Emerge, a joint venture between Masdar and EDF Group, has signed an agreement to install a 3MWp rooftop solar PV plant for leading UAE steel pipe manufacturer and exporter, AJ Steel Pipes.
The decarbonization of “hard-to-abate” industries is one of the priorities identified at COP28 for achieving a carbon neutral future. Steel companies such as AJ Steel Pipes are looking to utilize efficient and carbon-free solutions that combine innovation and technology to achieve a more sustainable operation.
Situated on the roof of AJ Steel Pipes’s facilities in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, the plant will offset over 2,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year and generate more than 5,000MWh of electricity annually.
The plant, consisting of more than 5,000 solar PV modules, 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: "The development of this project will enable AJ Steel Pipes to lower energy costs and reduce its carbon footprint, while supporting the UAE’s goals to diversify its energy mix.
"Since Emerge was formed a few years ago, we have rapidly expanded our portfolio, demonstrating the value we provide as an energy services company to our clients. We are extremely proud to welcome AJ Steel Pipes as a client and look forward to working with its team to support the company’s decarbonization goals."
M Ismail, AJ Steel Pipes Executive Director, said: "It is heartening to see this affirmative action towards achieving the goal of green steel. The lease business model meets with our business philosophy to not invest in non-core assets and use third party experts to get best efficiency and state of the art technology.
"Our participation in COP28 and the leadership role of the COP28 President and UAE's Special Envoy for Climate Change, H.E. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, have contributed in seeing this day. We are very proud of our association with Emerge."
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 clean energy make up 44 per cent of the country’s 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.