Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City, the world’s only zero-carbon city, has been chosen to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

MASDAR Logo

Torger Baardseth, Vice President & Regional Manager for Middle East, Business Assurance

“We think Masdar City will be a perfect host for the IRENA headquarters. It sends a good signal to the market and shows great promise to host the organisation in the world’s first carbon-neutral and zero waste city,” says Torger Baardseth, Middle East Manager for DNV Business Assurance.

He underlines that the city will attract some of the world’s leading influencers and specialists on renewable energy and it will be necessary to be present in Masdar city in order to be in the forefront of the development.

DNV has assisted the Masdar project with Health and Safety Assessments and CDM services and see a large potential in the environmentally friendly city.

“Green initiatives like Masdar are crucial in order to create awareness and to address challenges such as global warming and energy supplies. DNV is committed to utilise our expertise, knowledge and resources in order to ensure a safe and sustainable future. We look forward to continue our cooperation with Masdar,” says Torger Baardseth.

Visionary project
Masdar City is a visionary project aiming to become the Silicon Valley for clean, green and alternative sources of energy. The city will be a place for energy research, technology development and a global centre for addressing some of mankind’s most pressing environmental challenges. When completed in 2016, 1500 companies and 50 000 people will reside in the sustainable city.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was established in January 2009 and is an intergovernmental organisation with 136 member states as of July 2009. The organisation will be a global driving force promoting affordable, reliable, clean, and sustainable energy alternatives.