Khalifa University partners with Magaldi Power to advance thermal energy storage in the UAE

Khalifa University’s Advanced Power and Energy Centre recently signed an agreement with Italy’s Magaldi Power S.p.A., aiming to explore how the company’s thermal energy storage technologies could be put to use in the UAE. This move adds another international dimension to the UAE’s ongoing clean energy efforts.

The deal, which is essentially a consultancy service agreement, pairs one of the region’s leading research universities with a company that describes itself as a specialist in thermal energy storage. The gesture was formalized by Prof. Ebrahim Al Hajri, President of Khalifa University, along with Mario Magaldi, President of Magaldi Power, and Raffaello Magaldi, who serves as the Managing Director of Global Operations at the company.

From Khalifa University’s side, the goal is to assess the potential of Magaldi’s Green Thermal Energy Storage and Power-to-Heat systems in the UAE’s industrial and utility sectors. The university noted that its Advanced Power and Energy Centre will provide research support, while Magaldi contributes its experience from commercial projects and engineering deployments.

This partnership also signals Khalifa University’s interest in expanding Magaldi’s footprint across the Gulf region. The university’s connections with utilities, public agencies, and industrial players in the UAE are expected to help determine whether this promising technology can transition from theoretical concept to practical application within local conditions.

Prof. Al Hajri explained that the deal fits into a broader effort to turn research insights into real, measurable benefits for the nation. He mentioned that thermal energy storage is among the more promising tools to accelerate the UAE’s energy transition, adding that this collaboration combines the university’s scientific expertise with industry know-how to explore how this technology might scale up regionally.

Magaldi sees the agreement as part of its global expansion strategy and says it reveals their interest in sectors under pressure to reduce emissions without sacrificing reliability. The company expressed that the UAE presents a thriving environment for clean energy innovation, and that this project could showcase how its system might aid in industrial decarbonization and make the energy grid more flexible.

The timing of this partnership is quite interesting. Across the Gulf, governments and energy companies are actively searching for tech solutions that can help incorporate more solar and renewables into their grids while keeping energy systems stable. Thermal storage has been gaining momentum because it can store excess energy when supply is plentiful and release it when demand peaks, effectively smoothing out fluctuations and reducing waste.

The UAE, in particular, faces this challenge head-on. The country has made substantial investments in solar power and is on the lookout for solutions that serve both utility-scale energy generation and energy-heavy industries. As such, storage tech is now being evaluated not just on its technical performance but also on its adaptability to industrial processes, budget constraints, and grid integration.

Magaldi’s system uses sand as its storage medium, a choice the company champions as environmentally friendly and scalable for large renewable energy projects. In materials shared by Magaldi Green Energy, General Manager Massimiliano Masi shared that he sees the Middle East as a prime candidate for setting a benchmark for thermal storage systems. He also mentioned that the region could undergo a significant green transition and that Magaldi aims to be part of this movement through its international expansion efforts.

Khalifa University has already made strides in thermal storage research previous to this. They participated, along with Masdar and Sweden’s Azelio AB, in a demonstration project at the Masdar Institute Solar Platform. That initiative used thermal energy storage with recycled aluminium, designed to generate electricity during the night, showing how stored heat can be converted back into power when it’s most needed.

This new agreement with Magaldi fits into that broader picture. Instead of sticking solely to academic studies, the university has gradually positioned itself as an applied research partner, bridging lab findings with industrial applications. That practical approach is also evident in other recent collaborations, like a research agreement with ADNOC Logistics and Services focused on decarbonization, clean energy, and carbon capture.

For Magaldi, the UAE isn’t just a market; it’s also a testing ground. The region’s combination of heavy industrial heat demands, plentiful solar resources, and ambitious policies creates the perfect environment for trialing new tech. If Magaldi’s solution proves successful here, it could secure a foothold in a region heavily investing in low-carbon infrastructure and seeking scalable solutions.

As for Khalifa University, the partnership underscores its role in building the UAE’s clean energy ecosystem. It also highlights a key point: the energy transition isn’t just about creating clean electricity, storing and managing that energy efficiently is just as crucial. In that sense, thermal storage technology is no longer considered a niche or fringe idea; it’s increasingly part of the conversation about how the UAE can achieve sustainable growth while maintaining reliable power and lowering emissions.