The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has requested tenders for the 900MW 5th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park (MBR Solar Park). The move is said to support the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which states that 75% of Dubai’s total power come from clean energy by 2050.
The solar plant is based on an Independent Power Project (IPP) model, 40% of the company operating the project will be owned by the firm/group that wins the bid, while 60% will be owned by DEWA, the utility firm said in a statement. DEWA says 64 companies have submitted letters of intent for the tender to date.
The winning bidder will also sign an agreement with DEWA, which specifies that the utility company will purchase power from the plant for a period of 25 years.
“DEWA is working to transform Dubai into a global hub for clean energy and green economy, to make it the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world. Meeting the clean energy objectives requires a capacity of 42,000MW of clean and renewable energy by 2050. To achieve our vision to become a globally-leading sustainable innovative corporation, we are working to establish sustainability as the roadmap that secures a brighter and happier future for Dubai, by launching major world-class initiatives and projects in green development,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
The fifth phase of the solar park will be commissioned in stages starting from Q2 2021, DEWA notes.
As per DEWA, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is the largest single-site solar park of its kind in the world. It will have a capacity of 5,000MW by 2030 with investments of $13.6bn.