Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to have world’s largest energy storage capacity

The fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will, upon its completion, have the largest energy storage capacity in the world of 15 hours.

The fourth phase will be operational in stages starting from Q3 2021, and will provide clean energy for 320,000 residences, and will reduce 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year.

The mega solar park is being built by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).

4th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will have the largest energy storage capacity in the world https://t.co/iwVjUMcdYt #UAE #dubai pic.twitter.com/9lxBlpGBwx

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) November 28, 2020

The 950MW fourth phase is the largest investment project in the world that combines Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and photovoltaic solar power with investments totalling Dhs15.78bn based on the independent power producer (IPP) model.

Read: Clean energy now accounts for 9% of Dubai’s total output

It uses three hybrid technologies to produce clean energy: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex (three units of 200MW each), 100MW from a solar power tower (based on Molten Salt technology), and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels, according to the Dubai Media Office.

A consortium led by DEWA and ACWA Power formed a project company, Noor Energy 1, to design, build, and operate the plant.

DEWA owns 51 per cent of the company, while ACWA Power holds 25 per cent, and the Silk Road Fund owns 24 per cent.

The project, which covers a total area of 44 square kilometres, has broken other world records including Levelised Cost of Electricity of $7.3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for the 700MW CSP and $2.4 cents per kWh for the 250MW photovoltaic solar panels.

It also features the world’s tallest solar power tower at 262.44 metres. The Molten Salt Receiver on top of the solar power tower is the core of the CSP plant.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is also the largest single-site solar park in the world. With a planned total capacity of 5,000MW by 2030, it involves an investment of Dhs50bn.

The total capacity of operational projects at the solar park, which uses photovoltaic solar panels, is 1,013MW. DEWA is creating an additional capacity of 1,850MW using solar panels and CSP.