Emerge, a joint venture between Masdar and EDF Group, has signed an agreement to install a 980kWp rooftop solar plant for Dubai Maritime City that will offset 780 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year.

The project is part of a wider energy transition led by DP World, the parent company of Dubai Maritime City, to facilitate the widespread adoption of renewable energy and battery energy storage systems (BESS) within DP World’s global supply chain.

Situated on the roof of the staff accommodation building and consisting of more than 1,700 solar modules, the plant will be delivered by Emerge as a turnkey solution, including finance, design, procurement, construction, operations, and maintenance of the solar modules for 25 years.

Michel Abi Saab, Emerge General Manager, said: “Our agreement with Dubai Maritime City to install a rooftop solar plant builds on the success we have enjoyed in developing several projects in the UAE since Emerge was formed as an energy services company offering full turnkey solutions at no upfront cost to the client. We are proud to support this project and to significantly contribute to the Dubai Maritime City’s decarbonization goals.”

Ahmed Al Hammadi, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Maritime City, DP World, said: “The deployment of clean energy is a central part of our sustainability strategy to become carbon neutral by 2040 and net zero carbon by 2050. We are excited to partner with innovative companies like Emerge and Masdar to accelerate our transition to renewables and look forward to starting work on this solar plant at Dubai Maritime City.”

Emerge, a joint venture between Masdar and EDF Group, was formed in 2021 to develop distributed solar, energy storage, and hybrid solutions for commercial and industrial applications. As an energy services company, Emerge offers clients full turnkey solutions through solar power agreements at no up-front cost to the client.

The project contributes to the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 initiative, which aims to see renewable energy make up 44 per cent of the country’s clean energy mix by 2050. Rooftop solar PV could provide approximately 6 per cent of the UAE’s total power generation by 2030, according to a projection by the International Renewable Energy Agency in its REmap 2030 report on renewable energy prospects for the UAE.