Masdar signs up Schneider as tenant for carbon neutral city

Schneider Electric, a French firm that builds electrical equipment, will construct a research and development centre at Masdar City focusing on boosting the energy efficiency of buildings, cooling systems and data centres. The deal adds to the growing list of major international engineering and technology firms that have signed up with Masdar, Abu Dhabi's carbon neutral showpiece city under development. Other tenants include General Electric of the US and a group of Swiss companies that will construct research facilities within the city. Schneider's technology will be put to use in the city and on Masdar's large solar power plants. The firm's presence would "catalyse the development of the clean technology cluster in Abu Dhabi", said Sultan al Jaber, the Masdar chief executive. "At the heart of Masdar City is a commitment to partnering with leading industry players, such as Schneider electric, to bring the latest technologies," he said. "Masdar City will be a global centre of research, development and real-world testing of cutting edge renewable energy and demand reduction technologies."