The diplomat of sustainability

Situated in the desert of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Masdar City aspires to be one of the most sustainable cities in the world. As it takes shape, Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, Director of Sustainability at Masdar, explains this ambitious energy-saving project, and how it could serve as a role model all over the globe.

Creating Chemistry: Masdar City is growing fast. Your goal is to become a nearly zero-emissions city over the coming decades. Can you give us a short update on how successful your efforts have been so far?

Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany: Masdar City, an integrated unit of Masdar, is being built as the world’s most sustainable urban development. Several measures are being taken to ensure that it remains a low-carbon, low-waste city that can serve as a commercially viable role model for cities across the world. Masdar takes a multifaceted approach to the entire value chain of renewable energy and sustainability. Besides implementing energy efficiency measures, such as the use of recycled concrete in the construction of Masdar City, we are developing smart grids on several levels in partnership with global cleantech leaders.

Do such systems offer an opportunity for energy and cost savings?

They do in an enormous way, through an integrated grid that tracks and influences energy consumption all the way from the utility down to the consumer level. Smart appliances, meters, sensors, dashboards, building management systems and distribution management systems are all part of the integrated network. For example, Siemens’ Middle East headquarters, currently under construction in Masdar City, will meet the highest architectural and energy efficiency requirements – potentially resulting in a 45% reduction in energy consumption compared with the internationally acknowledged ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers) standard and a 50% reduction in water consumption.

Is construction inside Masdar City progressing well?

Yes, it is. The first completed neighborhood comprises the Masdar Institute and retail outlets including a bank, a grocery store and restaurants. The City also has a number of ongoing pilot projects. Some of the projects, for instance, encourage sustainable transportation and test the efficiency of electric vehicles, including the driverless electrical personal rapid transport system.

Can you tell us more about the energy requirements of Masdar City?

The entire demand of Masdar City is met by power generated through the 10-megawatt photovoltaic solar power plant – the Middle East’s largest grid-connected solar power plant – and the rooftop photovoltaic panels inside the city. Any excess power is fed back into the Abu Dhabi national grid. Masdar, the company that initiated the Masdar City project, has also developed other large-scale commercial renewable energy projects, both domestically and internationally. In Abu Dhabi, the company has developed the 100-megawatt Shams One plant, one of the world’s largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plants.

The plant can help save approximately 175,000 metric tons of CO₂ every year, equivalent to planting 1.5 million trees or taking 15,000 cars off city roads. Internationally, Masdar has developed the first commercial-scale 19.9-megawatt CSP plant in Southern Spain, Gemasolar, the world’s first solar power plant capable of 24-hour electricity generation. Masdar is now developing the twin 50-megawatt CSP plants Valle 1 and 2 in partnership with the Spanish development and technology group SENER. Besides solar power projects, Masdar is also developing one of the world’s largest planned offshore wind farms, London Array, in a partnership with DONG Energy and E.ON. It is also spearheading several renewable energy projects in developing countries such as Seychelles, Tonga and Afghanistan.

“Masdar City can serve as a commerically viable role model for cities across the world.”

Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, Director of Sustainability at Masdar City

Generally speaking, what can cities do to drive climate protection?

We can all agree that climate change is a threat that the global community shares. Rising temperatures and sea levels will have a major impact on our region and it is in our interest to find solutions. Our country is already gaining global visibility as a sustainability champion with an active role in international climate negotiations such as Rio+20. Inside Masdar City, we continue to improve energy efficiency standards in our buildings, invest in sustainable public transport and support public awareness campaigns to inform our society about how we can reduce emissions. And yes, there is no doubt that people can have a higher impact on saving energy when they have intrinsic motivation.

“I'm hoping my house will serve as a case study for all Abu Dhabi community members to identify ways in which they can implement sustainability measures in their own homes.”

Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany

How important is it for you to exchange information with experts from all over the world?

Working in Masdar City – a test bed for research, development and creation of scalable innovations in renewable energy and clean technologies for sustainable development – means that information exchange and knowledge sharing is part of our daily routine. On a personal level, I was appointed Sherpa (chief negotiator) to the U.N. Secretary General in the ‘The Sustainable Energy for All’ initiative to support the appointed principal, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the Chief Executive Officer of Masdar. I also serve on the boards of several regional and international initiatives and organizations: I’m a Co-Chairperson of Women for Sustainable Growth and I was part of the Sustainable Development Dialogue panel in Rio. These are all platforms for knowledge exchange that directly add to my experience and understanding of industry’s best practice.

Do you also aim to establish platforms for knowledge exchange in Masdar City itself?

On a wider scale, Masdar City and Masdar Institute of Science and Technology are attracting leading academics, researchers and businesses eager to situate themselves in an environment that will promote and adopt research, development and technological innovation. The new headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency will be based in this thriving environment, underscoring Masdar’s aim to become a global cooperative platform in the search for solutions to the pressing issues of energy security, climate change and the development of human expertise in sustainability.

Saving energy is a very important goal. How can we successfully rise to this challenge?

In theory, development that is sustainable and not damaging to the planet is achievable. In reality, there are challenges at every step, and so far, global efforts of moving towards sustainability in a collective manner, with a common framework, appear to have been quite feeble. Around the world, a large part of the population still lives without access to basic necessities. In the most fragile environmental conditions, the population typically has limited financial means and the least adequate resources to address these challenges. Integrating these societies into the economic and development programs can speed up the pace of sustainable development and contribute to improving their quality of life because it builds an entrepreneurial platform that has tremendous positive impact and yields long-term benefits for the communities engaged.

Does sustainability also play an important role in your private life?

On a personal level, I’m currently building my own home in a sustainable way which will reduce its impact on the environment and ultimately lower carbon emissions. I’m hoping it will serve as a case study for all Abu Dhabi community members to identify ways in which they can implement sustainability measures in their own homes.