Masdar is an Energy Company based on Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The company is a subsidiary of Mubadala Development which has over $55 Billion in assets, and it is a Government Owned – Joint Stock Company.
The Company’s mission is to focus its investments in renewable energy and clean technology throughout the world. In 2006 a development called “Masdar City” was initiated and the goal of the development is to construct a city of an area of 1,582 Acres, which will rely entirely on solar energy and other renewable energy sources. This city will also aim to conform to a zero waste ecology policy.
Talk about hard work? …
The development is divided into two sectors. It will be bridged by a linear park, and is being constructed in phases. The first phase is the larger sector. The plan is designed to be flexible, because this will allow the City to benefit from emerging technologies. The development was initially planned to be completed by 2016. The first phase of the development was going smoothly until 2009-2010 when the global economic downturn of the 21st century began. We know this as the “Great Recession” or in my opinion – it might as well be called a “Depression”.
The good news is that some buildings in the city have been occupied since 2010. Phase 1 of the development is now set to be completed in 2015 and the development completion date for Masdar City has been pushed as far as 2025 (assuming no more “Great Recessions”).
Behind the engineering plans of this development is the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and is also receiving cooperation from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Currently, the electricity and water used to create the buildings is about 70% less than normal buildings of similar size. Masdar plans to host the world’s largest hydrogen power plant; and it also calculates their total solar energy production up to 130 Megawatts. The land surrounding the city will contain wind and photovoltaic farms, research fields and plantations, and will allow the community to be entirely energy self-sufficient.
In Masdar City, everything is about being healthy! Even though it’s in a desert, the city is designed to encourage walking. It uses its shaded streets and courtyards to offer an attractive pedestrian environment, and is sheltered from climatic extremes.
The development provides the highest quality of living and working environment with the lowest possible carbon footprint. Maybe it will be used as a case study for all other future cities… only time can tell.
GOOD BUSINESS 