UAE Defence goes green: Solar power now fuels Abu Dhabi cooling plants

The UAE Ministry of Defence, Tabreed, and Emerge, a joint venture between the UAE’s Masdar and France’s EDF Group,  have completed a solar integration project. The initiative adds 2.4 MW of solar power to two district cooling plants in Abu Dhabi. About 4,000 solar panels were installed to supply electricity for thermal storage and chilled water pumps. This reduces grid reliance during peak demand and avoids over 2,600 tons of CO2 annually. A 25-year agreement for the solar PV plants was signed in March 2024. The project supports the UAE Armed Forces Climate Change Strategy announced in December 2023. Senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, Tabreed, and Emerge inaugurated the project.