SENER Becomes First Engineering Company Licensed to Operate from Masdar City

SENER Becomes First Engineering Company Licensed to Operate from Masdar City

The firm is also the first Spanish company that will be located in the sustainable cleantech cluster in Abu Dhabi

Madrid, 16 February 2010 – SENER, a leading international multidiscipline engineering company, announced today it has become the first engineering firm and the first Spanish entity to register a local subsidiary in Masdar City, the emerging clean-technology cluster in Abu Dhabi.

Masdar City, which aims to be one of the most sustainable cities in the world, is building a global community of renewable energy and cleantech companies, organisations, NGOs and institutions, including the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The city is the flagship project of Masdar, the renewable energy company wholly owned by the Mubadala Development Company.

The move to Masdar City confirms SENER’s commitment to the development of renewable energy projects and sustainable architecture in the Middle East, and builds on a presence it has had in Abu Dhabi since 2009 in order to pursue engineering opportunities in Abu Dhabi, the rest of the United Arab Emirates and the wider region, in the fields of power and process, civil infrastructure and architecture, marine and aerospace.

Pedro Mugarra, SENER Managing Director in Abu Dhabi, said, “The decision to locate in Masdar City it is not only motivated by the engineering opportunities across all of SENER’s business units in the region, but also by the company’s commitment to the development of renewable energy, particularly those in the fields of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Waste to Energy, where we are a leader in providing efficient and innovative solutions. With the aim of making these technologies ever-more competitive compared to traditional sources, SENER maintains ongoing collaboration with research and development organisations such as Masdar Institute, which is located in Masdar City.”

Alan Frost, Director of Masdar City, said, “We are pleased to welcome SENER to Masdar City, not only because of their existing relationship with Masdar and leadership in the engineering and renewables industry, but also because they reflect our goal of bringing together organisations from around the world that operate in a range of fields but all have specialisations in clean technology and renewable energy. In so doing, we provide not only a world-class work and living environment, but also create a rich industry cluster ecosystem that generates productivity and innovation gains to resident companies.”

SENER and Masdar are joint venture partners in Torresol Energy, a Spain-headquartered company that seeks to be a global leader in the Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) sector. SENER owns 60% and Masdar owns 40% of the JV Company.

The first buildings within Masdar City are set for delivery in the third quarter of 2010 and are part of the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology campus. Phase 1 of the city’s development is set for completion by 2013, with the first commercial buildings, in which SENER’s offices will be located, is due for completion earlier. Until then, SENER is operating from temporary modern offices near Masdar City.

Masdar City seeks to be a global centre for innovation, research, product development and light manufacturing in the fields of renewable energy and sustainable technologies. The city will use renewable energy to supply its needs. Electricity will be generated by photovoltaic panels, while cooling will be provided by concentrated solar power and waste-to-energy, among other technologies.

Leading multinationals in the cleantech sector, small- and medium-sized enterprises, entrepreneurial start-ups, venture capital funds, multilateral organizations and business service firms, as well as retailers, restaurants, hospitals, schools and hotels will located at Masdar City, while thousands of residents will live there.

About SENER
SENER is a private engineering and technology group founded in 1956 in Bilbao, which seeks to offer its clients the most advanced technological solutions and which enjoys international recognition thanks to its commitment to innovation, quality and its independence. SENER employs more than 5,700 professionals and has a turnover of 829 M€. SENER comprises activities in the engineering field, and is an industrial stakeholder in companies working in the fields of Energy and Environment, and Aerospace.

The Engineering Division, SENER Ingeniería y Sistemas, S.A., is an engineering, construction and system integration company which has become one of Spain's leading engineering firms, with a turnover of more than 385 M€, some 2,500 workers, and offices in Abu Dhabi, Algiers, Barcelona, Bilbao, Buenos Aires, Lisbon, Madrid, Mexico City, Okayama, San Francisco, Seville, Valencia and Warsaw.

Through its Energy and Environment Division, SENER has promoted projects such as Torresol Energy, in which it is also a shareholder, by contributing its own technologies. Other initiatives promoted by SENER in the field of renewable power and energy recycling from waste include Zabalgarbi, TRACJUSA, Valpuren Comatur and Valpuren Bañuelo.

Worthwhile mentioning, in its Aerospace Division, is also ITP (Industria de Turbopropulsores), participated by SENER and the British company Rolls Royce, dedicated to design, manufacturing, assembly and MRO of jet engines.

www.sener.ae