Masdar has built renewable energy projects in more than 30 countries around the world. Courtesy: Masdar
Masdar has built renewable energy projects in more than 30 countries around the world. Courtesy: Masdar
Masdar has built renewable energy projects in more than 30 countries around the world. Courtesy: Masdar
Masdar has built renewable energy projects in more than 30 countries around the world. Courtesy: Masdar

Masdar signs deal to develop $200m solar project in Azerbaijan


Fareed Rahman
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  • Arabic

Masdar plans to develop a 230-megawatt solar project in Azerbaijan as Abu Dhabi’s clean energy company continues to expand its renewable energy portfolio.

The company signed two separate deals including an investment agreement with Azerbaijan’s ministry of energy and a power purchase and transmission connection agreement with state-owned power company Azerenerji to provide a revenue stream, Masdar said in a statement on Wednesday.

The project is Azerbaijan's first solar plant, funded through foreign investment.

“By signing these contracts for a solar power plant worth about $200 million, we are one step closer to our goals for renewable energy and carbon emissions,” Parviz Shahbazov, minister of energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, said.

“The solar power plant to be built in Baku and Absheron district will produce about 500 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, save 110 million cubic metres of natural gas, reduce carbon emissions by 200,000 tonnes, create new jobs and attract other investors to new projects.”

Azerbaijan plans to increase its installed power capacity to 30 per cent from renewable sources by 2030, in an effort to diversify its economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The plant built by Masdar is expected to start commercial operation in early 2023.

“For the UAE, it is important that our actions on climate always amplify the efforts of others around the world,” Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, who attended the signing ceremony online, said.

“This partnership with Azerbaijan is a great opportunity to leverage our collective wills on this key issue to work towards meeting global climate goals, reducing environmental impacts and creating new knowledge, skills and jobs.”

Masdar, fully owned by Mubadala Investment Company, is a major player in the renewable energy sector across the globe. It currently operates in more than 30 countries with a total renewable energy capacity of 10.7 gigawatts representing a combined investment of approximately $19.9 billion.

It is also active in other countries in Central Asia including Uzbekistan, Armenia and Kazakhstan.

The company is building two clean energy projects in Uzbekistan – a 500 megawatt utility-scale wind project and a 100MW solar plant, worth $100m, in the Zarafshon district of the Navoi region.

It also signed a memorandum of understanding with Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund, Samruk-Kazyna, to develop renewable energy projects in the country earlier this year.

“This project marks a significant stage in Azerbaijan’s clean energy transition. Masdar has taken an active role in addressing climate change since 2006 and today we are a catalyst for renewable energy in more than 30 countries around the world,” Mohamed Al Ramahi, chief executive of Masdar, said.

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A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

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Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).

The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net

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Abu Dhabi GP starting grid

1 Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2 Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

3 Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

4 Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

5 Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)

6 Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

7 Romain Grosjean (Haas)

8 Charles Leclerc (Sauber)

9 Esteban Ocon (Force India)

10 Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)

11 Carlos Sainz (Renault)

12 Marcus Ericsson (Sauber)

13 Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

14 Sergio Perez (Force India)

15 Fernando Alonso (McLaren)

16 Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)

17 Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)

18 Stoffe Vandoorne (McLaren)

19 Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)

20 Lance Stroll (Williams)

SPECS
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Coming soon

Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura

When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Akira Back Dubai

Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as,  “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems. 

Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
  • Ban fruit juice and sodas
  • Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
  • Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
  • Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
  • Don’t eat dessert every day 
  • Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
  • Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
  • Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
  • Eat everything in moderation
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While you're here
Teams

Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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