ADNOC Distribution expands service station solar power project

ADNOC Distribution announced on Tuesday the launch of the second phase of its service station solarisation programme in collaboration with Emerge, a joint venture between Masdar and the EDF Group.

Under the programme, Emerge will finance, design, install and maintain solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at service stations across ADNOC Distribution's UAE network.

This initiative supports the company's sustainability goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on non-renewable energy, while also enhancing operational efficiency by lowering energy costs and optimising the energy mix at service stations, in line with its aim to reduce operational carbon intensity by 25 per cent by 2030.

The solarisation programme is directly linked to ADNOC Distribution's pioneering adoption of sustainable financing, reinforcing the company's commitment to mainstreaming sustainability across the business.

In January 2023, ADNOC Distribution became the first UAE fuel and convenience retailer to convert an existing $1.5 billion term loan into a sustainability-linked one. This loan ties financial incentives and penalties to achieving sustainability goals, including solarisation and embedding financial accountability into ADNOC Distribution's sustainability commitments.

In the first phase of the project, Emerge installed solar panels at 28 ADNOC Distribution service stations in Dubai, representing all feasible locations within the Dubai network where solar panels could be installed.

As of the end of 2024, the partnership had generated over 6,300 MWh of electricity, equivalent to a reduction of CO₂ emissions by more than 2,900 tonnes.

During Phase 2, ADNOC Distribution and Emerge will install solar panels at more than 100 service stations across Abu Dhabi.

The solar panels are expected to generate nearly 30,000 MWh of renewable energy per year, enough to power nearly one billion smartphones and avoid the equivalent of over 13,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. This reduction is equivalent to the carbon absorbed by nearly 250,000 tree seedlings growing for 10 years.