EMSTEEL Group, one of the largest publicly traded steel and building materials manufacturers in the region, has announced a strategic partnership with Yellow Door Energy, the leading sustainable energy partner for businesses in the Middle East and Africa, to develop the UAE’s largest industrial solar rooftop project. This 31.5-megawatt-peak (MWp) solar power project will provide renewable energy to EMSTEEL’s facilities, advancing the company’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing and self-generating energy solutions.
As part of the agreement, Yellow Door Energy will finance, build, own, operate, and maintain the solar panel installations, eliminating the need for upfront investment from EMSTEEL. The project will cover 40 EMSTEEL roofs in ICAD 1, Abu Dhabi, featuring both rooftop and carport solar systems. High-efficiency solar panels will be installed, with bifacial panels used for carports to capture sunlight from both sides, optimizing clean energy generation.
Once operational, the system is expected to generate around 50 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean electricity annually, reducing approximately 16,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions per year for the next 25 years. All the renewable electricity produced will be directly consumed by EMSTEEL, helping to lower energy costs and significantly reduce its carbon footprint.
Engineer Saeed Ghumran Saeed Al Remeithi, Group CEO, EMSTEEL, said in a statement,“Sustainability is at the core of EMSTEEL’s strategy, and advancing our decarbonization efforts is a key priority as we shape the future of sustainable manufacturing. This partnership with Yellow Door Energy marks an important step in implementing our recently published decarbonization strategy, by expanding the use of renewable energy across our operations. By integrating on-site solar power, we are reinforcing our leadership in industrial sustainability, contributing to the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 vision, and setting new benchmarks for renewable energy adoption in the UAE’s steel industry.”
Jeremy Crane, Group CEO, Yellow Door Energy, mentioned, “We are proud to partner with EMSTEEL on this solar lease agreement, enabling them to transition to clean energy while achieving significant cost savings. With a total capacity of 31.5 MWp, this project demonstrates the potential for solar to power our primary industries in the UAE. As a UAE-founded company, Yellow Door Energy remains committed to helping businesses reduce energy costs and decarbonize their operations.”
This initiative plays a crucial role in EMSTEEL’s decarbonization strategy and aligns with the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 goal. Construction is set to begin in 2025, with the project expected to be commissioned in 2026. Yellow Door Energy will manage the project from start to finish, ensuring a smooth transition to clean energy while allowing EMSTEEL to focus on its core business.
As part of its broader sustainability goals, EMSTEEL aims to achieve a 40% reduction in absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in its Steel Business Unit and a 30% reduction in its Cement Business Unit by 2030, using 2019 as the baseline year. The ultimate target is to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, reinforcing the company’s long-term commitment to environmental responsibility and operational efficiency. This partnership not only strengthens EMSTEEL’s environmental leadership in the region but also sets a benchmark for industrial decarbonization through large-scale renewable energy adoption.
