Masdar has reached financial close on what it has claimed is the world’s “first gigascale 24/7 renewable energy project”, supplied by BYD and Sungrow.
Abu Dhabi-based state-owned independent power producer Masdar has achieved financial close for what it describes as the world's first gigascale renewable energy project designed to provide continuous 24/7 electricity. The landmark development will use equipment supplied by BYD and Sungrow.
The project combines 5.2GW of solar generation with 19GWh of energy storage in a round-the-clock (RTC) solar-plus-storage configuration, carrying a total investment value of US$6.1 billion. Of that amount, US$5.1 billion in financing has recently been secured through a group of 13 domestic and international banks, while Masdar is contributing US$1 billion in equity.
According to Masdar, the unprecedented size of the installation—which it describes as "the largest and most technologically advanced system of its kind in the world"—allows it to provide renewable electricity throughout the day and night by integrating solar generation with battery energy storage systems (BESS). The company says the facility will supply 1GW of baseload solar power.
For the battery storage portion of the development, BYD will provide 11.275GWh of BESS capacity, while Sungrow will supply an additional 7.5GWh, in line with recent announcements. Earlier plans, however, had identified CATL in January 2025 as the supplier for the project's entire battery storage system, indicating that Masdar subsequently revised its supplier selection.
Construction at the Abu Dhabi site officially began in October 2025, with commercial operations expected to commence in 2027. The project is being developed jointly by Masdar and Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC). Based on statements from executives at both EWEC and Masdar about positioning the UAE as "a global hub for artificial intelligence research" and "redefining the role of renewable energy for the information age," the electricity generated is expected to support AI data centres. However, no official power purchase agreement or formal offtake arrangement has been announced.
Originally reported by Energy-Storage.News on Jul 20, 2026.
