On 9 July 2026, BYD Energy Storage signed a contract with Masdar to supply 11.275 GWh of battery storage for the world's first gigascale round-the-clock renewable project in Abu Dhabi. According to BYD Energy Storage, the order is the largest single deal in its history. Commissioning is targeted for 2027.
What happened
BYD will deliver one battery energy storage station rated at 1,644 MW / 11,275 MWh for the Masdar and Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) Round-the-Clock (RTC) project. The system uses BYD's Haohan platform with Blade cells at 2,710 Ah, which the company says offer more than three times the density of standard grid cells. Ten MWh fit into a single 20-foot container.
The RTC project itself is a joint venture of Masdar, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, and EWEC. It pairs 5.2 GW of solar PV with 19 GWh of battery storage to deliver a stable 1 GW of clean baseload, 24 hours a day. Masdar describes it as the world's first gigascale round-the-clock renewable project. Total investment exceeds AED 22 billion. The build phase is expected to create more than 10,000 jobs.
BYD is not the only Chinese partner on site. In May 2026, Sungrow signed to deliver 7.5 GWh of its PowerTitan 3.0 storage platform plus 2.6 GW of solar inverters, according to the company. Together, the BYD and Sungrow orders cover 18.775 GWh. That sits close to the project's 19 GWh storage target.
The programme has moved quickly. The project was announced in January 2025. Groundbreaking followed in October 2025, at a ceremony attended by Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
What this means for UAE business
For most UAE businesses, the immediate takeaway sits on the demand side of the grid. Once online, a plant of this scale locks in a large block of clean electricity at a near-fixed unit cost, backed by long-term offtake through EWEC. The result: more predictable industrial and commercial tariffs over the coming decade. That matters for anyone modelling multi-year opex.
Contracting opportunities open up along the whole value chain. EPC support and civil works. Container logistics and site handling. High-voltage electrical, HVAC, and fire safety. SCADA, cybersecurity, and long-term operations and maintenance once the plant is live. Local suppliers with a track record on utility-scale sites and the right Masdar or ADNOC prequalifications will have the clearest runway.
There is a second-order story for the AI and data centre cluster. Hyperscalers eyeing the Gulf need more than space and connectivity. They need 24/7 clean power with a credible net-zero paper trail. A gigawatt of round-the-clock renewable capacity strengthens Abu Dhabi's pitch to those tenants and fits neatly into the Stargate UAE narrative around large-scale AI compute.
For investors, exposure runs through familiar Abu Dhabi channels. That includes ADX-listed structures associated with Masdar, and the growing pipeline of green bonds and sukuk that finance this class of infrastructure.
What's next
The next milestones are execution ones. BYD and Sungrow deliveries will ramp through 2026 and into 2027, alongside civil and solar works. Full commissioning is targeted for 2027, at which point the plant should begin feeding EWEC's grid with continuous clean power.
If the model performs at this scale, expect it to travel. Round-the-clock solar plus storage is precisely the pattern GCC utilities and industrial users have been asking for, and a live reference plant of this size will accelerate similar tenders across the region. For UAE-based firms, the message is simple. The pipeline of grid-scale renewable and storage work is broadening, and the window to position for it is now.
Sources
Primary sources: BYD Energy Storage press release, 9 July 2026 — bydenergy.com; Masdar RTC project page — masdar.ae/en/renewables/our-projects/rtc; Masdar newsroom (groundbreaking, AED 22 bn+) — masdar.ae newsroom. Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) — project off-taker.
