- The Etihad 7 initiative is a UAE-led initiative that aims to raise public- and private-sector funds to invest in the development of Africa’s renewable energy sector.
- HE Joao Baptista Borges, noted that the project would improve production capacity, create jobs and improve access to electricity by the Angolan people.
Masdar has demonstrated its commitment to helping African nations in their clean energy transition by signing agreements at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2023 with three countries- Angola, Uganda and Zambia. The aim is to develop renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of up to 5 gigawatts (GW). The agreements were signed under the umbrella of the Etihad 7 initiative, a UAE-led initiative that aims to raise public- and private-sector funds to invest in the development of Africa’s renewable energy sector. Etihad 7 was launched at ADSW 2022 by HE Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State in the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC), to achieve 20 GW capacity to supply 100 million people across the continent with clean electricity by 2035.
The agreements signed under the Etihad 7 umbrella at ADSW 2023 are:
- An agreement with Angola‘s Ministry of Energy and Water for developing renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 2 GW.
- An agreement with Zambia‘s Ministry of Energy and Zambian national utility ZESCO Limited for the joint development of develop solar, wind, and hydroelectricity projects with a total capacity of 2 GW.
- An agreement with Uganda‘s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development for the development of greenfield renewable projects with a total installed capacity of 1 GW.
Minister of Energy and Water, Republic of Angola, HE Joao Baptista Borges, noted that the project would improve production capacity, create jobs and improve access to electricity by the Angolan people. Also, HE Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Republic of Uganda, expressed the delight of the Government of Uganda over the partnership with Masdar on adding 1 GW of renewable energy to Uganda’s generation capacity. He noted that the 1GW addition would go a long way to contributing to the attainment of our universal access goals and our energy transition goals.
The Chief Executive Officer, Masdar, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, said, “As part of Masdar’s new shareholding structure launched in December, we have a goal of delivering 100 GW of clean energy around the world by 2030. With Africa’s massive projected development and growth and low current clean energy penetration levels, we see enormous potential for the renewable energy sector across the continent. The agreements we have signed at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week will support these nations’ clean energy goals and help to drive sustainable economic development for all four countries.”