UAE Starts Work at World's First and Largest 24/7 Solar PV and BESS Project

The UAE broke ground on the world's first and largest combined solar power and battery storage project, capable of delivering round-the-clock baseload renewable energy.

Masdar in collaboration with EWEC (Emirates Water and Electricity Company) is developing the $6 billion project, which will deliver up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of baseload power 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The ceremony was witnessed by Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs, according to a Masdar press statement.

The project will integrate a 5.2 GW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant with a 19 gigawatt-hours (GWh) battery energy storage system (BESS), and will include AI-enhanced forecasting and intelligent dispatch, and AI-ready infrastructure for predictive analytics and system optimization.

The facility is scheduled to be operational by 2027, adding that the facility will deliver power at a "globally competitive tariff."

The project is expected to create over 10,000 jobs and new manufacturing and service facilities in the UAE, and avoid approximately 5.7 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

In January 2025, Masdar had announced the appointment of main Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractors and suppliers of solar PV modules and BESS for the project.