5th phase of Solar Park. The new phase of the solar park in Dubai will produce a huge amount of electricity, enough to power around 270,000 homes. This means that all these houses will receive clean and eco-friendly energy for their everyday use.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and also the Ruler of Dubai, has officially started the 5th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. This solar park is the biggest of its kind in the world, with all the solar panels located in one place.
The 5th phase of the solar park has a power capacity of 900 megawatts (MW). It is an important part of a larger project that aims to generate a total of 5,000 MW of electricity for Dubai by the year 2030. This project is quite ambitious and aims to meet the growing energy needs of the city.
The 5th phase of the solar park in Dubai was built at a cost of AED2 billion ($540 million) and follows a model called Independent Power Producer (IPP). Its main purpose is to provide clean energy to approximately 270,000 homes in Dubai. By doing so, it will help to reduce about 1.18 million tonnes of harmful carbon emissions every year. When the entire solar park is fully up and running, which will require a total investment of AED50 billion ($13.6 billion), it is expected to make a huge impact by decreasing a whopping Every year, approximately 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions released. This is a remarkable achievement in our ongoing efforts to fight climate change and create a greener and healthier environment for everyone.
Sheikh Mohammed: Driving Dubai’s Sustainable Vision
At the event, Sheikh Mohammed emphasized Dubai’s firm commitment to becoming one of the world’s most eco-friendly cities. He talked about the various actions and plans in place to achieve this goal.
Sheikh Mohammed remarked, “The UAE is leading the way in global efforts to build a sustainable future for everyone. We are taking decisive steps to transition to renewable energy sources and fight climate change.”
“In 2023, which is the UAE’s Year of Sustainability and also the year when we are hosting COP28, we remain dedicated to making sustainability a central focus of our development plans. We are making significant progress in creating an environmentally friendly economy. The successful completion of the 5th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park brings us closer to achieving our vision of an economy powered entirely by clean energy.”
Dubai has a clear plan to follow the UAE’s vision and achieve its energy goals. By 2030, Dubai aims to generate 25% of its energy from renewable sources, and ultimately, by 2050, the goal is to have 100% of its energy coming from renewable sources.
The quick progress of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park project shows how well we collaborate with private companies. By working together, we’re able to boost our economy sustainably, create an excellent renewable energy infrastructure, and provide a range of environmentally-friendly energy choices in Dubai.
DEWA has installed new solar panels that can absorb sunlight from both sides and follow the movement of the sun to produce more energy and make the power plant work better.
DEWA teamed up with ACWA Power, Gulf Investment Corporation, and Shuaa Energy 3 to bring this project to life. In an impressive achievement, DEWA set a new world record by securing the lowest bid of $1.6953 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for the electricity generated in the 5th phase.
At the solar park, there are solar panels and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) projects that can generate a huge amount of electricity, reaching a total of 2,427 megawatts (MW). DEWA has been instrumental in making Dubai’s energy greener by increasing renewable energy. It now accounts for around 16.3 percent of the total electricity capacity, which is currently at 14,917 MW.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, warmly welcomed Sheikh Mohammed at the solar park.
During the opening ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed was joined by important guests, including Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who holds important roles in Dubai as the Second Deputy Ruler and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who oversees the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), and Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who plays a vital role as the Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, were also in attendance. The event was attended by many other important officials from the Dubai government and various industries.
Al Tayer said, “We’re doing our best to help the environment by using more clean and renewable energy. Our goal is to create a sustainable and green economy.”
“We are making quick progress towards the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy. We aim to generate all of Dubai’s electricity from clean energy sources by 2050. To achieve this objective, we are actively engaged in multiple projects at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
“We promise Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to keep working on our development projects to fulfill his ambitious vision for this important national project. It contributes to the UAE’s ongoing success in moving towards a sustainable future for both present and future generations.”
Mohammad Abunayyan, the Founder and Chairman of ACWA Power, shared his excitement about a major achievement with their longtime partner, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. They are delighted to inaugurate the 5th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park ahead of schedule, bringing great joy and satisfaction. Abunayyan thanked their partners, Gulf Investment Corporation and the EPC contractor Shanghai Electric, for their valuable contributions in making this milestone a reality.
Our goal for Shuaa Energy 3 has been to maintain the highest standards of technology and operations throughout the project. We have set a record for the lowest solar cost worldwide in 2020 and implemented advanced technologies like two-sided solar panels and robots that clean automatically.
ACWA Power proudly announced that there were no injuries resulting in lost work time during the construction of the project.
The 5th phase is among the pioneering projects in the Middle East that incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) in an advanced robotic cleaning system for maintaining and operating solar panels. It spans an area of approximately 10 square kilometers, equivalent to half the total area occupied by the 800MW third phase.
Source: https://www.arabianbusiness.com/industries/energy/sheikh-mohammed-inaugurates-5th-phase-of-solar-park
