Masdar wins three Emirates Energy Award Prizes

Abu Dhabi: Masdar, Abu Dhabi's renewable energy company, on Sunday won three awards at the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy's inaugural Emirates Energy Award ceremony. Masdar was recognised for its achievements in developing large-scale renewable energy projects, designing buildings with high levels of energy efficiency and cultivating young professionals in the clean-energy sector. The Emirates Energy Award recognises and encourages best practices and leading initiatives in energy efficiency, alternative energy, sustainability and environmental protection. Masdar's 100-megawatt concentrated solar power (CSP) plant, Shams 1, received an award in the Large Energy Project category. Located in Abu Dhabi's Western Region, the world's largest operating CSP plant was inaugurated in March. Masdar City received an award in the Energy Efficiency category, and Abdulaziz Al Obaidli, a process performance engineer at Shams 1, was recognised with an award in the Young Professional Energy category. "We would like to extend our thanks to the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy for organising this award, and also congratulate them on the opening of the first phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park last week," said Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar. "We are proud to have been recognised for our achievements in developing large-scale renewable energy projects, our work to create energy-efficient buildings and - most importantly - our commitment to fostering future energy professionals. "Since its establishment in 2006, Masdar has been committed to redefining the way we produce and consume energy, while diversifying the U.A.E.'s economy and extending our energy leadership beyond hydrocarbons. We are proud of our achievements and are encouraged to continue driving forward the new energy industry here and abroad." Recognised for its innovative engineering, Shams 1 is the region's largest renewable energy plant, and is able to power up to 20,000 U.A.E. homes. The plant's features have been engineered to cope with the dry, sandy conditions of the U.A.E. desert, whilst maintaining a constant supply of clean energy to the U.A.E. grid. In the category of Energy Efficiency, the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology buildings in Masdar City were recognised for their ability to reduce energy and water demand by 40 per cent against international sustainability standards. Young Professional Energy Award winner Abdulaziz Al Obaidli was noted for his participation in the development of Shams 1 from its early stages, and for his research into the impact of dust and humidity on solar energy collectors in desert areas such as the UAE, which contributed to the development and improved efficiency of the plant. – Emirates News Agency, WAM