Abu Dhabi clean energy company Masdar has completed the acquisition of a 49 per cent stake in 3-gigawatt Dogger Bank South (DBS) project, one of the world’s largest planned offshore wind farms, as it continues to expand its presence across renewable energy markets in the UK and globally.
The acquisition is part of an £11 billion ($14 billion) joint investment in the UK’s renewable energy sector with German company RWE, which retains a 51 per cent stake.
The drive is expected to boost the UK economy and demonstrates the UAE’s commitment to supporting net-zero goals in Britain and around the world, Masdar said in a statement on Thursday.
It builds on the £10 billion UAE-UK sovereign investment partnership that aims to invest in technology, infrastructure and energy transition.
“The addition of the Dogger Bank South project demonstrates our commitment to developing Masdar’s offshore wind capacity and expertise as an important component in our pursuit of the target of 100GW renewable energy portfolio capacity by 2030,” Masdar’s chief executive Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said.
About 100km off the north-eastern coast of England, the DBS wind farm will be split across two sites – DBS East and DBS West – each with a capacity of 1.5GW and spanning 500 square kilometres.
The mega-plant is expected to generate enough electricity to power three million UK homes and will lead to the creation of 2,000 jobs during construction and more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs in the operational phase.
The transaction is important for the “further development of offshore wind in the UK, one of our core strategic markets”, said Markus Krebber, RWE’s chief executive.
“Together with Masdar we aim to … make a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of the UK’s energy system.”
Masdar and RWE signed an agreement to work together on the DBS projects at Cop28 in the UAE last December.
Construction on the projects is expected to start at the end of 2025, with the first 800MW of electricity planned to come online in 2029. The projects are expected to be fully commissioned by the end of 2031.
Masdar is supporting offshore wind projects globally.
Nearly a decade ago, Masdar, RWE and partners launched the 630MW London Array wind farm, the world’s largest at the time. Masdar has also invested in the 30MW Hywind project – the world’s first floating offshore wind farm – and the 402MW Dudgeon offshore wind farm.
Last year, it agreed to co-invest in the 476MW Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm, which will power 475,000 homes.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Arrogate's winning run
1. Maiden Special Weight, Santa Anita Park, June 5, 2016
2. Allowance Optional Claiming, Santa Anita Park, June 24, 2016
3. Allowance Optional Claiming, Del Mar, August 4, 2016
4. Travers Stakes, Saratoga, August 27, 2016
5. Breeders' Cup Classic, Santa Anita Park, November 5, 2016
6. Pegasus World Cup, Gulfstream Park, January 28, 2017
7. Dubai World Cup, Meydan Racecourse, March 25, 2017
England-South Africa Test series
1st Test England win by 211 runs at Lord's, London
2nd Test South Africa win by 340 runs at Trent Bridge, Nottingham
3rd Test July 27-31 at The Oval, London
4th Test August 4-8 at Old Trafford, Manchester
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