For the third year in a row Masdar, Abu Dhabi's renewable energy company, has been an affiliate sponsor of the Abu Dhabi Science Festival at the du forum on Yas Island and at the Abudhabi Corniche East Plaza.

Masdar conducted a workshop which attracted a large number of young people to learn to build their own wind turbines. The workshop helped children understand about the working of a wind turbine to generate clean electricity. Students who participated in the workshop were asked to use a soldering iron to connect a generator to the turbine. Then the turbine's performance was tested in a wind tunnel against those of other participants to see which one generates the most power.

The wind turbine workshop and other events at the festival are aimed at encouraging young people to take up maths and science careers to solve society's biggest challenges in technology, energy and sustainability.

"We are committed to cultivating the minds of our young people and instilling in them a spirit of technological innovation and scientific exploration" said Mahra Al Qassimi, Masdar?s Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications. The hands-on experiences will inspire the curiosity in of children to take science-based careers and help build a knowledge-based economy in the UAE. The festival had many other areas introducing students to opportunities in renewable energy.

Masdar's Wind Turbine workshop, at the du forum also featured images of its real-world wind energy projects, including the 630MW London Array – the world's largest offshore wind farm that provides enough power for half a million homes in the UK – and the 6-megawatt Port Victoria Wind Power Project in the Republic of Seychelles that provides 8 per cent of the island nation's power.