Emerge, a joint venture between the UAE’s Masdar and France’s EDF, has signed an agreement with Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages, Coca-Cola’s bottler and distributor in the UAE, to develop a 1.8-megawatt (MWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) plant for its Al Ain facility.
The commercial & industrial (C&I) project, located at the Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages facility in Al Ain, will be a combination of ground-mounted, rooftop, and car park installations.
Emerge will provide a full turnkey solution for the 1.8-megawatt peak (MWp) project, including the design, procurement, and construction, as well as operation and maintenance of the plant for 25 years.
The agreement was signed by Mohamed Akeel, Chief Executive Officer, Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages and Michel Abi Saab, General Manager, Emerge, at the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) which took place from January 14-19 in the UAE capital.
Michel Abi Saab, General Manager, Emerge, said: “Emerge is pleased to be increasing its C&I footprint in the UAE with our collaboration with such a reputed company. We are confident the 1.8 MWp solar PV plant we will build, operate and maintain for Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages – like the facilities we are building for our other partners Miral, Khazna Data Centers, and Al Dahra Food Industries – will provide stable and clean energy for its Al Ain facility for decades to come.”
Mohamed Akeel, Chief Executive Officer, Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages, said: “This is a significant milestone for us as we continue to drive and embrace innovation in every part of our business while reducing our carbon footprint. Our agreement with Emerge will allow us to reach yet another sustainability milestone – a big aspect of which is the integration of more renewable energy into our operations.”
The C&I solar segment has been witnessing unprecedented growth since 2021, boosted internationally by the high cost of fuel and electricity. IHS Markit has predicted that 125 gigawatts (GW) of C&I rooftop solar will be installed globally by 2026. Rooftop solar PV could provide approximately 6 percent of the United Arab Emirate’s total power generation by 2030 according to the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) REmap 2030 report.
Emerge was formed in 2021 as a joint venture between Masdar and EDF to develop distributed solar, energy efficiency, street lighting, battery storage, off-grid solar and hybrid solutions for commercial and industrial clients. As an energy services company, Emerge offers clients full turn key supply and demand side energy management solutions through solar power agreements and energy performance contracting at no up-front cost to the client.
Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages is the bottler for Coca-Cola in the United Arab Emirates. It has a bottling plant in Al Ain and distribution centers across UAE to manufacture and distribute Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Arwa Water, Smart Water and Schweppes. It also distributes Monster Energy and Costa Coffee retail products.
