Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has added 300 megawatts of photovoltaic solar energy in 2022 from the fifth phase of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
The world’s largest single-site solar park using the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model will have a production capacity of 5,000MW by 2030. The fifth phase, built at an investment of AED2.058 billion, will be operational in phases. When complete in 2023, it will have a total capacity of 900MW.
This year, DEWA has added 300MW to the 300MW that became operational last year from the 5th phase, taking the total to 600MW.
The share of clean energy in Dubai is about 12.8 percent of the total installed capacity of 14,317MW. This is expected to reach 14 percent by the end of the year.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, said: “We are prepared to meet the growing demand for electricity and water services according to the highest standards of availability, reliability, efficiency and quality. We strive to keep pace with demand by implementing pioneering projects to diversify sources of energy production and include various clean and renewable energy sources and technologies in Dubai like the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park projects.
“This will help achieve the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100 percent of Dubai’s total power production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.”
The current production capacity of the solar park has reached 1,827MW using photovoltaic solar panels. DEWA is also implementing other projects at the solar park with a total of 1,033MW using PV and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP).
The fourth phase of the solar park, with a capacity of 950 MW and investments amounting to AED15.78 billion according to the IPP model, is the largest concentrated single-site solar power plant that combines CSP and solar photovoltaic technologies.
The fourth phase will use three hybrid technologies: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex (three units of 200MW each), 100MW from the world’s tallest solar power tower at 262.44 metres (based on Molten Salt technology), and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. A total of 217MW of the 4th phase using photovoltaic solar panels is already operational.
On its completion, the project will have the largest thermal storage capacity in the world of 15 hours, allowing for energy availability around the clock. The fourth phase will provide clean energy for around 320,000 residences and reduce 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions yearly.
DEWA has invited international developers to send their Expressions of Interest (EOI) to implement the 6th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park based on the IPP model. It will become operational in stages starting from Q3 of 2025.
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