Following the inauguration event, Enviromena CEO Sami Khoreibi commented: "This represents a major milestone in the development of Masdar City and Abu Dhabi's decision to achieve a seven percent renewable energy target by 2020."
The 212,000 m2 (55 acre) solar system is comprised of 87,777 photovoltaic (PV) modules and will produce 17,500 MWh of clean energy each year, offsetting approximately 15,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. The plant will produce energy to power the initial construction activities of Masdar City. According to the project managers, the AED185 million project is one the most quickly constructed and cost-efficient solar PV installations in the world in terms of projected power output.
Masdar City is the world's first carbon neutral, zero waste city fully powered by renewable energy. The city's development is part of the Masdar Initiative, a multi-faceted Abu Dhabi initiative wholly owned by the Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala) to advance the development, commercialisation, and deployment of renewable energy.