The Masdar Institute (MI) has teamed up with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) headed by Denmark’s former Prime Minister, and the Research Institute for Industrial Science and Technology (RIST) from South Korea to develop a 100% renewable energy micro-grid in Abu Dhabi. MI initially proposed the micro-grid idea to GGGI, which is chaired by Lars Rasmussen, in October, 2011, and has since received a pledge of $1 million from GGGI and POSCO – one of the world’s leading steel manufacturers to see it to fruition.
Led by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Directorate for Energy & Climate Change and coordinated by the GGGI, the project was recently launched at the Shangri-la Hotel in Abu Dhabi.
MI and RIST jointly unveiled their conceptual design for the renewable energy micro-grid, which is slated for eventual construction on an island in the oil-dependent Gulf nation.
Their design calls for a control system, energy storage, and a high efficiency DC distribution system that can accommodate energy produced by everything from solar photovoltaic panels to biofuel from waste and algae.
The micro-grid can also link up to desalination plants and provide energy for electric boats.
South Korea has become a leader in smart grid technology, according to a recent MI press release that sites the nation’s success with the Jeju Island smart grid demonstration project, making RIST an obvious partner for both GGGI and MI.
The new island-based renewable energy micro-grid project will become Jeju’s sister project, and the initial model and action plan will make its debut at the 2013 World Future Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi.
Image credit: dramatic energy, Shutterstock
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
