Masdar to expand in South-East Asia and Israel with new renewable energy projects

The company is bullish on new opportunities in Indonesia

Abu Dhabi National Energy Company along with other partners reached a financial close on the world’s largest solar power plant being built in Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi.. Wam

Abu Dhabi’s clean energy company Masdar aims to expand into a number of countries in South-East Asia, Central Asia and Israel with new renewable projects, according to the firm's top executives.

In South-East Asia, the company is looking at starting new projects in Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. In Central Asia, it sees potential for growth in Uzbekistan.

“We will continue to operate in our conventional markets in the Middle East and [look for opportunities] in new markets in Asia led by Indonesia and also the Central Asian market,” Yousif Al Ali, executive director of clean energy at Masdar, said during a virtual press conference.

The company is specifically bullish about new opportunities in Indonesia, South-East Asia's largest economy.

Earlier this month, it announced a joint venture with a subsidiary of Indonesia’s electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara to develop the 145-megawatt floating photovoltaic power plant in Cirata reservoir in West Java with a total investment of $100 million. The project was announced at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2020.

“We would like to continue exploring more projects with our local partner whether in the West Java area or other remote areas as well,” Aysha Al Aydaroos, head of business support for clean energy at Masdar, said. “We have the capability of working in small to medium-sized projects in remote locations, even in areas that have no access to electricity.”

The company already “had discussions on the ground” in a number of countries in South-East Asia, she added.

“We spoke to the relevant ministry of energy, [are] looking at potential auctions that are going to be in the pipeline or creating opportunities from scratch.”

Masdar, which is wholly owned by Mubadala Investment Company, more than doubled its renewable energy capacity to 10.7 gigawatts this year despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, she said.

The company is also eyeing new investment opportunities in Israel following the normalisation of relations between Tel Aviv and the UAE earlier this year. Masdar is looking at potential partnerships in the country either with a local company or an international firm to start new projects.

"Our ultimate goal is to participate in an auction that will be announced by the government," Mr Al Ali, said. "In the next auction in the country, Masdar will be there. It is an important market and will dedicate all efforts to have a presence in the market."

The UAE and Israel have forged a number of pacts since normalising relations in September to foster co-operation in sectors ranging from aviation to finance.

In June, Masdar also signed a power purchase agreement with the government of Uzbekistan to design, finance, build and operate a 500-megawatt, utility-scale wind project. The company plans to expand further in the central Asian republic.

Masdar currently operates in more than 30 countries including the UAE, Morocco, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the US. It is also active in Europe, the UK and Australia.

Earlier this year, Masdar widened its footprint in the US after acquiring stakes in eight projects being developed by EDF Renewables North America.

“We hope we will be able to continue the same approach and expand our capacity in the next two to five years. We are in over 30 countries and have the right base in doubling the capacity," Mr Al Ali said.

A consortium led by Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) and Masdar, in partnership with France's EDF and JinkoPower, are developing the world's largest solar power plant in Abu Dhabi with a total capacity of 2 gigawatts.