Yellow Door Energy and EMSTEEL Group have announced a partnership to develop the largest industrial solar rooftop project in the UAE. The project will install a 31.5 megawatts-peak (MWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) system across EMSTEEL’s facilities located in Abu Dhabi’s ICAD 1 industrial zone.
The agreement includes solar panels installed on rooftops and carports across 40 buildings owned by EMSTEEL. The design incorporates high-efficiency bifacial solar panels for the carports, which can capture sunlight from both sides to maximize energy production. Yellow Door Energy will finance, construct, operate, and maintain the project under a solar lease model, enabling EMSTEEL to adopt renewable energy without any upfront investment or operational risk.
When fully operational, the system is expected to produce approximately 50 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean electricity annually. This is projected to offset around 16,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per year, contributing directly to reducing the company’s carbon footprint. The electricity generated will be entirely self-consumed by EMSTEEL, powering its manufacturing operations and reducing its reliance on grid electricity.
Construction is set to start in 2025, with the system expected to be commissioned in 2026. This project is part of EMSTEEL’s broader decarbonization strategy, which aims to reduce absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40 percent in its Steel Business Unit and 30 percent in its Cement Business Unit by 2030, using 2019 as the baseline year.
The initiative also aligns with the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategy, demonstrating the potential of solar energy in powering large-scale industrial operations. Yellow Door Energy, a UAE-founded company, will oversee all aspects of the project to ensure seamless execution.
This partnership showcases a growing trend in the region toward sustainable manufacturing practices, where renewable energy is integrated into industrial operations.
