Masdar,
the Abu Dhabi government-backed renewable energy company, plans this year to
start building a 20-to-30-megawatt wind turbine facility.
“We
are evaluating bids from international companies who want to help us build the
plant,” Frank Wouters, director of Masdar Power, said at an industry briefing
in Abu Dhabi today.
Wind
speeds in the UAE are “moderate but still sufficient” for such
turbines, he said.
Abu
Dhabi, which holds almost all of the UAE’s oil reserves, is expanding its use
of solar and wind power in a effort to become a regional hub for renewable
energy. The emirate is building Masdar City, a business and residential complex
designed to emit minimal carbon emissions, and serves as headquarters for the
International Renewable Energy Agency.
Masdar
also plans to build a 100MW photovoltaic plant called Noor and wants to award
construction contracts for the venture by the end of the year, Wouters said.
Photovoltaic plants use solar panels, which convert sunlight directly to
electricity. Masdar already operates a 10MW facility of this type in Abu Dhabi.
Wouters
said in October that Masdar’s Shams 1 solar plant, a $600m, 100-MW concentrated
solar thermal plant to be completed in 2012, will receive less energy than
planned because dust particles in the area will block sunlight. Concentrated
solar plants reflect sunlight, usually with mirrors, to heat liquids and create
steam to turn turbines and generate power.
The
Noor plant will cost less than Shams 1 because of improving efficiency and “the
normal learning curve for the industry,” Wouters said.
Shams 1 is a venture between
Masdar, Abengoa SA and Total SA.
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