RIYADH: In a bid to further diversify the UAE’s energy mix, Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. and the National Central Cooling Co., popularly known as Tabreed, have announced the first project in the Gulf region that will harness geothermal power. According to a press statement, ADNOC and Tabreed have already completed the testing of two geothermal wells in Masdar City. The statement further noted that the project is expected to decarbonize the cooling of buildings in Masdar City. The UAE’s National Strategy 2050 aims to grow renewable energy capacity to 14 gigawatts by 2030, and this geothermal project is expected to accelerate the pace of this journey, the statement said. Currently, the cooling of buildings accounts for the majority of the UAE’s electricity consumption. As such, ADNOC believes that leveraging geothermal heat for district cooling operations has the potential to significantly reduce electricity demand from the grid, helping to decarbonize one of the most energy intensive sectors in the region. “Geothermal heat is a clean and renewable source of energy abundantly available in the UAE and capable of providing baseload electricity. However, until now, it has remained an untapped source of energy,” said Musabbeh Al-Kaabi, ADNOC’s executive director for low-carbon solutions and international growth. He added: “By leveraging technological advances, for the first time ADNOC and Tabreed have unlocked this clean energy source to decarbonize one of the most energy-intensive sectors in the country.” Khalid Al-Marzooqi, CEO of Tabreed, said that the integration of geothermal energy to cooling operations will help the UAE achieve its net-zero targets by 2050. The UAE’s progress in harnessing geothermal energy comes at a time when the country is all set to host the UN Climate Change Conference, popularly known as COP28, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, 2023. “We are proud of our collaboration with ADNOC to accelerate our decarbonization efforts in the lead-up to COP28, which also underscores our commitment to exploring the latest technologies and harnessing the power of renewables to meet the rising demand for sustainable cooling,” Al-Marzooqi added.