Masdar Taps L&T For 24/7 Solar PV And Battery Storage Gigascale Project

29 Jan 2025 CW Team

The renewables vertical of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has been selected by Masdar as one of the preferred Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractors for the north site of the world鈥檚 first 24/7 solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage gigascale project in Abu Dhabi. The project, announced during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), will deliver up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of baseload power around the clock. It features a 5.2GW (DC) solar PV plant coupled with a 19-gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery energy storage system (BESS), making it the largest solar and BESS project globally. The project is being developed by Masdar, the UAE鈥檚 clean energy leader, in collaboration with the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC). It includes a north site and a south site with a total capacity of 2.6GW and 9.5GWh PV for each site. The Letter of Award was signed by Abdulaziz Alobaidli, COO of Masdar, and A Ravindran, Senior Vice President and Head 鈥� Renewables IC, L&T, in the presence of His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar, and T Madhava Das, Whole-Time Director and Senior Executive Vice President (Utilities), L&T. The project is set to establish a global benchmark for clean energy innovation and sustainability.

Infrastructure Urban

16 Jun 2025

MoHUA Plans New Role for Smart City SPVs

In a significant policy move, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has issued an advisory encouraging the continued use and repurposing of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) formed under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM). This marks a step toward sustaining urban transformation by leveraging institutional capabilities and infrastructure developed over the past decade.Initiated in 2015, the Smart Cities Mission introduced a new era of urban planning in India, with each of the 100 selected cities forming SPVs under the Companies Act, 2013. These entities, jointly owned by state government..

Infrastructure Urban

16 Jun 2025

ADB Approves $110 Million Loan to Boost Skills in Gujarat

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 109.97 million (Rs 9.27 billion) results-based loan to support Gujarat鈥檚 efforts to become a global industrial hub by developing a future-ready, skilled workforce.The funding will back the Gujarat skills development programme, led by the Department of Labour, Skill Development and Employment in collaboration with Kaushalya: The Skill University (KSU). The initiative aims to equip the workforce with advanced, industry-aligned skills to meet rising employment demand in high-growth sectors.According to ADB, the programme seeks to strengthen in..

Infrastructure Urban

16 Jun 2025

SDAL Tests Rudrastra UAV and Bhargavastra Defence System

Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) has successfully completed a key flight test of its indigenous Hybrid VTOL UAV Rudrastra at the Pokharan Firing Range, aligning with Indian Army performance benchmarks for mission adaptability, high endurance, precision engagement, and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability.The trial marks a notable achievement in India鈥檚 Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, underscoring advancements in home-grown military technology. The Rudrastra UAV demonstrated a mission radius exceeding 50 km with uninterrupted video relay, a total operational range of over..