ABU DHABI, Dec 31 (Bernama) — The world’s first carbon-free city is set to break ground in Abu Dhabi in February, the Emirates news agency (WAM) reported Monday.
Masdar, which means the source in Arabic, will cost more than US1 billion (Dh3.67billion) to build and will be a pioneering development in the heart of the capital near the Corniche and Zayed City.
“This is a big change to the development in Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE in general. It will be the benchmark for future developments not just in this region but in the world,” said Khaled Awad, director of property development.
Covering a six square kilometre area, the first phase of the community will be the construction of a research-based university and the headquarters for Masdar’s global operations.
When all four phases of the city are completed in 2017, the Masdar community will be home to some 100,000 residents whose homes will be fitted with energy saving devices and will rely on zero-emission public transport inside the walled city.
Key features will be the use of waste for energy generation and the extensive use of photovoltaic technologies, which use heat from the sun and turn it into energy.
Outside the walled city zone will be a desalination plant, wind farm, a tree plantation programme to create bio-fuel and sewerage and water treatment plants to service the residents’ homes.