UAE-based Tawazun Industrial Park (TIP) has signed a lease agreement with Yellow Door Energy, a leading sustainable energy partner for businesses in Middle East and Africa, for a 4,382 kW solar park project which is set for completion by year-end.
For the project, over 7,600 solar panels will be installed for both rooftop and carport applications. Once completed, the solar park is expected to produce 7.1 million kilowatt-hours of clean energy in the first year of operation, equivalent to reducing carbon emissions by 5,000 metric tonnes, the company said in a statement.
The agreement was signed at Tawazun Council Chalet at IDEX by Faiz Saleh Al Nahdi, Managing Director and CEO of TIP, and Jeremy Crane, CEO of Yellow Door, in the presence of several senior officials from both sides. Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi, CEO of Tawazun Council and Chairman of TIP, pointed out that sustainability was fundamental to the council and the Park’s strategies and operations.
“The initiative taken by TIP to expand the usage of renewable energy demonstrates our dedication to supporting the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 Strategy Plan and our keenness to strike a balance between industrial and technological progress and sustainable development,” he said.
Construction Installation will begin in the second quarter of 2023 and the project is expected to be operating by the end of 2023, it said. The TIP move comes as part of its celebration of ‘Year of Sustainability’ in UAE and in line with COP28’s objectives.
Al Nahdi added: “As the region’s premier defense and security park, we value security of all aspects and energy security is an integral part of our ethos. The 4.4 MW solar lease with Yellow Door Energy will enable us to secure our energy supply from a clean and reliable source of electricity, lower our electricity bills and contribute to the Nation’s Clean Energy by 2050 Strategy.”
He noted that the plant project is a new milestone in the Park’s sustainability strategy, promoting environmental preservation and reducing carbon emissions. Crane said:
“Yellow Door Energy is honoured to partner with Tawazun Industrial Park (TIP) on this solar lease, in time to celebrate the Year of Sustainability and contribute to COP28’s objectives.”
“Yellow Door Energy was founded in the UAE, and today we reaffirm our commitment to the nation by signing the solar lease in the capital. This is our first project in Abu Dhabi, and we look forward to providing more businesses in the emirate with affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for many years to come,” he added.
Solar projects in the UAE has been on the rise. Last month, Emerge, a joint venture between the UAE’s Masdar and France’s EDF signed an agreement with Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages, the soft drink brand’s bottler and distributor in the UAE, to develop a 1.8 megawatt (MWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) plant for its Al Ain facility.
Further, Masdar has signed agreements with Angola, Uganda, and Zambia to develop renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of up to 5 GW to help African nations make the energy transition. Three agreements were signed with these countries at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2023 under the umbrella of the Etihad 7 initiative.
