On Sunday, in the first of a six-part series, The National takes you inside the new centres driving Abu Dhabi’s bid to be a world-leader in sustainable living
ABU DHABI // At least 7 per cent of the UAE’s energy use must come from renewable sources by 2020.
That is the Government’s ambitious target for the country.
Last summer, a new research unit was established at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology to help meet this goal.
“We work [to] develop sustainable technologies within the energy sector in the UAE and around the world,” said Jens Schmidt, a professor in biofuels at Masdar’s chemical engineering programme and head of the iEnergy centre.
“Our purpose is to develop knowledge and technologies. We want to do high-ranked research to help the UAE achieve the goal of 7 per cent energy consumption to be covered by renewables.”
The research unit has 35 researchers who work with industry groups across the country.
Their research includes sustainability production, energy transmission and distribution, energy storage (typically solar), energy-efficiency and bio-materials.
One of the centre’s projects involves collaboration with Masdar’s Sustainable Biofuels Research Consortium on the production of biofuels.
The consortium comprises of Etihad Airways, Boeing, Honeywell and Safra, a petrochemical solvents producer.
The centre also works on improving the efficiency of cooling units, and has managed to reduce energy costs by 20 per cent within a year, according to Prof Schmidt.
He said with 200 students assisting with the research, Masdar was on the right track to advance the UAE’s sustainable-energy goal.
As the country’s oil wealth would not last forever, it was important that the country pursue the use of sustainable energy sources, he said. “If you want to achieve the 7 per cent goal and have an income 100 to 200 years from now, then this is really important,” said Prof Schmidt. “Now, it’s about 1 to 2 per cent, but the goal is achievable as we look to the future because, somehow, we are forced to think outside the box.”
Meanwhile, Masdar has also started a project with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) to achieve 70 per cent enhanced oil recovery.
“The best oilfields have 15 to 20 per cent, but Adnoc is looking to achieve that within five to 10 years,” said Prof Schmidt. “We can accomplish a lot by being in close dialogue with stakeholders.”
Thomasz Bochenski, a 26-year-old Danish student, moved to Abu Dhabi to study at Masdar. “I studied biotechnology and it is the only university that works with sustainable energy in the area,” he said. “I thought it would be interesting to merge my knowledge in molecular biology in this sustainable-engineering context.”
He said he was interested in the topic, as it covered many aspects.
“It’s a systematic thing – one change might not lead to the immediate breakthrough but it is a combination of factors that will enable us to live more sustainably,” said Mr Bochenski.
Fang Chuanji, a 33-year-old student from China, studied chemical engineering before working in the biofuels sector.
“I became interested in the bigger [picture],” said Mr Fang. “On one hand, I find that this industry can create many jobs and, on another hand, it is very useful to our world to change the climate. So I think why not choose this area for the future?”
He said he was hopeful about achieving the UAE’s sustainable-energy goal. “I don’t think it’s so big a challenge,” he said. “I’m confident about the UAE because the Government invests a lot of money in this area and I think it will succeed.”
cmalek@thenational.ae