Masdar’s 24/7 Breakthrough Shows How Renewables Can Power The AI Boom

Masdar’s 24/7 Solar-Plus-Battery Project

Masdar

Masdar’s solar-plus-battery project in Abu Dhabi has broken ground just as artificial intelligence begins to reshape global energy demand. It’s the world’s first gigawatt-scale renewable project that will operate 24/7, providing solid assurance to the question haunting policymakers and tech leaders alike: Can clean energy keep pace with the digital revolution?

The project, officially commissioned earlier this year, pairs one gigawatt of solar generation with 19 gigawatt-hours of battery storage to deliver continuous power to the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), Abu Dhabi’s sole electricity procurer. In simple terms, that’s enough power to light 500,000 homes—a reminder of how energy-hungry the digital world is becoming. For the first time, a renewable system is providing what used to be the domain of fossil fuels—baseload power—without subsidies and at competitive rates.

“For years, critics said renewables couldn’t deliver baseload power,” Dr. Ibraheem Almansouri, director of engineering for Masdar, told me. “This project proves that clean energy can be as reliable—and as competitive—as any fossil system.”

Reliability is paramount. As data centers proliferate to support the rapid growth of AI, global electricity demand is skyrocketing. According to the International Energy Agency, worldwide electricity from data centers and AI could reach 945 terawatt-hours by 2030—almost equal to Japan’s entire annual electricity use.

The UAE—where AI now guides the country’s national development strategy—is already accelerating its energy infrastructure to keep pace. The solar-plus-battery project utilizes lithium-iron-phosphate batteries—a more stable and longer-lasting form of lithium-ion technology that’s becoming the grid’s chemistry of choice, as it sacrifices a bit of energy density for greater safety and durability.

AI’s energy profile differs sharply from that of traditional industries. Data centers operate continuously, often clustered in high-load zones where local power grids are already strained. In many countries, the rise of AI threatens to push utilities back toward coal to avoid brownouts. Masdar’s 24/7 system points to another path—using renewables, reinforced by batteries, to power the AI era without reversing decarbonization progress.

According to Wood Mackenzie, the Middle East and Africa now boast the lowest levelized cost of electricity for utility-scale solar power globally—meaning the average lifetime cost to generate a unit of electricity is the lowest in the world.

At the project’s launch, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Masdar’s founding CEO, framed the achievement as part of a broader transformation. “The world cannot afford to pit economic growth against climate action,” he said. “Innovation like this shows that we can—and must—pursue both.”

From Concept To Reality

Masdar’s round-the-clock project is more than an engineering success; it marks a strategic shift in how countries think about clean power. For years, the primary critique of renewables has been their intermittency—that solar and wind energy disappear when the sun sets or the wind stops blowing. By combining large-scale generation with high-capacity batteries, Masdar has effectively erased that limitation.

The system’s design allows it to discharge stored solar energy overnight or during cloudy periods, providing steady output to the grid. Partnering with EWEC ensures the electricity is fully integrated into Abu Dhabi’s distribution network and available to high-demand clients, including data centers driving the AI boom.

“This is additive power,” explains Almansouri. “We’re not replacing existing supply; we’re expanding capacity to meet new demand—the kind being created by AI. The round-the-clock model provides the steady current that digital infrastructure requires.”

Equally important, the project was developed without subsidies. This shows that renewables, along with storage, can compete with traditional baseload generation on cost—a key point for energy markets worldwide and vital for achieving global carbon reduction goals.

To that end, Masdar’s ambitions extend well beyond the Gulf. Operating in more than 40 countries, the company plans to recreate its round-the-clock model globally. The UAE project now serves as a blueprint for similar ventures, including a 500-megawatt 24/7 solar project and a 600-megawatt battery-wind farm in Kazakhstan, both of which were announced earlier this year.

Indeed, Masdar designed the project to be modular and replicable, recognizing that each country has a different green energy mix. The company’s 20 years of experience in renewable energy, combined with strong partnerships in engineering, finance, and government, enable it to quickly deploy complex clean-energy systems. This skill becomes increasingly valuable as governments aim to decarbonize heavy industries and digital infrastructure.

Skepticism And Structural Challenges

Still, questions remain. Large-scale battery systems require significant capital outlays — Masdar spent $6 billion — and replicating its success in countries with fragmented electricity markets could prove challenging. Integrating renewables into national grids demands policy coordination, long-term contracts, and, in some cases, market redesign. Analysts also warn that while battery costs have fallen sharply, future price declines may slow. And unlike the UAE—where EWEC’s centralized procurement simplifies integration—many countries lack a single buyer capable of guaranteeing 24-hour delivery contracts.

Dr. Almansouri acknowledges those concerns but views them as part of the natural evolution of clean energy. “Innovation always meets skepticism. In 2008, people doubted renewables could scale at all. This round-the-clock project shows that the economics—and the technology—have turned the corner.”

The implications extend far beyond the energy sector. AI’s rise has become the new test of economic competitiveness, and access to clean, reliable power will determine which regions will lead. If the IEA’s projection proves accurate, the electricity needed to power AI and digital infrastructure by 2030 would rival that of an entire major industrial nation. Without parallel advances in renewables and storage, that growth could derail climate goals—and trigger a greater reliance on fossil fuels.

Masdar’s 24/7 model offers a different outcome. By transforming solar power into a continuous resource, it ensures that AI’s growth can align with, rather than threaten, the world’s decarbonization targets. This project will prevent 5.7 million tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. Imagine the impact if this concept is duplicated.

“For us, this isn’t just about one project,” Almansouri says. “It’s about proving that renewables can serve the next generation of industry—including artificial intelligence — without compromise. We’re not saying this is the only solution. But it’s a powerful tool in the energy kit—one that proves clean energy can keep pace with human progress.”

In other words, the race to electrify intelligence is in full swing. The question is no longer if renewables can keep the lights on—it’s whether the world can deliver this type of innovation quickly enough to satisfy AI’s demand for clean power.