Wind Energy

Shams Solar Energy Company Appoints New General Manager

Shams Power Company PJSC — a special purpose vehicle 60% owned by Masdar, 20% owned by Total and 20% owned by Abengoa, has announced the appointment of Yousif Ahmed Al-Ali as its new General Manager. Shams Power Company is the entity responsible for developing the 100MW Shams One concentrated solar power (CSP) plant.

Masdar is Abu Dhabi’s multi-faceted renewable energy company advancing the development, commercialisation and deployment of renewable energy technologies and solutions.

Al-Ali, a UAE national, will be responsible for directing, managing and coordinating all development and operational activities related to the Concentrating Solar Thermal Power plant.

Developed, owned and operated by the Shams Power Company, the Shams One plant is currently under construction and scheduled for completion by the end of 2012. The plant is set to be one of the largest CSP plants in the world and the first-of-its kind in the Middle East and North Africa.

Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said: "Masdar is mandated to support the Abu Dhabi government’s objective of progressing towards a knowledge-based sustainable economy. The development of human capital is ensured through our various research and training initiatives, which continue to develop Emirati talent in the field of renewable and sustainable energy.

"Yousif has contributed greatly to Masdar since joining us in 2007. His unique knowledge of solar power plant initiatives and his deep understanding of our industry will be invaluable to his new role as General Manager of Shams Power Company."

With over nine years of experience in renewable energy and petrochemical industry, Al-Ali began his career with Masdar in 2007 as Project Manager in Masdar Power, one of the integrated units of Masdar. Throughout his career with the renewable energy company, Al-Ali worked on several renewable energy and emission reduction projects including Torresol Energy, which delivered three concentrated solar power plants namely Gemasolar, Valle 1 and Valle 2 with a total capacity of 120MW. Al-Ali joined Masdar from ADNOC Group of Companies where he spent over four years working as a Plant Engineer for Abu Dhabi Polymers Company.

Al-Ali earned an MBA from the IE Business School in Madrid and a BA in Chemical Engineering from UAE University. He is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Located approximately 120km southwest of Abu Dhabi and 6km from Madinat Zayed, Shams One uses parabolic trough technology to convert solar irradiation into solar heat. This is fed into a steam turbine with an air-cooled condenser to generate power. The plant is designed to displace 175,000 tons of CO2 every year, equivalent to planting 1.5 million trees or taking 15,000 cars off the road. Electricity supplied from the plant will be enough to power 20,000 homes.

The project holds the impressive record of completing 3,000,000 man-hours without a loss-time incident. Project Finance magazine awarded it "Middle East Renewable Energy Deal of the Year 2010".

Masdar is Abu Dhabi’s multi-faceted initiative advancing the development, commercialisation and deployment of renewable energy technologies and solutions. The company serves as a link between today’s fossil fuel economy and the energy economy of the future – developing the "greenprint" for how we will live and work tomorrow. Backed by the stability and reputation of the Mubadala Development Company, the strategic investment company of the government of Abu Dhabi, Masdar is dedicated to the emirate’s long-term vision for the future of energy.

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