Sceptics may deem it to be the height of green ambition, but the complex taking shape near Abu Dhabi is what will be the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste city fully powered by renewable energy.
Some of the world's leading environmental technology and renewable energy companies have been commissioned to apply their expertise to Masdar City, which is due for completion in 2011.
The 700-hectare complex, which is projected to have a population of 40,000, will also feature the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, the world's first university specialising in green energy, which will be run in co-operation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There will be up to 1,500 businesses in a special economic zone, in addition to recreation areas and mosques.
UAE Consul General to Hong Kong Saeed Hamad Ali Aljunaibi said suppliers of everything from window frames to concrete and other materials would be held accountable for the carbon footprint left by their use or conveyance. If energy is used, it must be offset elsewhere in the project. Conventional cars will be banned and up to 50,000 commuters will use solar-powered vehicles, light rail and other green transport innovations.
'It is an extraordinary endeavour that will attract the highest levels of international expertise, academics, commerce, and residents,' according to an UAE government spokesman. 'By bringing together such resources, Masdar will provide services that will ultimately support sustainable development throughout Abu Dhabi, the region, and the country, as well as provide a functioning blueprint for the world.'
The future city, which is being dubbed the 'Silicon Valley of the Middle East' would host more than 1,500 renewable energy related companies, the spokesman added. A 10 megawatt plant, consisting of 50 per cent thin film and 50 per cent crystalline with a total of 87, 777 panels, is projected to generate 17,500 MWh of clean energy each year with 15,000 tons of annual carbon dioxide savings.