Dubai solar park phase 3 works set to begin
EPC contract awarded to a Spanish-Italian consortium for works at MBR Solar Park
The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company Masdar will begin construction of the 800-megawatt (MW) phase three of the $13.6 billion Mohammed bin Rashid (MBR) Solar Park in Dubai at the end of this month, according to a statement.
This follows the award of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, it was announced at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2017.
A Masdar-led consortium was selected last June by DEWA to develop the solar park — set to be the world’s largest on a single plot on completion — after setting a record-low bid price for solar power generation of US 2.99 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
The EPC contract agreement has been awarded to an international consortium led by specialist renewable energy contractor GranSolar of Spain, alongside Spanish specialist Acciona and Ghella of Italy.
The agreement with Masdar supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to diversify the energy mix so clean energy will generate 7% of Dubai’s total power output by 2020, 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050.
“The agreement supports the Dubai Vision 2021 plan to promote sustainability and happiness in Dubai, and achieve the aspirations of its citizens and residents, and DEWA’s vision to become a sustainable innovative world-class utility,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of DEWA.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is expected to displace an estimated 6.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum on completion in 2030.
