The solar park is one of the major projects that the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) is implementing based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) system in partnership with a consortium led by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and EDF Group, through its subsidiary EDF Énergies Nouvelles. The second and third stages of the third phase, which have a capacity of 300 MW each, will be completed in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, and a number of Ministers and Director Generals of Dubai government departments.
“We are honoured by Your Highness being present today and your generous patronage of today’s inauguration” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, welcoming Mohammed bin Rashid. “Today marks the commissioning of the first stage of the third phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. This phase is a key milestone and shows our strong belief in the role of clean energy in shaping a sustainable future”.
Mohammed Al Tayer added that the project supports the UAE’s efforts to strengthen its leading global position in clean energy and that it also contributes to the vision of UAE to move into a post-oil era.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park was launched in 2012. Dubai adopted the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model and this has reduced solar electricity tariffs for large solar projects and the world’s biggest investments, producing positive economic returns. In 2016, DEWA signed a partnership agreement with a consortium led by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) to implement the third phase of the solar park, which is being built in stages at the lowest LCOE in the world of 2.99 US cents per kilowatt hour. The remaining phases are currently under construction. They will generate a further 600 MW, for an overall total of 800 MW by 2020. The total capacity of the PV and CSP projects under the IPP model is 1,500 MW. Following the inauguration of the third phase of the solar park, solar power will now generate 4 percent of Dubai’s total installed capacity.
The solar farm is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa, incorporating an advanced solar tracking system to increase generation efficiency. It also uses unique technologies including over 800,000 self-cleaning solar cells that maintain a high-performance level. It will provide over 60,000 residences with electricity, reducing over 270,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
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