Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Future Green City Now

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates

“ A new era is upon us, challenging us to venture beyond the achievements of the past and meet the needs of the future” - Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh; Chairman, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company

* Population: 1.6 million With a 4.5% yearly rate of increase *30% GDP dependant on Oil exports *Agricultural land use increased 4-fold in 20 years

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a federation of seven emirates, or cities ruled by emirs. Located on a T-shaped island on the central western coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Abu Dhabi is second to Dubai in population, with numbers reaching over one million and increasing at a rate of 4.5 percent.

Referred to within recent years as the richest city in the world, Abu Dhabi boasts a net worth US$17 million for each of its 420,000 citizens, an amazing figure given that the remaining  97% of non-citizens living in Abu Dhabi do not share in the wealth generated by the region’s hold on 10% of the world’s oil reserves.

Abu Dhabi plays a large role in the world economy. Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), currently estimated at US$ $627 billion, is the world’s largest sovereign fund, in terms of total asset value. [The Economist]

Farming in the desert poses another challenge for the UAE, since the use of water increases with the need to grow crops. The land, measured in donum, used for growing crops has increased four times its size in the last 20 years.[Annual Bulletin of Agricultural Statistics 2009] Approximately 65% of land in the region is used for crops and fruit with only 10% available for further use.

The population in Abu Dhabi has grown 6.6 times its size in only 35 years, from 211,812 in 1975 to 1,339,484 in 2005.  [Arabian Business] The scarcity of the landscape for agricultural cultivation leaves little option for expansion.

Innovative Solution: Urban Farming at the Office

Masdar City Farms

A plan for including ‘greenhouse’ walls within architectural plans is currently underway.

BrightFarm Systems and Kiss + Cathcart Architects are currently developing the first prototype Greenmarket system (hydroponic food production facility) to be built at Masdar City, in Abu Dhabi. This prototype system will act as a research and demonstration center for subsequent GreenMarket systems. The GreenMarket utilizes BrightFarm Systems pioneering rooftop and facade mounted, sustainable greenhouse designs, to integrate hydroponic food production into civic buildings. The layers of vegetation encased in the walls of the building provide shade for the building interior. - Inspiration Green

Urban  Planning: Redefined

Click on Image for Tour of Masdar City

Masdar City : The Future Green City

Located in the United Arab Emerites, Masdar was proposed in 2006 to be the world’s first zero-carbon city. This oasis is also currently energy-positive, meaning it actually produces more energy than it consumes.

Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co, told NPR’s Steve Inskeep in a May 2008 interview that Masdar is “a logical step and a natural extension for our involvement in the energy markets.” Masdar City is in still in Phase Oneof completion, set to conclude in 2013, and many of its proposed alternative energy plans have become a reality.

Today, The City features:

Renewable Power: Masdar will employ a variety of renewable power resources. Among the first construction projects will be a 40 to 60 megawatt, built by the German firm Conergy, which will supply power for all other construction activity. This will later be followed by a larger facility, and additionalphotovoltaic modules will be placed on rooftops to provide supplemental solar energy totalling 130 megawatts. Wind farms will be established outside the city’s perimeter capable of producing up to 20 megawatts, and the city intends to utilise geothermal power as well.^[10][18] In addition, Masdar plans to host the world’s largest hydrogen power plant Water Management Water management has been planned in an environmentally sound manner as well.

A solar-powered desalination plant will be used to provide the city’s water needs, which is stated to be 60 percent lower than similarly sized communities. Approximately 80 percent of the water used will be recycled and waste water will be reused “as many times as possible,” with this greywater being used for crop irrigation and other purposes.

Waste Management: Biological waste will be used to create nutrient-rich soil and fertiliser, and some may also be utilised through waste incineration as an additional power source. Industrial waste, such as plastics and metals, will be recycled or re-purposed for other uses.

Excerpts from John Vidal’s April 2011 Guardian article on Masdar City

Alternative Sources of Renewable Energy:

The overall performance of the UAE’s economy is heavily dependent on oil exports, which account for over 30 percent of total gross domestic product (GDP). Abu Dhabi Energy The graph below shows us that oil consumption within the UAE began to rise in recent years. Should the region continue to tap into their oil reserves for their own needs, how would they maintain their hold on the market?

Fueling the economy and people of Abu Dhabi has heavily depended on the region’s oil and natural gas reserves. As depicted below the rate of Natural Gas consumption almost parallels with that of its production, but could there be a potential tipping point in Abu Dhabi in which there will be little or no reserves left for the demands of yearly rates of population increase?

In recent years, the UAE has undertaken several projects to diversify its economy and to reduce its dependence on oil and natural gas revenues. The non-oil sectors of the UAE’s economy presently contribute around 70 percent of the UAE’s total GDP, and about 30 percents of its total exports. The federal government has invested heavily in sectors such as aluminum production, tourism, aviation, re-export commerce, and telecommunications. [Abu Dhabi Energy]. As worldwide dependency in crude oil increases, the UAE will need to reconcile their increasing population with the need to export oil for revenue.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) established in 2009 by the European Union to “promote the widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms or renewable energy” [IRENA] will have headquarters completed in Masdar by 2013.  A 10MW solar power plant in Masdar was connected to the power grid in 2009 and powers the construction of the city in June 2011.

Walking on a Greener Path in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi has certainly put itself on the map for representing the wave of the future in eco-city development. Masdar City is a high-density and pedestrian-friendly development where current and future renewable energy and clean technologies are showcased, marketed, researched, developed, tested and implemented. [Eco-Business]

Although in the last year Masdar City budget constraints have threatened to put plans such as their eco-friendlypod vehicles and its absolute zero-percent carbon goal on hold, the city is a crucial functioning laboratory for a solution tailored to a particular city’s future demographic and needs. What would be some of the challenges to your city’s reduction of its carbon footprint?