Al Tayer reviews project development progress at Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, reviewed the progress on the 300 megawatt, MW, second stage of the 800MW third phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

DEWA is implementing this phase using 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 Energies Nouvelles.

The solar park supports the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to promote sustainability and transform Dubai into a global hub for clean energy and green economy. It also helps to achieve the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to provide 75 percent of Dubai's power output from clean energy sources by 2050.

During the visit, Al Tayer was accompanied by Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at DEWA; Dr Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources at DEWA; Jamal Shaheen Al Hammadi, Vice President of Clean Energy and Diversification at DEWA; and a number of DEWA officials.

DEWA is building the 800MW third phase of the solar park using photovoltaic, PV, technology, in three stages, on a total area of 16 square kilometres. The first stage with a capacity of 200MW became operational in May 2018. The 300MW third stage will become operational in the first half of 2019, and the 300MW final stage will become operational in the first half of 2020. DEWA achieved a new world record in the cost of photovoltaic solar energy for this phase of the solar park at a Levelised Cost of Energy, LCOE, of US$2.99 cents per kilowatt hour, using photovoltaic solar panels, based on the IPP model.

Representatives from Shuaa Energy 2, which is established and 60 percent owned by DEWA, briefed Al Tayer on the progress of the 300MW second stage in the third phase. Al Tayer emphasised the need to adhere to the highest standards of health, safety, and quality in the project, and executing it according to schedule.

DEWA launched Shuaa Energy 2 in partnership with the Masdar-led consortium, and Electricité de France, EDF, through its subsidiary, EDF Energies Nouvelles. The consortium owns the remaining 40 percent of the company, while Masdar owns 24 percent and EDF Energies Nouvelles owns 16 percent. The international consortium led by the renewable energy contractors GranSolar and Acciona from Spain and Ghella from Italy are handling the engineering, procurement, and construction, EPC.

Al Tayer also visited the 200MW first stage of the third phase. This solar plant is the first of its kind in the MENA region with an advanced solar tracking system to increase generation efficiency by 20 to 30 percent when compared to fixed installations. It also uses unique technologies including over 800,000 self-cleaning solar cells using robots to maintain a high-performance level. The project provides over 60,000 residences with electricity, reducing over 270,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is the largest single-site solar park in the world, based on the IPP model. It will generate 5,000MW by 2030. The 13MW photovoltaic first phase became operational in 2013. The 200MW photovoltaic second phase of the solar park was launched in March 2017. The 800MW photovoltaic third phase will be operational by 2020, and the first stage of the 700MW CSP fourth phase will be commissioned in Q4 of 2020.

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