Masdar, the leading provider of renewable energy in the UAE, has announced that it has reached agreements with three nations—Angola, Uganda, and Zambia—to create renewable energy projects with a maximum combined capacity of 5 GW at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2023.
The transactions were completed as part of the “Etihad 7” project, a UAE-led initiative aimed at raising public and private-sector funds to participate in the development of Africa’s renewable energy industry. It was launched at ADSW 2022 by Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State in the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC), with the aim of achieving 20 GW of capacity to supply 100 million people across the continent with clean electricity by 2035.
The Minister said, “The UAE and African nations share a firm belief in the tremendous potential that clean energy offers Africa to unlock economic and climate action progress.” Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Chairman of Masdar, mentioned that the UAE is committed to advancing sustainable development in the Global South, and these agreements will be transformative for local communities and will help African nations to drive economic growth for their people while still meeting net-zero objectives.
Under the Etihad 7, the UAE inked an agreement with Angola for the development of renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 2 GW. With Uganda, it will be developing greenfield renewable projects with a total installed capacity of 1 GW. In Zambia, Masdar signed an agreement with ZESCO Limited for the joint development of solar, wind, and hydroelectricity projects with a total capacity of 2 GW.
Angola’s Energy and Water Minister, Joao Baptista Borges, stated that the 2 GW of renewable energy projects with Masdar will improve production capacity, create jobs, and improve access to electricity for the Anglolan people.
Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, Minister of Energy of Uganda, said, “The Government of Uganda is delighted about the partnership with Masdar that will enable the addition of 1 GW of renewable energy to Uganda’s generation capacity. This will go a long way toward contributing to the attainment of our universal access goals and our energy transition goals. We look forward to developing this project within the agreed timeframe.”
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said, “As part of Masdar’s new shareholding structure launched in December, we have a goal of delivering 100 GW of clean energy around the world by 2030. With Africa’s massive projected development and growth and low current clean energy penetration levels, we see enormous potential for the renewable energy sector across the continent.”
According to recent International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) research, less than half of the population in sub-Saharan Africa has access to electricity. Only 20% of the total is generated by RE-based power. Masdar appears to be seeking to take advantage of the continent’s enormous potential, which is estimated to be 850 terawatts (TW) of solar and wind energy. The company is also working on projects in Morocco, the Seychelles, Mauritania, Tunisia, and Egypt.
