Al Maktoum Solar Park fifth phase launched
When complete, the plant is expected to reduce 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has inaugurated the 900 megawatt (MW) fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world – with a planned capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030.
Featuring a total investment of AED50bn ($13.6bn), based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, the Solar Park is expected to reduce 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually when fully completed.
The fifth phase will provide clean energy to around 270,000 residences in Dubai, reducing 1.18 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
The AED2bn project, implemented based on an IPP model, features a partnership between DEWA (60%) and a consortium led by Acwa Power and Gulf Investment Corporation (40%), through Shuaa Energy 3.
For the fifth phase, DEWA in fact achieved a world record by receiving the lowest bid of $1.6953 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh).
The Dubai utility has implemented this phase using the latest solar photovoltaic ‘bifacial’ technologies, with Single Axis Tracking, to increase energy production and the plant’s efficiency.
Speaking at the launch, Sheikh Mohammed said: “The UAE is at the forefront of global efforts to create a more sustainable future for all of humanity by taking concrete action to transition to renewable energies and combat climate change. In 2023, the UAE’s Year of Sustainability, and the year in which we are hosting COP28, we continue to place sustainability at the heart of our development plans and make new strides in shaping a truly environmentally friendly economy. 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.”
Sheikh Mohammed was later briefed by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the Managing Director and CEO of Dewa, on the phases of the Solar Park and the technologies used in the project.
The total capacity of the solar energy projects commissioned at the solar park has reached 2,427MW from photovoltaic solar panels and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). Moreover, DEWA has increased the share of clean energy in Dubai’s energy mix to about 16.3% of its total installed capacity, which has reached 14,917 MW.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer commented that: “We have made rapid progress in achieving the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy to provide 100% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050. To achieve these goals, we are implementing several projects at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. We promise His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to continue our development projects to achieve his ambitious vision for this national project, which adds to the UAE’s success in moving steadily towards a sustainable future for current and future generations.”
