Union Coop, a key consumer cooperative in the UAE, has joined hands with Positive Zero, a leading provider of decentralised clean energy solutions, for the launch of one of the Middle East’s largest solar energy projects in the retail sector. 

 

The long-term agreement will see the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on roofs and parking areas across Union Coop locations, aimed at significantly reducing carbon emissions and supporting the UAE’s net-zero targets.

 

Scheduled for completion by mid-2026, the project will cover up to 30 Union Coop sites across Dubai and the Umm Al Quwain Coop headquarters (managed by Union Coop). 

 

With an installed capacity of 17.3MW, the system is expected to produce approximately 29.23 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity annually - enough to power over 4,000 homes.

 

The initiative will reduce carbon emissions by up to 21,650 tons each year, the equivalent environmental benefit of planting approximately 325,000 trees, said the statement from Union Coop. 

 

It aligns with the UAE Net Zero 2050 Strategic Initiative and the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to raise clean energy's share to 30% of the national energy mix by 2030, it added.

 

The agreement was signed at Union Coop’s headquarters in Al Warqa City Mall, Dubai in the presence of senior officials including its CEO Mohamed Al Hashemi; Chief Real Estate Officer Ahmed Al Zarooni as well as top Positive Zero executives including Chairman Mohammed Abdulghaffar Hussain; CEO David Auriau and Generation Business CEO Laurent Longuet.

 

Commenting on the milestone, Al Hashemi said: "Today marks a landmark moment in Union Coop’s journey to become a leader in sustainability. By integrating clean energy solutions into our daily operations, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting the UAE’s vision for a net-zero future by 2050."

 

"Union Coop aims to serve as a role model in the retail sector by adopting innovative practices that reduce carbon emissions and create lasting environmental impact," he stated.

 

"Our responsibility as a cooperative goes beyond serving the people, as we are equally committed to protecting the environment and embedding sustainable practices that ensure a brighter future for generations to come," he added.

 

Hussain said this project represents one of the largest retail chain solar agreements ever signed in the Middle East and for us at Positive Zero the most extensive generation undertaking for the retail sector in the UAE to date. 

 

"We look forward to a long, successful partnership with Union Coop and delivering major environmental benefits from this renewable energy mission," he stated.

 

Echoing similar sentiments, Auriau said: "Union Coop is making a major step forward in its sustainability journey with this distributed solar project. Our teams are already working together on the first phase, and by this time next year, we expect clean, renewable energy to be powering all agreed sites. Collaboratively, we will drive greater operational, economic and environmental sustainability and identify the potential for further clean energy innovations."