Sheikh Mohammed inaugurates phase 5 of Dubai solar park

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has inaugurated the 900 megawatt (MW) phase 5 of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

The fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is expected to power 270,000 homes and offset 1.18 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year. With a total investment of Dhs50bn based on the independent power producer (IPP) model, the solar park will cut carbon emissions by 6.5 million tonnes annually upon completion.

“The completion of the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park takes us another major step closer to realising our vision for an economy fully powered by clean energy,” said Sheikh Mohammed.

“Aligned with the UAE’s vision, Dubai has developed a clear strategy and pathway to achieve its targets of generating 25 per cent of its energy requirements from renewable sources by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2050.

Dubai is committed to becoming one of the most sustainable cities in the world through diverse initiatives.

على مساحة 10 كم مربع، وباستثمارات 2 مليار درهم إماراتي، وبعد حوالي 7 مليون ساعة عمل افتتحنا بحمدالله المرحلة الخامسة من أكبر مجمع للطاقة الشمسية في العالم في مكان واحد .
هذه المرحلة ستوفر الطاقة النظيفة ل270 ألف منزل وتسهم في خفض انبعاث أكثر من مليون طن من الكربون سنويا في… pic.twitter.com/PdW3kfKK4G

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) June 18, 2023

Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) is implementing phase 5 of the solar park using the latest solar photovoltaic bifacial technologies with Single Axis Tracking to increase energy production and the plant’s efficiency.

The Dhs2bn project, implemented on an IPP model, is owned 60 per cent by DEWA and a consortium led by ACWA Power and Gulf Investment Corporation holds 40 per cent shareholding in the company through Shuaa Energy 3.

The solar plant, which utilizes bi-facial panels with tracking technology, will generate electricity at the lowest cost of $1.69 per kilowatt hour (kWh) for the fifth phase.

Dubai solar park drives sustainability

Meanwhile, DEWA has increased the share of clean energy in Dubai’s energy mix to about 16.3 per cent of the company’s total installed capacity, which has reached 14,92MW.

Under the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy, the city seeks to obtain 100 per cent of its power from clean energy sources.

ACWA Power has worked on previous phases of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The 200MW photovoltaic second phase of the solar park developed by ACWA Power was launched in March 2017. Similarly, a consortium led by DEWA and ACWA Power formed a project company, Noor Energy 1, to design, build and operate the 950MW phase 4 of the solar park.

The fifth phase was completed ahead of schedule, in June 2023 instead of December 2023, despite the implementation having commenced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Phase 5 of the solar park is one of the first projects in the region to leverage artificial intelligence for the operation and maintenance of photovoltaic panels.

The total area of the fifth phase is approximately 10km, which is half of the total area of the 800MW third phase.

Earlier in June, DEWA said it received the lowest bid from Abu Dhabi renewable energy firm Masdar to build phase 6 of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. Masdar bid 1.62154 cents per kilowatt-hour for the 1800MW solar-power plant.

Read: UAE, Saudi Arabia lead GCC renewable energy investments: S&P Global