Dubai's DEWA plans to build a new solar plant

Dubai plans to build a solar plant with battery storage for uninterrupted power supply, just a month after Abu Dhabi unveiled a similar $6 billion project, as the United Arab Emirates pursues ambitious clean energy goals. 

The seventh phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will integrate 1.6 gigawatts of photovoltaic capacity with 1 gigawatts of battery storage, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority PJSC said in a statement. 

It’s the Emirates’ second around-the-clock solar project that seeks to tackle a critical problem for renewable energy, with output depending on sunny and windy conditions. The UAE, the first Gulf state to declare a 2050 net zero target, is also relying on nuclear reactors to cut fossil fuel use.

Dubai’s Dewa intends to select a developer to build and own the new solar project, which will be commissioned between 2027 and 2029, and has selected Deloitte LLP to advise it, according to the statement. 

In Abu Dhabi, state-controlled Masdar will build the planned 5.2-gigawatt solar project, able to deliver up to 1 gigawatts of baseload power through its battery storage system, with the startup scheduled for 2027.