Kezad Group, a subsidiary of AD Ports Group, has signed an agreement with French energy company TotalEnergies to explore solar power generation in its economic zones.
Under the deal, the companies will conduct a series of feasibility studies for distributed solar generation at Kezad covering economic, commercial, regulatory and technical aspects, AD Ports said in a statement on Monday.
The deal was signed with TotalEnergies’ Renewables Distributed Generation, which develops and operates solar installations for industrial and commercial clients.
“We are keen to realise the complete potential of distributed solar generation across our integrated ecosystem at Kezad Group, and to enhance the value proposition we can offer to our investors while supporting Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s sustainability goals,” Mohamed Al Ahmed, chief executive of Kezad Group, said.
AD Ports, the operator of industrial cities and free zones in Abu Dhabi, launched Kezad Group in September to consolidate and grow its Economic Cities & Free Zones offering, as it seeks to strengthen the emirate’s position as an industrial and manufacturing hub.
The company’s Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad) and ZonesCorp (specialised economic zones) have been integrated into the newly formed Kezad Group (Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi Group), which comprises 12 economic zones with a total area of 550 square kilometres, including 100 sq km designated as free zones.
The UAE is pursuing goals to reduce its carbon footprint and became the first country in the Middle East to set a net-zero target last year. The Emirates aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and plans to invest $160 billion on clean and renewable energy sources over the next three decades.
It is building the Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park in Dubai with a five-gigawatt capacity. Abu Dhabi, which is developing a two-gigawatt solar plant in its Al Dhafra region, has set a target of 5.6 gigawatts of solar PV capacity by 2026.
“This agreement is a stepping stone for many future opportunities,” said Hamady Sy, managing director of TotalEnergies Renewables Distributed Generation Middle East and Africa.
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