800MW third phase of MBR Solar Park to be operational by April 2020
Current work focusing on operational preparations to evaluate readiness of substation
The 800MW third phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be operational by April 2020, the managing director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced.
Speaking during a site visit to the facility, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said that once the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is completed, it will be the largest single-site solar park in the world, and that it would be based on an independent power producer (IPP) model. The park has a planned capacity of 5,000MW in 2030, with investments of $13.6 billion.
During the site visit, Al Tayer was briefed by Fawaz Al Muharrami, CEO of Shua’a Energy 2, on the construction progress of the third stage. He explained that it would be operational in April, with a capacity of 300MW of energy, using photovoltaic technology across the solar farms.
Currently, work is focusing on operational preparations to evaluate the readiness of the substation. Once primary tests are complete, the substation will undergo pilot operational tests.
DEWA is building the 800MW photovoltaic third phase of the solar park in three stages, a statement said. It is being developed in partnership with a consortium led by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Masdar and EDF Group, through its subsidiary EDG Energies Nouvelles. The 200MW first stage was operational in May 2108, while the 300MW second stage was operational in August 2018.
The solar power projects currently operational in the park have a capacity of 713MW, with a planned capacity of 1,013MW by April 2020. DEWA is currently implementing four more projects with a capacity of 2,150MW at the solar park, bringing the total capacity of the current five phases announced to 2,863MW.
Furthermore, the authority intends to reach 5,000MW by 2030, to achieve the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to produce 75% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy and make Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050.
