Kezad Group, a subsidiary of AD Ports Group, signed an agreement with French energy company TotalEnergies to explore solar power generation in its economic zone. According to the agreement, the two companies will conduct a series of feasibility studies on distributed solar power generation in Kezad, covering economic, commercial, regulatory and technical aspects. The deal was signed with Total Energy's Renewable Distributed Generation Company, which develops and operates solar installations for industrial and commercial customers.

Mohamed Al Ahmed, CEO of Kezad Group, said that we are eager to realize the full potential of distributed solar power generation in Kezad Group's integrated ecosystem, enhance the value proposition we can provide for investors, and support the sustainable development goals of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates.

AD Ports, the operator of Abu Dhabi's industrial cities and free zones, established the Kezad Group in September to consolidate and develop its economic cities and free zone products, as it seeks to strengthen the emirate's position as an industrial and manufacturing center. The company's Abu Dhabi Khalifa Industrial Zone and ZonesCorp have been merged into the newly established Kezad Group, which consists of 12 economic zones with a total area of 550 square kilometers, of which 100 square kilometers are designated as free zones.

The United Arab Emirates is pursuing the goal of reducing its carbon footprint and will become the first country in the Middle East to set a net zero goal in 2021. The UAE aims to be carbon neutral by 2050 and plans to invest US $160 billion in clean and renewable energy in the next three decades. It is building a five gigawatt Mohamed bin Rashid solar park in Dubai. Abu Dhabi is developing a two gigawatt solar power plant in its Al Dhafra region and has set a target of 5.6 gigawatt solar photovoltaic capacity by 2026.

Hamady Sy, Managing Director of Total Renewable Energy Middle East and Africa Distributed Generation, said that the agreement is a stepping stone to many future opportunities. The UAE has also been investing heavily in renewable energy projects in other markets. Abu Dhabi clean energy company Masdar signed a preliminary agreement with Jordan's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to develop renewable energy projects in Jordan and strengthen its commitment to sustainability and decarbonization. The two entities will explore investing in renewable energy projects in Jordan with a capacity of up to 2 GW.

Masdar has more than 20 billion dollars of investment in the world, and as countries focus on reducing emissions to limit global warming, Masdar is rapidly expanding its renewable energy portfolio. In 2022, the company signed a series of new agreements to explore and develop renewable energy and green hydrogen energy projects. Previously, it increased its global clean energy portfolio capacity by 40% in 2021.

AMEA Power, headquartered in Dubai, signed a framework agreement with Egypt to develop a 1000 MW green hydrogen project for the production of green ammonia. The project will be located in Suez Province, Egypt, and will have the capacity to produce 800000 tons of green ammonia annually for domestic use and export.Editor/Xing Wentao