Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure launches innovative microgrid project for federal government buildings

The UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) has launched a strategic microgrid project to deploy smart, decentralised power systems across federal government buildings, the ministry announced. First piloted in 2025 at the MoEI headquarters in Sharjah, the initiative combines clean generation, energy storage and advanced digital energy management to strengthen energy security, cut emissions and ensure uninterrupted services during outages. The project supports the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision and is described by the ministry as the first-of-its-kind across the UAE.

Direct quote

Eng Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at MoEI, framed the project as a transformational shift: “This project reflects a transformative shift in building-level energy management — from a conventional model dependent on the central grid to a smart, decentralised model with independent operational capability. It enhances the reliability of electricity supply and the continuity of vital services, while also improving resource efficiency and reducing costs and emissions.”

Context and details

• The pilot, implemented at MoEI’s Sharjah headquarters in 2025, reported concrete operational, environmental and financial outcomes. Eng Al Olama said: “During its pilot phase, the project delivered tangible operational, environmental, and economic results, including a reduction in annual energy consumption of approximately 362,000 kilowatt-hours, annual financial savings of nearly Dh110,000, and a reduction of 76 tons of carbon emissions per year.”
• The microgrid raised the share of solar energy to 30% of the building’s total electrical load and reached “100% operational resilience in the event of sudden power outages, ensuring uninterrupted services,” according to the ministry.
• The project adopts an integrated operational model that pairs renewable generation with energy storage and advanced digital energy management tools, creating an independent, building-level capability separate from the central grid.
• The announcement situates the microgrid work within the UAE’s broader clean-energy landscape, which includes large-scale projects such as the Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park — a planned 5,000 megawatts (5GW) of capacity and a total investment of Dh50 billion — as part of national efforts to reduce carbon intensity and modernise infrastructure.
• MoEI describes the initiative as a national model for ensuring continuity of vital services under emergencies and crises, and as a measure to improve resource efficiency while lowering operational costs and emissions.

Outlook

MoEI said it is working with government and private-sector partners to scale the microgrid model nationwide. The next phase will focus on expanding deployments across federal buildings and preparing a national technical and regulatory guide to provide governance frameworks and technical standards for microgrid deployment. Eng Al Olama said the project “represents a qualitative leap in the way building energy systems are planned and operated,” and positioned the initiative as part of a comprehensive national vision to reshape the UAE’s energy landscape through renewable energy and advanced digital technologies.