Masdar accelerates renewable capacity to 65GW, aiming for 100GW by 2030 with bold international expansion

Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy champion, Masdar, recently announced that its global renewable power portfolio hit 65 gigawatts (GW) in 2025. That’s quite a jump from 51GW just a year earlier, putting it about two-thirds of the way toward its ambitious target of reaching 100GW by 2030. According to Masdar’s statements, around 45GW of this capacity is already operational, under construction, or committed, while another 20GW is in advanced stages of development. The company also revealed plans to invest between US$30–35 billion in equity and project financing over the next five years, aiming for an average deployment of about 10GW annually, funded through a mix of equity, green bonds, and long-term project debt.

They framed this milestone as a result of “visionary leadership” and two decades of strategic, early investments by the UAE. His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chairman of Masdar, shared: “Twenty years ago, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan made a bold decision to invest in renewables before they were proven at scale. Reaching 65GW today really shows what’s possible when leadership sets a clear direction and sticks to it. The next growth phase will bring together energy, advanced manufacturing, and AI, leading to smarter systems, stronger industries, and more resilient economies.” Meanwhile, Masdar’s CEO, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, added in the same announcement: “Our first 20 years have been driven by ambition, discipline, innovation, and partnerships. These qualities will help us reach our 100GW goal, while also providing attractive returns to our shareholders and helping meet the global demand for electricity across some of the most promising and commercially attractive markets in the world.”

Masdar also wanted to highlight how diversified its portfolio is, both geographically and technologically. Key developments slated for 2025, as listed in their newsroom and industry reporting, support that strategy. For example, in the UAE, Masdar teamed up with Abu Dhabi’s utility, Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), to break ground on what they call the world’s first giga-scale, round-the-clock renewable energy project: a 5.2GW solar PV plant combined with a 19GWh battery energy storage system designed to supply dispatchable, clean power at scale. This project signals a shift from simple capacity additions toward integrated solutions that can deliver low-carbon power reliably.

In Europe, Masdar has closed several big deals and reached important milestones. The company acquired full ownership of TERNA ENERGY in Greece and bought into a €368 million solar PV project in Spain alongside ENEL and Endesa. They also announced financial close with Iberdrola on the €5.2 billion East Anglia THREE offshore wind project in the UK. Additionally, the 476MW Baltic Eagle offshore wind farm in Germany was fully energized, marking a crucial step in their northern European portfolio. Masdar is also expanding further in Spain, with new agreements to acquire stakes in solar plants from Endesa, strengthening its foothold in one of the EU’s largest solar markets.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Masdar has begun entering some new national markets. They’ve signed agreements covering 1GW of projects in the Philippines, contracted a 200MW floating solar project in Malaysia, and announced Uzbekistan’s largest standalone battery energy storage system at Zarafshan. These steps reflect a broader effort to tap into fast-growing Asian markets, where demand for renewables and energy storage is increasing.

On the financial side, Masdar reported that 2025 boosted its balance sheet. The company issued its third green bond, bringing its total green bond issuance to about US$2.75 billion. They also highlighted that they have invested more than US$45 billion overall in renewables around the globe. This figure, they say, supports their position as one of the world’s biggest owners and operators of clean energy assets. Industry reports and earlier disclosures show rapid growth: Masdar expanded from roughly 20GW in 2022 to 51GW at the end of 2024, deploying nearly US$8 billion in equity and securing over US$4.5 billion of project financing just in 2024, according to their own statements and trade press.

Experts note that aiming to deploy US$30–35 billion over five years is pretty ambitious, but it aligns with Masdar’s strategy of focusing on “investment-grade” and rapidly growing markets, while using a mix of financing tools. Relying on green bonds and project finance secured against revenues from contracted assets is common among large renewable developers, they do this to keep some flexibility with equity and to leverage credit markets effectively, you know?

Of course, such rapid growth isn’t without its risks. Masdar’s moves into merchant and merchant-plus markets, large offshore projects, and integrated storage systems expose them to construction delays, market swings, and regulatory challenges across different countries. The company’s public materials emphasize disciplined capital allocation and partnership models, aiming to manage these risks, and their recent acquisitions, like those in Greece and Spain, plus their partnership with Iberdrola in the UK, highlight a focus on established developers and off-take arrangements.

For the UAE and the wider Gulf region, Masdar’s growth is seen as supporting national efforts to decarbonize and industrialize. The company suggests that integrating energy projects with advanced manufacturing and AI will help deepen local supply chains and foster industries with higher added value. Governments and industry insiders have also connected Masdar’s international expansion to Abu Dhabi’s broader goal of exporting capital and expertise, while building resilience in global energy markets.

Looking ahead as Masdar moves toward its 35GW target for 2030, it’s clear the company faces some typical big-renewables platform challenges: financing extensive storage solutions, executing complex offshore projects on time, and navigating shifting policies worldwide. The leadership frames this current phase as one where they’ll move past just building capacity, focusing instead on systems integration. Whether that shift speeds up decarbonization at a broader scale will depend on their ability to secure the planned investments, forge strategic partnerships, and establish stable revenue streams from their assets, things that, honestly, will determine their success.

Source: Noah Wire Services