Dubai: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has said that 80 per cent of the second phase of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is complete, as of mid-December.

The solar park is the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the Independent Power Producer model (IPP).

The second phase is the first and largest of its kind in the UAE and will eventually generate 200 megawatts (MW) of electricity by April 2017. To date, 75 per cent of the 2.2 million photovoltaic panels have been installed. During the installation, no injuries were recorded, with over one million safe man hours logged.

Mohammad Abdullah Abu Nayyan, chairman of ACWA Power, and Abdul Hameed Al Muhaidib, managing director of Shuaa Energy 1, briefed Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa, in detail about the implementation process.

They showed the construction, operations, and engineering progress to ensure that the project is delivered on time. At the time, Dewa set a world record by obtaining the lowest price globally for the second phase, at a price of 5.6 US cents per kilowatt hour (kW/h).

The project occupies 4.5 square kilometres with an investment of about Dh1.2 billion. Shuaa Energy 1 is a company established by Dewa to complete the project according to UAE legislation.

Dewa is the majority shareholder at 51 per cent with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power, and the Spanish industrial group TSK taking the remaining stake. Dewa is working closely with Shuaa Energy 1 to ensure that the second phase of the park is operational by April 2017.

“Dewa is inspired by the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in all its projects and initiatives. All projects included in the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park adhere to the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to transform Dubai into a global centre for clean energy and green economy. The strategy sets the target to generate 5,000MW of solar power by 2030. Clean energy will generate 7 per cent of Dubai’s total power output by 2020, 25 per cent by 2030, and 75 per cent by 2050,” said Al Tayer.

The Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park has a planned capacity of 1,000 MW by 2020 and 5,000 MW by 2030, and a total investment of Dh50 billion and will eventually save approximately 6.5 million tonnes per annum in emissions. The World Expo will be connected to the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which will provide it with 200MW of power.