UAE bullish on green technology

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Extreme weather condition, or at least the scorching summer day in this Arab nation, can have its practical benefit.

The government of this 42-year-old nation is developing a city specifically designed to survive through renewable energy, the Masdar City.

The Electric Vehicle (EV) pilot, a mini car powered by solar energy that can run up to 200 kilometers with a speed of 120 kilometers per hour (kph) on a fully charged battery, showcases how the project has reached a highly advanced level since 2006.

A five-door hatchback that seats four passengers, EV is the first mass-produced, 100-percent electric vehicle in the market. It is powered by a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery, has a top speed of 130 kph and by using a quick charging station, can be charged from empty to 80 percent in 30 minutes.

EVs have been manufactured since 2011 in collaboration with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (MHI). The project was launched to test the feasibility of EV technology as a point-to-point transportation solution for Masdar City.

It offers residents of Masdar City access to a smart and sustainable transportation system.

Masdar also has its Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) vehicles, a system of electric-powered, automated, single-cabin vehicles that offer the privacy, comfort and non-stop travel of a transport service, and the reliability of a public transport system.

The Masdar transportation platform will enable other parties to supply the necessary rapid charging stations and the intelligent communication infrastructure that will integrate into Masdar City’s existing infrastructure.

Nawal Al-Hosany, director for sustainability of Masdar, said the results of their initiative have been apparent even ahead of the projected completion in 2020.

The temperature in the city drops to at least 10 degrees Fahrenheit in an ordinary summer day as compared to ordinary streets in the UAE.

“This is the city of the future. Masdar demonstrates how sustainable cities should be built,” Al-Hosany told journalists from over 70 countries visiting during the 42nd National Day celebration.

Also, the demands for energy and potable water in the city dropped significantly by 56 percent and 54 percent, respectively.

The six-square kilometer city, which will be home to the International Renewable Agency, also has its own institute of science and technology with 337 local and foreign students.

Tied up with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Masdar Institute focuses on graduate-level researches in energy systems; water, environment and health; and micro-systems and advance materials.

Founded in 2006, the Masdar project is funded with $15 billion by the Abu Dhabi government. The implementing firm is a subsidiary of Mubadala Development Co.

The city combines passive and intelligent designs to showcase how an urban environment can accommodate denser populations with fewer resources.

Buildings in this city – all architecturally designed with solar panels – are powered entirely by sustainable power.

The government aims to generate a seven-percent renewable energy capacity by 2020 through this project.

A commercial developer, Masdar Clean Energy, has also been put up and has so far generated one gigawatt of clean power through various solar and wind projects in Spain, United Kingdom, Spain, Mauritania, and Seychelles.

In a separate meeting, Minister for Culture, Youth and Community Development Sheik Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan said their government recognizes the need to respond to pressing global concerns, including climate change.

“We have a responsibility to the future generation. We are trying our best to be global citizens. We have to create a culture of globalization and be responsible to fellow humanity,” he said.