• Yas Bay Waterfront Project will offset 425 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year as Miral drives sustainability efforts
  • Energizations advance clean energy deployment in UAE entertainment sector

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Emerge, a joint venture between the UAE’s Masdar and France’s EDF Group, has announced the successful energization of two high-profile solar photovoltaic (PV) projects on Yas Island at Yas Marina Circuit and Yas Bay Waterfront, Abu Dhabi’s vibrant day-to-night dining, entertainment and leisure destination.

The 1 megawatt peak (MWp) solar car park at Ethara’s Yas Marina Circuit, home to the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, will generate approximately 30 percent of Yas Marina Circuit’s total annual energy demand, equivalent to powering nearly 200 Abu Dhabi households and offsetting 900 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year.

Under its agreement with the venue’s operator, Ethara, Emerge has installed more than 1,800 solar modules across the car park of the track, which holds a capacity of 60,000 spectators, delivering a comprehensive turnkey solution for the project, including finance, design, procurement, construction, operations, and maintenance for 25 years.

The 520kWp Yas Bay Waterfront development for Miral involved the installation of over 900 solar modules, equivalent to powering around 100 Abu Dhabi households and offsetting 425 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year. The solution included finance, design, procurement and construction and Emerge will operate and maintain the solar modules.

 Jonathan Brown, Chief Portfolio Officer at Miral, said: We are thrilled to partner with Emerge once again to incorporate renewable energy solutions across our attractions and destinations, as part of our commitment to develop a sustainable future within the tourism industry. This project is a testament of our commitment in further positioning Yas Island as a top global destination for entertainment and leisure, while consistently priorisiting sustainable practices.”  

Hesham Al Jneibi, Yas Marina Circuit and Etihad Park General Manager, said: “We are extremely proud to have partnered with Emerge on these projects, which align with our goals at Ethara to meet Net Zero emissions over the coming years. We are keen to play our part in supporting the wide-scale sustainability efforts of the UAE, and we are focused on setting the new standard for responsible event and venue management through collaboration in the region.”

Michel Abi Saab, General Manager, Emerge, said: "The energization of these two solar projects on Yas Island shows the commitment by Miral and Ethara to sustainability and to minimizing their environmental footprint. These projects will deliver high-quality and reliable clean energy to Abu Dhabi’s race circuit and to one of its premier entertainment destinations, which attracts millions of visitors from home and abroad. The successful implementation of our projects demonstrates the compelling case for installing renewable energy projects at entertainment sites in the UAE.”

Yas Bay Waterfront is the third collaboration between Miral, the leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences in Abu Dhabi, and Emerge. In March 2023, Miral inaugurated Abu Dhabi's largest solar rooftop project at Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi, with an impressive 7-megawatt peak (MWp) capacity. The project incorporates approximately 16,000 solar modules across the theme park's roof area of 36,000 square meters and produces nearly 40 percent of its annual energy demand.

Emerge has also deployed on-site solar energy systems at the SeaWorld Abu Dhabi theme park, which has a capacity of 8.4 megawatts (MWp) and is scheduled to be commissioned during the second quarter of 2024.

Emerge, a joint venture between Masdar and EDF Group, was formed in 2021 to develop distributed solar, energy storage and hybrid solutions for commercial and industrial. As an energy services company, Emerge offers clients full turnkey solutions through solar power agreements and energy performance contracting at no upfront cost to the client.

About Miral

Miral is the leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences in Abu Dhabi, that contributes to the growth of the leisure and entertainment industry and Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification. It conceives, creates, operates, and manages immersive destinations and experiences that attract visitors from across the world to create unforgettable memories, accelerating the realization of the Emirate’s tourism vision and growth.

Responsible for the development of Yas Island and overseeing Saadiyat Island's Destination Management Strategy, Miral’s portfolio of world-class assets incorporates entertainment, leisure, culture, sport, dining, retail, and hospitality experiences, aiming to deliver millions of memorable moments for residents and international guests alike. These include SeaWorld Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi, CLYMB™ Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina, and Yas Bay Waterfront, home to the UAE’s largest indoor multi-purpose venue Etihad Arena, amongst others. Miral also has several projects being developed on Yas Island and across the emirate, including teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and a Harry Potter themed land within Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi.

Miral encompasses three subsidiaries: Miral Destinations, which promotes unique destinations; Miral Experiences, which operates a diverse portfolio of world-class, award-winning immersive experiences; and Yas Asset Management, which operates and manages a portfolio of vibrant destinations including F&B, retail, marinas and hospitality properties across Yas Island.

For more information, visit www.miral.ae.

About Ethara

Ethara is shaping the future of events and venues regionally and internationally. Headquartered on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, and with offices in Dubai and Riyadh, the company employs over 300 professionals who offer an unrivalled wealth of expertise, experience, knowledge, and skills in the entertainment industry. Ethara, meaning ‘thrill’ in Arabic, operates an impressive portfolio of assets, including Yas Marina Circuit, Etihad Park, Etihad Arena, and the Yas Conference Centre. The company works with leading events companies, IP owners, and entertainment partners locally and internationally to deliver world-class, first-to-market events and experiences.

For further information, visit: www.ethara.com

 About Emerge

Emerge is a joint venture between Masdar and EDF Group established to develop solar generation, energy storage and hybrid solutions in the Middle East. We support our commercial and industrial (C&I) partners in achieving their sustainability goals. A home-grown company, Emerge was founded in 2021 and has since established a robust performance record. Emerge provides clients with comprehensive renewable energy solutions via solar power agreements. Clients do not have to make any initial financial commitments. This empowers our customers to concentrate on their core operations while reducing operational and energy expenditures.

Website: https://emerge-energy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/emerge-energy-company

Email: info@emerge-energy.com

About Masdar

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) is the UAE’s clean energy champion and one of the world’s fastest growing renewable energy companies, advancing the development and deployment of renewable energy and green hydrogen technologies to address global sustainability challenges. Established in 2006, Masdar has developed and partnered in projects in over 40 countries, helping them to achieve their clean energy objectives and advance sustainable development. Masdar is jointly owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), and under this ownership the company is targeting a renewable energy portfolio capacity of at least 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. 

Contacts:

For media inquiries, please contact: press@masdar.ae

For more information please visit: http://www.masdar.ae and connect: facebook.com/masdar.ae and twitter.com/masdar

About EDF Group

The EDF Group is a key player in the energy transition, as an integrated energy operator engaged in all aspects of the energy business: power generation, distribution, trading, energy sales and energy services. The Group is a world leader in low-carbon energy, with a low carbon output of 434TWh, a diverse generation mix based mainly on nuclear and renewable energy (including hydropower). It is also investing in new technologies to support the energy transition. EDF’s raison d’être is to build a net zero energy future with electricity and innovative solutions and services, to help save the planet and drive well-being and economic development. The Group supplies energy and services to approximately 40.9

million customers (1) and generated consolidated sales of €139.7 billion in 2023.

Customers are counted per delivery site. A customer may have two delivery points.