Dubai on Sunday inaugurated the 900 megawatt (MW) fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Solar Park, one of the world's largest renewable projects based on an independent power producer model.
Featuring a total investment of AED50 billion, based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, the Solar Park is expected to reduce 6.5 million tons of carbon emissions annually when fully completed.
The fifth phase of the project will provide clean energy to around 270,000 residences in Dubai, reducing 1.18 million tons of carbon emissions annually.
“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,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council.
He added that in 2023, “we continue to place sustainability at the heart of our development plans and make new strides in shaping a truly environmentally friendly economy.”
The AED2 billion project features a partnership between DEWA (60%) and a consortium led by ACWA Power and Gulf Investment Corporation (40%) through Shuaa Energy 3.
DEWA achieved a world record by receiving the lowest bid of $1.6953 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for the fifth phase.
Saeed Mohammed Al-Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) said, “We continue to do our best to promote sustainability and transform into a sustainable green economy by increasing the share of clean and renewable energy. 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.”
Meanwhile, Mohammad Abunayyan, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ACWA Power, said, “Our objective for Shuaa Energy 3 has been to achieve the highest technical and operational standards every step of the way, setting the record for the lowest solar tariff globally in 2020 and deploying advanced technologies such as bifacial solar panels and automatic cleaning robots.”
ACWA Power has worked on previous phases of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Solar Park.
The 200MW photovoltaic second phase of the solar park developed by ACWA Power was launched in March 2017.
Meanwhile, a consortium led by DEWA and ACWA Power formed a project company, Noor Energy 1, to design, build and operate the 950MW fourth phase.
“The fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Solar Park, based on the IPP model, is considered to be a pioneering project as it uses state of the art clean power generation solutions that contribute to the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050,” said Ibrahim Al-Qadhi, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Investment Corporation.
The fifth phase is one of the first projects in the Middle East to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) as part of an advanced robotic cleaning system for the operation and maintenance of photovoltaic panels.
The total area of the fifth phase is approximately 10 square kilometers, which is half of the total area of the 800MW third phase.
