Powering sustainable innovation in Abu Dhabi

The World Future Energy Summit (WFES) has opened today in Abu Dhabi, with political leaders, experts, entrepreneurs and scholars from around the world visiting the Emirate to discuss the 'powering (of) sustainable innovation'.

The WFES will concentrate on some of the most important projects in the Middle East, which include a windfarm in the Gulf of Suez with a production capacity of 200 MW; a 160MW solar power plant in Morocco and a massive photovoltaic installation, currently under construction in Jordan. The conference will also discuss Abu Dhabi's significant investment in green futures.

As strange as it may sound, the country at the heart of a region that produces the most fossil fuels is also investing billions of dollars in research for 'clean' solutions. The Masdar City at the centre of Abu Dhabi is a self-sustaining non-polluting town that is still under construction, but holds great promise. The city will be solely powered by a solar factory in an attempt to create a 100 per cent carbon-neutral luxury village.

One aspect of this village will be a ban on automobiles. Instead of cars, the residents of Masdar City will use autonomous electric pods called 'Personal Rapid Transit pods'. They are fully electric, travel underground and are fully computer controlled.

Posted by Claire Manning