Masdar targets 24/7 Uzbekistan renewables, aiming for up to 1GW baseload

Masdar and EUDC are exploring a 24/7 renewable energy project in Uzbekistan that is designed to deliver up to 1 gigawatt of baseload power. In plain terms: the plan is not just to make green electricity. It is to make green electricity that behaves more like traditional “always on” power, which is the part most grids struggle with when renewables are mostly solar and wind.

That matters because baseload is where the real systems problem lives. Solar peaks at midday, wind can be unpredictable, and electricity systems still have to keep lights on through nights, storms, and seasonal dips. By targeting baseload capability, Masdar is effectively treating reliability as a first-class requirement, not an afterthought. For investors and operators in the UAE and across the region, this is a clue about where next-wave renewable value is heading: from building capacity to securing grid-compatible power.

This story sits inside a broader Middle East sustainability and energy push highlighted across The National's net-zero coverage. The UAE is pursuing carbon reduction goals for 2050, and the coverage repeatedly circles around the same pressure point: decarbonization is not just about policy targets, it is about what it costs and what the grid can actually absorb. That is why the publication also flags multiple “infrastructure meets emissions” items, from nuclear-linked low-carbon production to grid and power system design.

One of the most tangible examples in the same news stream is the “milestone” moment as the UAE produces low-carbon aluminium using the Barakah nuclear plant. Nuclear power is not variable in the way wind and solar often are, so it naturally helps with the “firm power” challenge that renewables face. When you put that alongside a 24/7 renewables initiative aimed at up to 1GW baseload in Uzbekistan, the pattern gets clearer: low-carbon industrial demand and grid stability are pulling the region toward power mixes that can deliver consistent output.

The net-zero path is also happening while geopolitical and political headwinds swirl around climate policy. The coverage notes that Trump attacks green energy policies and calls climate change a “con job.” That kind of rhetoric matters even if you are not in US electoral politics, because it can shift investor sentiment, alter subsidy expectations, and change the regulatory appetite for clean-energy rollouts. In energy transitions, those shifts can translate into slower permitting, renegotiated contracts, or different financing terms.

Across the region, the investment lens stays very practical. The coverage says ACWA Power leads a consortium to develop Kuwait’s $4bn power and water project, and it also tracks discussions of how much renewables reliance is increasing, including whether Saudi Arabia is “closer to fully depending on renewables for power.” Those questions are really about system design and cost. Power and water projects are typically long-duration assets, meaning a developer needs confidence in energy supply, grid balancing, and long-term off-take arrangements. A 24/7 renewable concept is one way to make renewables fit those long-duration requirements.

Even more, the news stream includes moves that touch the technology stack behind emissions reduction. The UAE university gets a US patent for a carbon-cutting battery to power up green goals, and supply chain risk keeps showing up as a recurring theme, including why the global supply chain needs a rethink around rare earths. Those details matter because “24/7 renewables” is not only a generation question, it also depends on storage and enabling technologies, plus the ability to procure inputs at scale.

Finally, the strategic stake for executives is simple: the next competitive advantage in clean power may not be “who can build the most panels.” It may be “who can deliver the power profile grids and industry actually need.” Masdar and EUDC exploring a 24/7 project in Uzbekistan aimed at up to 1 gigawatt of baseload power is a signal of that shift. Boards and senior leaders should read it as a roadmap toward firm, grid-compatible renewables, and a reminder that reliability and industrial decarbonization are now inseparable themes in net-zero planning.