Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced a tender for advisory services for a 1,600 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant. The project will feature a 1,000 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with six hours of energy storage. The tender opened on November 14, 2024, and the deadline for submissions is December 17, 2024.
DEWA has been involved in several renewable energy projects to support Dubai’s clean energy transition. One of these is the 250 MW pumped-storage hydroelectric plant in Hatta, which will use water stored in an upper reservoir to generate electricity during periods of high demand. This facility, the first of its kind in the Gulf region, is scheduled to begin trial operations in the first quarter of 2025.
DEWA is also developing the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, one of the largest single-site solar parks in the world. The 950 MW Phase 4 of this park includes diverse technologies to enhance efficiency and storage. It comprises 100 MW from a solar central tower with 15 hours of storage, 600 MW from parabolic trough systems with 12 hours of storage, and 250 MW from traditional solar PV systems. These projects aim to ensure continuous power generation from renewable sources, even during non-sunny hours.
Additionally, DEWA is advancing its green hydrogen initiatives. It is working on a 2.5 MW alkaline electrolyser project to explore hydrogen production using renewable energy. The deadline for proposals for this project has been extended to December 9, 2024.
These efforts align with Dubai’s target of producing 100% of its energy from renewable sources by 2050. By combining renewable energy generation with storage and hydrogen technologies, DEWA foresees to enhance energy reliability while contributing to Dubai’s sustainable development goals.
