Abu Dhabi turns sod on first carbon-neutral city

THE world’s first carbon-neutral, car-free, zero-waste metropolis which will house up to 50,000 people is being built in Abu Dhabi.

Masdar will be name of the futuristic city in the hyper-green $22 billion (€15.15bn) project which is scheduled to be finished in 2016.

Abu Dhabi has one of the world’s biggest per-capita carbon footprints. Sceptics believe Masdar may be just a unique PR exercise for the oil-rich Gulf emirate.

Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan presided over a ground-breaking ceremony at the weekend.

The project is supported by global conservation charity, the WWF and the city will make use of traditional Gulf architecture to create low-energy buildings, with natural air conditioning from wind towers.

Masdar will use a fraction of the power of normal cities, and that power will come from clean, renewable sources such as solar power.

Planners hope to achieve zero waste through the reduction, re-use, recycling and recovery of waste material. An emission-free public transport system will do away with the need for personal vehicles while water will come from a desalination plant.

The 6.5 sq km city is expected to create more than 70,000 jobs and will also contain the world’s first graduate school dedicated to renewable energy.

It is estimated the city will save the equivalent of $2bn in oil over 25 years.

The Masdar project is an initiative of the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, which is owned by the Abu Dhabi Government.