UAE launches first microgrid

The United Arab Emirates has launched its first microgrid project, starting with federal government buildings and a pilot first built at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure headquarters in Sharjah in 2025. (wam.ae) A microgrid is a small local power network that can keep running when the main grid fails. The ministry said its system combines on-site clean power, battery storage and smart controls that balance electricity use in real time. (utilities-me.com) The announcement came in Abu Dhabi on April 12, 2026, from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. State news agency WAM said the project is designed for federal buildings and is meant to improve energy security, sustainability and operating efficiency. (wam.ae) The ministry tied the rollout to the “We the UAE 2031” agenda, which sets national goals for infrastructure and public services. Gulf News reported the plan is to use decentralized power systems so key buildings can keep functioning during outages and emergencies. (gulfnews.com) The project also fits into a broader federal push to cut energy use in public buildings. On March 24, 2026, the ministry said it had started the first phase of a separate AED120 million program to reduce energy and water consumption across 60 government buildings, beginning at Abdullah bin Omran Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah. (wam.ae) The UAE is building that strategy on a larger clean-power base than it had a few years ago. Energy Minister Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei said in January that the country’s installed renewable energy capacity had passed 7.7 gigawatts. (wam.ae) Abu Dhabi has also been pushing utility-scale backup for the national system. WAM reported in 2025 that Emirates Water and Electricity Company and Masdar were developing a solar-and-battery project intended to deliver up to 1 gigawatt of renewable baseload power around the clock. (wam.ae) This new microgrid effort works at the opposite scale: inside individual sites rather than across the national grid. The ministry said the Sharjah pilot is now the template for a wider federal rollout aimed at keeping public buildings powered even when the larger network is under stress. (aletihad.ae)