership with RWE.

STORY BY WAM

Business

UAE President to Begin Working Visit to India

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will begin a working visit to the Republic of India tomorrow.

During the visit, His Highness will hold talks with His Excellency Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, to explore opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation, reflecting the longstanding ties and Comprehensive Strategic and Economic Partnerships between the two countries.

WAM

Business

UAE records key gains in energy, infrastructure, housing in 2025

The United Arab Emirates reported significant growth across its energy, infrastructure, maritime transport, housing and digital transformation sectors in 2025, underscoring its ability to pair long-term planning with execution on the ground.

The achievements reflect a government approach built on innovation, operational efficiency and improving quality of life, demonstrating the ability to translate national strategies into tangible results that strengthen the country’s competitiveness.

In the housing sector, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure issued 3,567 housing support decisions with a total value of AED2.546 billion. These decisions included housing grants, loans, and housing financing solutions.

These efforts contributed to an unprecedented achievement, as the homeownership rate among UAE citizens rose to 91 percent, one of the highest rates globally. The UAE also won, for the first time, the presidency of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) General Assembly and secured membership on its Executive Council.

As for the energy sector, 2025 marked the launch of the Global Energy Efficiency Alliance, which attracted the participation of more than 40 countries and international organisations—an initiative that underscores the UAE’s advanced role in leading global dialogues on reducing consumption and enhancing efficiency.

The year also witnessed the publication of the State of Energy Report 2025, the election of the UAE as a member of the Water Council of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the launch of a guidance manual for supporting domestic workers in eight languages to raise community awareness of responsible consumption practices.

The implementation of the National Energy and Water Demand Management Programme 2050 further reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to reducing energy demand by 42 percent–45 percent by 2050, through a comprehensive portfolio of projects and initiatives spanning the industrial, agricultural, built environment, and transport sectors.

In the infrastructure and transport sectors, the Ministry worked on developing the National Agenda for Addressing Traffic Congestion, which includes a portfolio of national transport and road projects valued at over AED170 billion through 2030.

The Ministry’s plan targets a 73 percent improvement in the efficiency of federal roads over the next five years, through the implementation of the Emirates Road upgrading and capacity enhancement project, with an investment of AED750 million. The plan also includes increasing the capacity of Al Ittihad Road by 60 percent and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road by 45 percent.

Additionally, the plan includes a feasibility study for the construction of the Fourth Federal Road, extending 120 kilometres with a capacity of up to 360,000 trips per day.

Moreover, the Ministry completed five major transformational projects, which are the humanisation of buildings and their transformation into healthy, well-being–supportive environments, the development of the Green Recycling Yards Project, the advancement of green industrial transformation, the implementation of the Sustainable Farm Irrigation Project, and the recycling of electric and hybrid vehicle batteries.

The UAE also continued to strengthen its global maritime presence by hosting the World Maritime Day Parallel Event and launching the National Maritime Navigation Centre, in addition to being re-elected for the fifth consecutive term to Category “B” membership of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

The Ministry also won 41 local, regional, and international awards and obtained 19 ISO certifications, underscoring the maturity of its administrative systems and the quality of its operational processes.

In support of enhanced community engagement, the Ministry held 30 customer council meetings across the Emirates and signed 26 agreements and memoranda of understanding to expand partnerships, knowledge exchange, and amplify the impact of national projects. The year also witnessed the launch of the first fully integrated digital government services centre in Fujairah.

“The year 2025 represents an important milestone in the development journey of the energy, infrastructure, transport, and housing sectors in the UAE,” said Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. “We witnessed tangible progress in the implementation of strategic projects that reflect the vision of our wise leadership in building an integrated, more efficient, and sustainable ecosystem capable of supporting economic growth and enhancing quality of life.”

“Our efforts have focused on strengthening the readiness of federal infrastructure, improving the efficiency of the energy system, and developing advanced housing solutions that align with the needs of citizens and their future aspirations,” he said.

Al Mazrouei added that the achievements realised in 2025 confirm the Ministry’s ability to translate national plans into concrete, data-driven results by adopting a work model based on effective governance, efficient resource management, and the expansion of local, regional, and international partnerships.”

“We commence 2026 confidently, building on clear results and solid foundations, while reaffirming our commitment to supporting the objectives of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ Vision, on the path toward the UAE Centennial 2071. The Ministry will continue its work to ensure advanced infrastructure, a sustainable energy sector, and flexible housing solutions that collectively enhance the country’s competitiveness and leadership at both the regional and global levels,” he noted.

WAM

Business

Industry Ministry, WEF Partner on Global Minerals

The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and the World Economic Forum announced a cooperation agreement signed on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh. The signing took place in the presence of Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef, FMF Chief Executive Ali Al-Mutairi, and World Economic Forum Executive Committee Member Fernando J. Gómez.
Under the agreement, the cooperation will run until September 2027, with FMF serving as the central and principal platform for implementation and management of the related dialogue. The cooperation aims to unify efforts to strengthen partnerships around critical minerals required for energy and other technologies, contributing to the assurance of resilient, sustainable, and responsible mineral supplies aligned with industrial objectives and the energy transition. According to the agreement, the initiative will be overseen by a joint executive committee comprising representatives from the ministry and the World Economic Forum.
The Future Minerals Forum and the World Economic Forum will support efforts to mobilize the public and private sectors to enhance resilience, transparency, and capacity building across mineral value chains. This includes developing and disseminating insights and knowledge on mineral traceability and policy options to increase supply. These insights are intended to complement FMF’s ongoing initiatives to advance standards and best practices in the sector.
The minister affirmed that this partnership represents a pivotal step toward advancing FMF’s objectives in building a more sustainable and equitable global minerals ecosystem, emphasizing that cooperation with the World Economic Forum embodies the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s vision to become a key hub within global mineral value chains.
Gómez expressed optimism about the cooperation with the ministry, stressing that securing resilient and sustainable mineral supplies requires close collaboration across sectors and borders, and that this partnership will help unlock the potential of mineral resources as drivers of sustainable growth and shared prosperity.
This cooperation further strengthens the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to advance international collaboration on minerals. Since the launch of the Future Minerals Forum in 2022, it has become a global platform that has helped shape the future of minerals and provides a space for cross-sector dialogue that supports action and leadership in mineral traceability and sustainability.
The ministry, the World Economic Forum, and the Future Minerals Forum will leverage this agreement to enhance cooperation between governments and the private sector, support enabling policies, best practices, and innovations across mineral supply chains, address sustainability and efficiency challenges, and strengthen environmental, social, and corporate governance standards.
The agreement reflects the World Economic Forum’s role as a neutral, non-profit international organization that supports cross-sector cooperation and promotes solution-oriented dialogue to ensure resource sustainability and inclusive growth. The project’s outcomes and insights are expected to contribute to the sixth edition of FMF, to be hosted in Riyadh in January 2027.
It is noteworthy that FMF brings together, through the government-led ministerial roundtable, senior government representatives, policymakers, industry leaders, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and stakeholders across the mineral value chain to address sector challenges, enhance investment opportunities, and ensure responsible and resilient mineral supplies.
— SPA