The ambitious $19 billion Masdar City is already six years into production and has been set a completion date of between 2020 and 2025 (having worked with builders before I'd suggest that you should read this as "2025 at the earliest"). It will be the world's first zero-carbon and zero-waste city, developed by Abu Dhabi, the Mubadala Development Company and the British architectural firm Foster and Partners.
The city will be built 17km from downtown Abu Dhabi and will cover approximately 6km². It will include several different renewable energy sources. The main source of power will be a 60 megawatt solar power plant, being constructed by Conergy, with plans for more as the city grows. There will also be; wind farms, geothermal energy plants, waste incineration, solar-powered desalination and grey water recycling.
The United Arab Emirates hope that Masdar will not only be a model for sustainable cities and renewable technologies, but also a haven for renewable energy companies, green energy technology research, development and investment, and carbon resource management. In order to attract the technology companies the city has already established, in cooperation with MIT, The Masdar Institute, a world-class research university that will be a source of innovation, R&D and highly skilled graduates.
"Masdar City is a high-density, pedestrian-friendly (no cars are allowed) development where current and future renewable energy and clean technologies are showcased, marketed, researched, developed, tested and implemented." Link
Upon completion the city will house 40,000 permanent residents and hundreds of businesses. It will be the first time that a range of renewable energy and sustainable technologies have been integrated across a living and working community.
Let's hope that when the city is completed in 2025, green, sustainable technologies and businesses will be more popular in the major power centres of North America, Europe, and Asia. Companies such as Siemens and GE have already pledged to base operations in Masdar. With more support Masdar City could become the model for the future that its designers hope for, and we could see more sustainable energies and technologies integrated into cities around the world.
By. James Burgess of Oilprice.com
James Burgess studied Business Management at the University of Nottingham. He has worked in property development, chartered surveying, marketing, law, and accounts. He has also… More