As part of its commitment to scaling clean energy investments responsibly, Mubadala supported the deployment of an AI-based bird protection system at Masdar’s Zarafshan wind project in Uzbekistan.

Compliance with environmental and social impact standards is key to awarding licenses for new renewable energy projects, and obtaining project financing at favorable terms. Before receiving regulatory approval, large-scale infrastructure projects must undergo rigorous Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) aligned with international standards, such as those developed by the World Bank. These assessments ensure that potential environmental and social impacts are identified and addressed early.

In the case of Zarafshan, migratory birds (including several threatened bird species) posed a significant challenge, which was identified during the due diligence process by the Responsible Investing team. It was recommended that Masdar implement the Identiflight system, an AI-driven monitoring and mitigation technology, to overcome this issue and enable project approval.

Developed by Boulder Imaging, the IdentiFlight system uses high-precision cameras and machine learning to detect protected bird species and automatically trigger wind turbine curtailment. The latest version offers 99% detection accuracy across a 1.3-kilometer range and can reduce bird mortality by up to 82%.

By using the IdentiFlight system, Masdar was able to obtain the license at value-accretive terms, and since it was commissioned, over 300,000 IdentiFlight-triggered turbine stoppages have occurred to avoid collisions. It also provides a significant amount of data on the use of the area by protected species. This allows researchers to better understand these species and support their conservation, contributing to nature-positive outcomes.

The creation of this system was critical to securing project licensing and highlights how Mubadala integrated sustainability considerations to ensure project viability and long-term value while managing and protecting bird populations.