City-Level Decoupling-Case Studies

CITY-LEVEL DECOUPLING: URBAN RESOURCE FLOWS AND THE GOVERNANCE OF INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSITIONS

Yet there is also a strong economic rationale as the Abu Dhabi government wishes to maximise lucrative gas exports by reducing the amount of gas consumed internally for electricity through substitution by solar power. Abu Dhabi has lots of land, so has space for large-scale solar plants (both photovoltaics and concentrated solar power). This renewably-generated electricity will go some way towards helping the Emirate achieve its target of 7% of primary energy production derived from renewables by 2020. The Masdar project is headed by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (ADFEC). Initiated in 2006, the project was projected to cost US$22 billion and take some eight years to build, with the first phase scheduled to be completed and habitable in 2009. However, due to the impact of the financial crisis, Phase 1 of the city - the initial 1,000,000 m² - is now planned to be completed in 2015. Final completion is scheduled to occur between 2020 and 2025. The estimated cost of the city has also declined by 10 to 15 percent, putting the development between US$18.7 billion and US$19.8 billion. Masdar City will be the latest of a small number of highly-planned, specialized, research and technology-intensive municipalities that incorporate a living environment, similar to Novosibirsk, Russia or Tsukuba Science City, Japan. The city is planned to cover 6 km² and will be home to 45,000 to 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses, primarily commercial and manufacturing facilities specialising in environmentally friendly products, and more than 60,000 workers are expected to commute to the city daily. Although city leaders have ambitious plans, so far only the Masdar Institute headquarters and campus – the flagship project for Phase 1 of the city - is currently under development. The development aims to create a low-energy environment that works in accordance with the prevailing wind and sun conditions. Streets are narrow and designed to be shaded by buildings which are themselves angled to funnel winds through the city. No windows are positioned flat on to direct sunlight, but the majority of buildings will be covered with solar panels. Later phases of the master plan will see Masdar becoming an entirely carbon neutral city, powered by renewable energy and equipped with an electric transportation system. Masdar will employ a variety of renewable power resources. Among the first construction projects will be a 40 to 60 MW solar power plant, built by the German firm Conergy, which will supply power for all other construction activity. This will later be followed by a larger facility, and additional solar panels will be placed on rooftops to provide solar energy totalling 130 MW. Wind farms capable of producing up to 20 MW will be established beyond the city’s perimeter, and the use of geothermal energy is being investigated. In addition, Masdar plans to host one of the world’s largest hydrogen power plants. A solar-powered desalination plant will be used to provide the city’s water needs, estimated to be 60% lower than in similarly-sized communities. Approximately 80% of the water used will be recycled and waste water will be reused as many times as possible, with greywater being used for crop irrigation and other purposes. The city will also attempt to reduce waste to zero. Biological waste will be used to create nutrient-rich soil and fertiliser, and some may also be utilised through waste incineration as an additional power source. Industrial waste, such as plastics and metals, will be recycled or put to other uses.

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