Sheikh Mohammed inaugurates 300MW stage at Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, inaugurated the 300 megawatt (MW) first stage of the 900MW fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park on Tuesday.

Implemented by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) using the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, the solar park is the largest single-site solar park in the world with a planned total capacity of 5,000MW by 2030.

The fifth phase investments amount to Dhs2.058bn, according to DEWA.

In November 2019, DEWA announced the consortium led by ACWA Power and Gulf Investment Corporation as the preferred bidder to build and operate the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park using photovoltaic (PV) solar panels based on the IPP model.

DEWA achieved a world record by receiving the lowest bid of $1.6953 cents per kilowatt hour (Levelised Cost of Energy) for this phase.

.@HHShkMohd inaugurates 300MW first stage of the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. #Dubai pic.twitter.com/XIT5PNZjJp

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) August 17, 2021

To implement the project, DEWA established Shuaa Energy 3 in partnership with the consortium led by ACWA Power and Gulf Investment Corporation. DEWA owns 60 percent of the company, and the consortium owns the remaining 40 percent. The project uses the latest Solar photovoltaic bifacial technologies, which allows solar radiation to reach the front and back of the panels, with single-axis tracking to increase generation, according to a statement posted on Sheikh Mohammed’s website.

Mohammad Abunayyan, chairman of ACWA Power noted that the launch of the first stage of the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park was completed in less than twelve months.
The fifth phase will provide clean energy to over 270,000 residences in Dubai, including 90,000 residences by the commissioned first stage, and will reduce 1.18 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually. To be commissioned in stages until 2023, the fifth phase uses the latest solar photovoltaic bifacial technologies with Single Axis Tracking to increase energy production.

“Commissioning the 300MW first stage of the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park increases DEWA’s total capacity of clean energy to 1,310MW. This brings clean energy capacity in Dubai’s energy mix to around 10 per cent,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA.

“DEWA’s production capacity has increased to 13,200MW of electricity and 490 million imperial gallons of desalinated water per day (MIGD). By the end of 2021, clean energy capacity will increase to 13.3 per cent of Dubai’s total energy mix after adding 517MW from solar photovoltaic panels and CSP in the fourth phase of the solar park. These include 100MW from the world’s tallest CSP tower at 262.44 metres, 200MW from first project of the parabolic trough, and 217 MW using photovoltaic solar panels,” he added.

The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 aims to provide 75 per cent of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.

Sheikh Mohammed has also launched a project to study the feasibility of generating electricity by utilising wind energy in Hatta. Based preliminary data, DEWA has identified the location for a wind farm with a total capacity of about 28MW. Actual wind speed for a full year is currently being measured at the location using a 150-metre metal tower. The purpose is to collect accurate data and study the total capacity of the power plant as well as other technical details in terms of number of turbines, capacity of each and annual operating hours.

“The project to generate electricity using wind power is part of our efforts to diversify clean and renewable energy sources in Dubai. These include photovoltaic solar panels technology, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), green hydrogen production using renewable energy, and pumped-storage technology in the hydroelectric power station in Hatta,” added Al Tayer.