Dubai to add 300-MW of clean energy next month

Dubai: Dubai will add 300-megawatts of power from clean energy sources when the second stage of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Solar Park starts operations next month.

Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), reviewed progress of the second phase of the solar park, which is the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model.

Once completed, the park will generate 5,000MW by 2030 with investments of up to Dh50 billion.

Al Tayer was accompanied by Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at Dewa, Jamal Shaheen Al Hammadi, Vice President of Clean Energy and Diversification at Dewa and other Dewa staff during his visit.

The 300-MW second stage is part of the three-phase 800MW third phase of the solar park using photovoltaic technology in partnership with a consortium led by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and the EDF Group, through its subsidiary EDF Énergies Nouvelles.

This solar plant is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa, with an advanced solar tracking system to increase generation efficiency by 20 per cent to 30 per cent when compared to fixed installations. Dewa recorded a world record in the cost of photovoltaic solar power for this phase of the solar park, at a Levelised Cost of Energy of $2.99 cents per kilowatt-hour, using photovoltaic solar panels.

Dewa issued a Request for Qualification (RFQ) for developers to build and operate the fifth phase of the solar park with a capacity of 900MW. The phase will use photovoltaic solar panels based on the IPP model and will be commissioned in stages from the second quarter of 2021.

MBR Solar Park total planned production capacity of 5,000MW by 2030

■ It is expected to generate 1,000MW by 2020

■ Total investments in the Mohammad Bin Rashid Solar Park: Dh50 billion

■ Total carbon emission savings: 6.5 million tonnes annually

■ Total size of the park: 85 square kilometres

In stages:

■ Phase 3: Capacity of 800MW

■ Inaugurated on April 30

■ 1st Stage of Phase 3: 200MW capacity

■ Can power 60,000 homes

■ Can bring savings of 270,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year

■ Completed with over 2.4 million accident-free man hours

■ 2nd Stage: 300MW capacity, due in June 2019

■ 3rd Stage: 300MW capacity, due in 2020

Other Phases

■ Phase 1: 13MW capacity

■ Operational since October 22, 2013

■ Saves 15,000 tonnes of carbon emissions

■ Phase 2: 200MW capacity

■ Operational since March 20, 2017

■ Can power 50,000 homes

■ Reduces 214,000 tonnes of carbon emissions

■ Phase 4: Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Project with 950MW capacity

■ Broke ground on March 19, 2018

■ Expected to generate power by the end of 2020 and provide clean energy to 270,000 homes

■ Will help reduce 1.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually