DUBAI, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Chairman of Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan Humanitarian & Scientific Foundation, visited the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. He was welcomed by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).
During the visit, Al Tayer presented DEWA’s key projects, initiatives, and programmes. DEWA adopts sustainability as part of its vision and follows the triple-bottom-line strategy to sustainability of economy, society, and the environment.
Al Tayer emphasised that DEWA’s commitment to achieving the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which was announced by the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , to provide 75 percent of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2050. These projects include the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which has a planned capacity of 5,000 megawatts (MW) by 2030, at a total investment of AED50 billion.
Al Tayer explained the key components of the solar park, as well as its completion stages and strategic objectives. He explained that the 13MW photovoltaic first phase became operational in 2013. The 200MW photovoltaic second phase of the solar park was commissioned in March 2017. The second phase was implemented by DEWA in partnership with the consortium led by ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia, the main developer, and Spain’s TSK, the main contractor, with an investment of AED1.2 billion. The phase will generate clean energy for 50,000 residences in Dubai, and will reduce 214,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year. This phase installed 2.3 million photovoltaic solar panels over 4.5 square kilometres.
“We are currently working on the 800MW third phase of the solar park, which will be completed in 3 stages. The first 200MW stage is expected to be operational by April 2018. The 300MW second stage will be operational in the first half of 2019, and the third 300MW stage will be completed in the first half of 2020. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the 700MW AED14.2 billion fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. This is the largest single-site Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project in the world, based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. The project will have the world’s tallest solar tower, at 260 metres. The project will be commissioned in stages, starting from Q4 of 2020. DEWA has achieved world-class results and set a new global standard by achieving world records in energy prices of USD 5.6 cents per kW/h for the second 200MW phase in 2015 and USD 2.99 cents per kW/h for the third 800MW phase in 2016, and USD 7.3 cents per kW/h for the fourth 700MW CSP phase, which is the lowest in the world based on the IPP model,” noted Al Tayer.
The visit included the Solar Testing Centre at the solar park, which includes test technologies for photovoltaic panels and for concentrated solar power (CSP) as well. The centre is currently testing over 30 photovoltaic panel types from global manufacturers to check their performance, analyse them, and test their long-term reliability in the local climate.
Source: Emirates News Agency