Abu Dhabi prepares to pilot micro-grid

The partnership will see the development of a micro-grid powered entirely by renewable energy.

Abu Dhabi is set to pilot a state-of-the-art micro-grid that is powered by 100% renewable electricity, as part of a new public-private partnership between the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), Masdar Institute and South Korea’s Research Institute for industrial Science and Technology (RIST). The project is being supported by around US $1 million in funding from GGGI and steel producer POSCO.

The research project will be coordinated by GGGI, and will use the expertise of Masdar Institute to design and simulate micro-grids with renewable energy.

“This project is another power example of the leading role Abu Dhabi and the UAE are playing in clean energy innovation. Masdar has funded development projects on small islands that can potentially benefit from micro-grids, and we are interested in their potential role in supporting renewable energy deployment in rural areas,” said Masdar CEO and UAE Special Envoy for Energy and Climate Change, Dr Sultan Al Jaber.

During the launch of the partnership, the project team demonstrated a conceptual design for an island-based renewable micro-grid. This involved a control system, energy storage and a high-efficiency DC distribution system, and was designed to integrate solar PV, small wind power and biofuel production from waste and algae.

RIST executive VP Dr Hee Don Chun said: “The UAE project will benefit from the outcomes of research already conducted on Jeju Island [South Korea] and we are confident the expertise from Masdar Institute will further stimulate innovation in micro-grids which is optimised in MENA region environment. In addition, RIST will seek further opportunities for collaboration with MI in terms of green technology research based on each institute’s core competence.”