A landmark moment for 24/365 clean power: Ember at groundbreaking of world’s first gigawatt-scale round-the-clock solar and battery project

The economics are shifting fast: global grid battery costs fell by 40% last year alone and are on for a large fall this year as well. The Masdar project demonstrates that round-the-clock clean power can be delivered at competitive tariffs compared with conventional baseload like gas turbines. Alongside rapid cost declines, the technology has also improved: grid batteries are increasingly “plug and play”, enabling faster and cheaper deployment; warranties now extend up to 20 years; fire risks have been reduced to near-zero and the mineral, carbon and land footprint is only a fraction of what it was.

As utility-scale solar farms expand worldwide, the question is no longer “if” they have batteries, but rather “how much”. Storage has evolved from minutes, to 2-hour and now 4 or even 8 hours durations, allowing solar to power evening demand reliably. The Masdar initiative extends that frontier, showing that solar and batteries can now serve around-the-clock needs for large power consumers that need uninterrupted electricity such as data centres.

With the vast solar potential of some of the world’s sunniest regions, the opportunity for replication is enormous. Ember’s recent analysis shows that countries such as Mexico could make solar and battery systems the backbone of their power mix, achieving energy independence and a cleaner, more secure electricity system.

Once operational, the Masdar project will serve as a blueprint for replication worldwide, unlocking the full potential of sunny countries pursuing clean energy independence.