#PROJECT: MASDAR CITY

[Dubaiiscool:)]

Abu Dhabi: Masdar, the Abu Dhabi state renewable-energy company, said it's considering plans to raise as much as $600 million (Dh2.2 billion) to fund the construction of the first phase of Masdar City in Abu Dhabi.

"Masdar is seeking financing in the range of $300 million to $600 million over a period of seven years from the first quarter of 2010," the company said in an e-mailed statement yesterday.

Masdar City, currently in its first phase of construction, is approximately 30km from downtown Abu Dhabi. As a cleantech cluster and hub for technology innovation, research and development the city is attracting industry leaders and researchers.

Masdar is partnering with the world's most prominent companies, investment firms and educational institutions to develop and deploy leading technologies, systems and sustainable solutions in Masdar City and in the wider Abu Dhabi and Gulf region.

http://www.gulfnews.com/business/General/10352799.html

[must7]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam2707
I try to work it out but couldn't find much info. I don't think that the contract have been given for Masdar HQ yet but not too sure.
I think that its mainly just the infrastructure that is U/C at the moment.. but who knows, maybe.

Originally Posted by UAE'er

this is just a guess, but I belive its the Masdar Institute, a friend who is working on his PhD with masdar told me he will be teaching/working there in 2010 when the campus is completed. so i guess its that building (the campus was suppose to open in late 2009)

Yes it is just the Masdar institute which was suppose to be ready by September 2009 (I visited them in July 2009). However, from the look of it .. I don't believe that it would be ready.

Also the plans & designs are awesome but in contract reality there is nothing called renewable energy living.

Again the idea is a heartbreaking one and one has to start one day or another, however, the issue of maintaining such idealistic facility will be a huge challenge and apart from the "Green conferences" a normal contractor does not believe it to happen.

I think up to now the Masdar HQ project has not been awarded. Against whoever takes it will have to bear the brunt of "green construction" which in the end does cost a lot follow & the system of tendering existing .. could be a back breaker for the contractor !

[jorge antar]

Masdar set to study potential of saltwater biofuel plants

Chris Stanton

* Last Updated: October 10. 2009 10:58PM UAE / October 10. 2009 6:58PM GMT




The sun-baked coastline of Abu Dhabi is not on most lists as a new hub of the biofuels industry. The Masdar Institute is hoping the region’s next big renewable fuel source will be grown with an unconventional input: seawater.

In a one-year study funded by Boeing, the aircraft maker, and Honeywell UOP, the fuels producer, Masdar will look at producing fuel from the oil of salicornia, a small green plant that grows in saltwater.

The plant could allow Abu Dhabi and other Middle East countries to use arid coastal land to produce significant quantities of biofuels, which can be used in the standard engines of cars, lorries and aeroplanes, said Dr Sgouris Sgouridis, a scientist at Masdar.

“Although biofuels were not on [Masdar’s] agenda previously, I think this will bring them up towards the top,” he said.

Researchers will look at existing studies to identify gaps in the knowledge about the process, and sketch out a life-cycle analysis. Masdar may also establish its own physical testing facility.

The world biofuels market is expected to grow by 20 per cent annually to the end of 2011, according to a study by the business research company Freedonia Group.

Salicornia, variously known as sea asparagus, pickleweed and glasswort, is hardy, grows well in extreme heat and requires only saltwater.

In theory, the advantages of producing fuel from saltwater plants, known as halophytes, are enormous. They do not consume valuable freshwater or take up arable land, the common criticisms lodged against biofuel sources such as corn and palm oil. However, comparatively little research has been conducted on salicornia and scientists would have to raise the plant’s production of oil substantially for it to be considered a viable fuel source.

Oil from the seeds of the plant has been processed into fuel by scientists in coastal areas of Mexico and Eritrea on farms irrigated with saltwater canals. The plants yielded, in a low case, a ratio of about 8 million gallons (30.2 million litres) of fuel per year on 100,000 hectares of land, Dr Sgouridis said.

“You would need to pretty much double the yield to start making strong commercial sense,” Dr Sgouridis said.

Still, the history of agriculture includes many examples where plants and animals were made more productive, he noted.

“It’s like talking about cows 20,000 years ago,” he said. “Obviously they did not produce as much milk as they do now.”

While salicornia seeds are used for oil, the rest of the plant does not go to waste. The tender green stalk is a common ingredient in salads in high-end restaurants or can be used as animal feed. Researchers are also looking at ways to convert the stalk into a solid fuel source that can be burnt to produce electricity, Dr Sgouridis said.

Development of biofuels, considered carbon-neutral because they release only as much carbon as they absorb, has been supported by the oil, car and aviation industries as a way for the world to transition to a low-carbon economy while using existing engines in aeroplanes and cars and maintaining current energy infrastructure, such as petrol pumps.

Algae, which also produces large quantities of oil under the right conditions, is another candidate to become a significant source of biofuel.

[UAE'er]

I dont know, but to me planting so much sea plants could damage the eco-system more than saving the enviornment. I hope this idea turns out to be feasable and effective.

[must7]

“Although biofuels were not on [Masdar’s] agenda previously, I think this will bring them up towards the top,” he said.

Actually research & investment in all forms of alternate energy is the bandwagon of Abu Dhabi Govt. & surely Masdar would be the lead arm to pursue this dream.

I dont know, but to me planting so much sea plants could damage the eco-system more than saving the enviornment. I hope this idea turns out to be feasable and effective.

From what we see, the idea is have the R&D rights on alternative form of energy. This way even after the oil & gas loosing it's value, Abu Dhabi could be able to sustain the economic boom.

[Parisian Girl]

Masdar City draws praise from UN

James Reinl, United Nations Correspondent
* Last Updated: October 13. 2009 1:38AM UAE / October 12. 2009 9:38PM GMT

NEW YORK // Urban planners at the UN have praised Abu Dhabi’s Dh55 billion (US$15bn) Masdar City project as a model for environmentally friendly construction that could help mitigate the effects of climate change.

Speaking at the launch of UN Habitat’s Global Report on Human Settlements 2009: Planning Sustainable Cities, officials said the capital’s novel eco-city melded the most important elements of green design.

“It brings together all the trends we are talking about … renewable energy, reconfiguring the metabolism of cities to enhance efficiency, carbon neutral cities, public transport which is not dependent on fossil fuel and local green innovation,” said the report’s author, Dr Naison Mutizwa-Mangiza.

“No single city has taken all of them on board. Its utility is in demonstrating the totality of all of these technologies being combined and working at the city level. That has not been done anywhere else in the world.”

Plans to build the first carbon-neutral city in one of the world’s biggest hydrocarbon economies have already piqued the interest of governments around the world.

The first phase of Masdar’s six square kilometre development is to be completed early next year, beginning the desert city’s expansion to house 40,000 residents and 50,000 daily commuters working at some 1,500 green energy firms.

The project won global recognition in June when it was chosen to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Masdar “demonstrates to the world that a city – especially a new city like those satellite towns being created all over the world – can actually be based on green technology,” said Dr Mutizwa-Mangiza. “This example deserves to be highlighted a bit more.”

The agency’s 306-page report describes the “important first example of a city built from scratch” using solar photovoltaic plants, geothermal heat pumps, wind farms and electric automated pod cars in an urban area using “100 per cent renewable energy”.

jreinl@thenational.ae

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs....710129864/1010

[flares]

true all this zero carbon initiative stuff is great.

but what i didn't realise/understand until I visited the Masdar web-page was that all the CO2 that is harvested/captured from power production is then transported and injected in oil reservoirs for enhanced oil recovery!!!

[iownyou]

they are smart at the end of the day oil is what got them here so they need to give back from where they got it from

[must7]

Originally Posted by flares

true all this zero carbon initiative stuff is great.

but what i didn't realise/understand until I visited the Masdar web-page was that all the CO2 that is harvested/captured from power production is then transported and injected in oil reservoirs for enhanced oil recovery!!!

This here is politics no doubt. Cause the transportation will have major load on the ecology, not to mention the idea was why not have CCW station near the oilfield (Ruwais or Bab area) itself, but it seems they have managed to make ADNOC buy the CO2 captured from Umm Al Naar area oops .. sorry Sas Al Nakheel area.

they are smart at the end of the day oil is what got them here so they need to give back from where they got it from

I would not say paying back, but rather investing for the future, so that when oil has no real value, they are still remain in the driving seat, a wise move indeed.

However, from an artistic point of view .. yes you do sound correct !

[dubsolos1]

We preach solar and are happy that AD is spending a few millions on renewables...., but on today's business 24/7:

Abu Dhabi is to spend more than $50 billion (Dh183.5bn) on oil and gas projects over the next few years to increase its daily output, a top official has revealed.

"Abu Dhabi has not halted any of the oil and gas projects announced over the past few years despite the international financial crisis," Salah Al Bufalah, Major Project Manager at Zadco, told Emirates Business.

"Adnoc will spend more than $50bn on oil and gas projects over the next three years, including $30bn on infrastructure projects and production facilities and more than $20bn on excavation, exploration and drilling projects,'' he said.

[9714]

thats so funny. puts the masdar investment in perspective...

[must7]

We preach solar and are happy that AD is spending a few millions on renewables...., but on today's business 24/7:

As I said nobody is preaching anything !

Would not the west be more caught in this game, especially when you see the amount of damage to econology which they have done in the last decade of Industralization ?

The simple facts is that in today's world .. very few are ready to invest in R&D. So whatever meager maybe the figures, it should be welcomed. Not to mention we have as yet not excelled in energy storage technology (batteries).

Just imagine for a moment, why would Abu Dhabi try to support financially products which in the long run would mean losing oil resources ! One does not bite the feeding hand !

[Adam2707]

Originally Posted by UAE'er

This is just a guess, but I belive its the Masdar Institute, a friend who is working on his PhD with masdar told me he will be teaching/working there in 2010 when the campus is completed. So I guess its that building (the campus was suppose to open in late 2009)

I believe your right. Should be the first building to be completed in Masdar. What a place to work...
Found this video about the Masdar Institute of Science and Techonology...


Link

[dubsolos1]

Hi must7, allow me to politely disagree.

This is Masdar's thread, of course we preach solar. If there is anybody that doesn't I welcome the debate and exchange of ideas and opinion (yeah right, I'll just come over and kick a**....just kidding).

The west is caught in this game, that's why clean energy is $30 bn /yr industry. Unfortunately its not even close to being enough, and CO2 just keeps on increasing. The bigger damage is now not done by the west, but pointing fingers is wrong, its better to get working to change things, such as Masdar which is an increadible project that deserves all the recognition it is getting.

R&D is actually a massive industry in itself. Only through R&D you achieve progress. That's the only way to obtain solar panles, CSP, thermal, wind, hydro, wave, currents, efficency, geothermal, hydrogen, biogas, non-crop biofuels and all other clean energies and practices.

Of course we welcome the money put into Masdar. That article was just a reminder of having to put everything in its place, and not think that we are onto the change of society (at least that's what Masdar makes me feel like). It was just a wake up call for idealists like myself.

Batteries are not that important. Their use is mainly for electric vehicles. There's much more potential of environmental repair and protection through adopting and implementing the technologies that already exist (and mentioned above) that produce clean energy, and a smart grid to distribute the energy efficently. Efficent batteries should still be improved like every other technoloy nevertheless.

AD has no risk of loosing their oil reserves! On the contrary, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) will actually increase the availability of oil from the existing basins. In addition sustainability does not mean a total absence of hydrocarbons, it just means leaving everything for future generations through balancing. Vegetation eats up a massive amount of CO2, so some oil is fine, only some though.

The feeding hand must not be bitten, I agree on that. That's why we are still a carbon based society. But as the oil minister of SA said: the stone age didn't end because they ran out of stones!

[dubsolos1]

awesome video btw adam!

[dubsolos1]

The article below gives a great outlook on solar energy in the area, but look at that picture! Really doubtfull as to the potential around here..: (

http://business24-7.ae/Articles/2009...8777215bf.aspx

[transman]

could someone show some construction pictures of masdar city?

[gevorika78]

Originally Posted by transman

could someone show some construction pictures of masdar city?

hey, sorry dont have pics, but drove by it last night, and the main office is almost topped out

[Adam2707]

Masdar City Offers $150,000 Prize for Sustainable Concrete Mix

n an effort to accelerate the development of cost-effective, sustainable concrete, Masdar, the developer of the planned carbon and waste-neutral Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, is holding a concrete mix design competition. The first prize is $150,000, for a sustainable concrete production method. The second prize is $50,000 for the lowest-carbon- footprint concrete mix.

This is the first of several competitions to help Masdar, an initiative of the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co., achieve its goals for sustainability at Masdar City, says Omar. M. Waqfi, Masdar's specifications manager. "We are pushing and challenging people on all aspects [of sustainable development], which is, in a way, groundbreaking," he says. The next competition will be for a sustainable house, says Waqfi.

Interested parties should submit requests for information by Dec. 21 and a letter of intent to participate by Jan. 15. Reports are due April 16.

Competition details, including evaluation criteria, are available at http://masdarprize.com/.

Masdar is seeking ways to produce concrete with a minimum 50 kilogram per cu m of carbon dioxide reduction compared to a Masdar baseline mixture.

Submitters are also challenged to develop concrete at a unit cost equal to or lower than the Masdar baseline mix. And the concrete must perform as well as or better than the Masdar mix regarding workability, constructibility, heat development, durability and service life. Concrete production must be 500,000 cu m per year.

A panel of seven judges will evaluate the entries. Seven entries will be selected for field validation.

The $150,000 prize will go to the submitter with the best score for sustainable concrete production, considering CO2 emissions, cost, performance and production capacity. The $50,000 prize will go to the mix with the lowest CO2 emission that meets the Masdar baseline mix performance specification. The winners will be selected at the end of September, after the mixes of the top scorers are produced at Masdar-Al Falah readymix plant at the Masdar City site.

The winning mix will be incorporated in the Masdar City master specification. The Masdar City master plan by Foster & Partners describes a 6-sq-kilometer sustainable development laid out as a high-density city with mixed uses. The Masdar Institute of Technology building is almost complete. Piling and grade beam work is complete and the slab on grade is half complete for the city's second building, the Masdar headquarters.

http://archrecord.construction.com/n...asdar_city.asp

[Þróndeimr]

edit, double post, check out the next page.