The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park’s fourth and fifth phases will soon be operational, providing more than 590,000 residents of Dubai with clean, zero-emission energy.
Phase Four of the largest single-site solar park in the world is nearly 90 percent complete, while all projects in Phase Five, part of which is already operational, will be commissioned in stages and completed by the end of 2023.
When complete, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will have a planned total capacity of 5,000 megawatts (MW). It constitutes a massive part of Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy, which aims to provide 100 percent of the emirate’s total power capacity from clean energy sources.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), inspected the site and was briefed of the progress of Phase Five by officials of Shuaa Energy 3, and on Phase Four by the officials of Noor Energy 1. The two companies have been formed – with DEWA as a major stakeholder – to design, build, and operate the two phases.
Phase Five, being built at the cost of AED2.058 billion, will produce 900MW of energy when finished. The 2nd project of the phase is 93.3 percent complete while the 3rd project is 23.06 percent done. Phase Five will provide clean energy to over 270,000 residences in Dubai and will reduce 1.18 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
The 1st project of Phase Five is already operational and its production capacity has increased from 300MW to 330MW after recording higher-than-expected performance.
Phase 5 uses the latest solar photovoltaic bifacial technologies, which allows solar radiation to reach the front and back of the panels, with single-axis tracking to increase generation. It uses fully automated robots to clean the solar panels without any human intervention, which will result in increased efficiency.
DEWA is implementing Phase Five in partnership with a consortium led by ACWA Power and Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) using the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. In 2019, DEWA achieved a world record by receiving the lowest bid of $1.6953 cents per kilowatt hour (levelised cost of energy) for this phase. ACWA and GIC own 40% of shares in Shuaa Energy 3.
Al Tayer also visited Phase Four, which has a capacity of 950MW and uses the IPP model with investments up to AED15.78 billion. Fast nearing completion, it is the largest single-site project that combines Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and photovoltaic technology using the IPP model.
Phase Four uses three hybrid technologies – 600MW from a parabolic basin complex (three units of 200MW each), 100MW from the world’s tallest solar power tower at 262.44 metres (based on Molten Salt technology), and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels.
On its completion, the project will have the largest thermal storage capacity in the world of 15 hours, allowing for energy availability around the clock. Phase Four will provide clean energy for around 320,000 residences and reduce 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
A consortium led by DEWA and ACWA Power formed the project company, Noor Energy 1. DEWA owns 51 percent of the company, ACWA Power 25 percent, and the Chinese Silk Road Fund owns 24 percent.
The current capacity at the Solar Park is 1,627MW using solar photovoltaic panels. DEWA is implementing more projects with a total capacity of 1,233MW using solar photovoltaic and CSP. Its installed capacity has reached 14,117 MW of electricity, which has taken clean energy share in Dubai’s energy mix to 11.5 percent and is expected to reach 14 percent by the end of 2022.
