Abu Dhabi clean energy company Masdar made investments “worth $15 billion” in renewable energy projects around the globe in 2025 as part of its expansion plans, according to its chief executive.
“Our main goal is to reach 100 gigawatts [of] renewable capacity by 2030 and we are more than halfway through in reaching the target,” Masdar chief executive Mohamed Al Ramahi said at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week media briefing on Wednesday.
Masdar, jointly owned by Taqa, Adnoc and Mubadala, is active in more than 40 countries, with a combined capacity of 51 gigawatts. It has emerged as a major global player in the past few years in renewables, with projects spanning from the Middle East and Central Asia to Europe and the US.
The company will continue to expand in the Mena region, with investment in Europe and the US also “important to us”, Mr Al Ramahi said in Abu Dhabi, without providing further details.
In December, Masdar announced its first project in Malaysia – a 200-megawatt floating solar plant valued at more than $200 million. Once complete, it is expected to provide affordable power to more than 100,000 homes.
The company also completed its first battery energy storage system (BESS) project in the UK.
The start of commercial operations in Stockport is part of Masdar’s £1 billion ($1.3 billion) commitment to invest in battery energy storage systems in the UK. It plans to develop two more BESS projects, in Cardiff and Chesterfield.
Masdar also has a strong portfolio in the US, with wind, solar and battery energy storage projects in California, Texas, New York state and New Mexico, according to its website.
In the Mena region, it is active in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco.
Record year for renewables
Meanwhile, International Renewable Energy Agency director general Francesco La Camera said 2025 “could be another record year for renewables”, after the world added 582 gigawatts of renewable power in 2024, with investments reaching about $800 billion.
“We have never been closer to closing the gap towards meeting the UAE consensus of tripling renewables by 2030 – agreed in the landmark deal of Cop28 in Dubai,” he said, speaking at the same event.
However, renewable energy deployment has remained geographically uneven, with many developing countries left behind.
“This could be very relevant, because in Africa and South-east Asia, the energy demand will be going up sharply in the years to come and there is a need for clean energy supply,” he told The National separately, on the sidelines of the event. Investments are currently concentrated in Europe, the US, China and India, he added.
Heavy investment is also needed in power infrastructure, with interconnected grids to help reach the target.
“We need storage, we need artificial intelligence. We need digitalisation for making the grids smarter than they are today,” Mr La Camera said.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) will start on Sunday. The five-day event will begin with the Irena general assembly, with the participation of more than 1,500 people including ministers, officials and top executives from the private sector.
World Future Energy Summi (WFES), which is also part of ADSW, will begin on January 13 and will run for three days. The event will bring together hundreds of international exhibitors, tens of thousands of industry professionals, and more than 350 expert speakers, according to the organisers.
This year’s event will also feature an AI and Technology Hub, spanning 3,600 square metres of space at Adnec, Leen Alsebai, head of the World Future Energy Summit, said during the press conference.
Inside the hub, there will be more than 70 high-growth start-ups, more than 30 AI-driven companies, dedicated hydrogen and cyber tech zones, and a China-focused innovation zone.
Speakers at WFES this year include the UAE’s Minister of Foreign Trade Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Catherine MacGregor, chief executive of Engie, Patrick Pouyanne, chairman and chief executive of TotalEnergies, and Ignacio Galan, executive chairman of Iberdrola.
Talal Al Dhiyebi, group chief executive of Aldar, Masdar chief executive Mr Al Ramahi and Jasim Thabet, group chief executive and managing director of Taqa, are also among speakers.
The event comes as countries across the globe are cutting emissions to protect the environment. The UAE aims to become net zero by 2050. It has recently updated its 2030 renewable target to 19.8 gigawatts from a previous 14.2 gigawatts. By the end of 2024, the Emirates' installed renewable energy capacity had reached 6.8 gigawatts, according to the Ministry of Energy.
