Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has selected the state-owned renewable energy firm Masdar for the construction and management of the 1,800-megawatt (MW) phase 6 of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
Reportedly, Saeed Mohammed Al-Tayer, DEWA’s managing director and CEO made the announcement. The project will be built at an estimated cost of up to 5.51 billion dirhams ($1.5 billion). It will be executed under the independent power producer model.
“DEWA is committed to completing the phases of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park according to the highest international standards using the latest solar power technologies to enhance the shift toward a green sustainable economy by increasing the share of clean and renewable energy. When completed, the solar park will reduce over 6.5 million tons of carbon emissions annually,” said Al-Tayer.
The phase 6 of the solar park will become operational in stages starting from the fourth quarter of 2024, using PV solar panels based on the IPP model.
“The project documents, Power Purchase Agreement, and financial close agreements will be signed in due course. The total capacity of the solar energy projects commissioned at the solar park has reached 2,427MW,” added Al-Tayer.
Furthermore, the solar park is poised to generate 5,000 MW of renewable energy by 2030 with investments amounting to 50 billion dirhams.
Established with the aim of turning Dubai into a prominent centre for sustainable energy and an eco-friendly economy, the initiative additionally lends its backing to the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050. These strategies collectively aim to achieve a complete transition to clean energy sources, meeting the entirety of the emirate’s power needs by 2050.
Renewable energy accounts for approximately 16.3 per cent of Dubai’s total installed capacity. As the sixth phase nears completion and further developmental stages progress, this proportion is projected to rise to 24 per cent by 2026.
Earlier, in June 2023, Dubai inaugurated the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The fifth phase of the solar park was completed ahead of the scheduled opening date of December 2023, despite being launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Media Office said.
