Dubai-based Grandweld Shipyards announced it will meet all its energy requirements using solar power by 2025. This will be achieved through its 1.3-megawatt (MW) rooftop solar project, which is currently under development. The company made the announcement in a press statement.
The solar project consists of two phases. Phase 1, which is already operational, has a capacity of 569 kilowatts peak (kWp). It currently supplies 50% of the company’s energy needs. Phase 2, expected to be completed in 2024, will bring the total capacity of the project to 1.3 MW. Once fully operational, the project will enable the company to rely entirely on solar energy for its operations.
Grandweld Shipyards stated that it is the first shipbuilding company in the Middle East to use renewable energy on this scale. The company has also implemented other sustainability measures. These include energy-efficient lighting and environmentally friendly construction practices at its facilities. In 2012, its office building and shipyard received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The development is part of Dubai’s broader efforts to adopt renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions. Dubai is already home to several large-scale renewable energy projects. These include the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which has an installed capacity of over 2.3 gigawatts (GW) as of 2023. Another recent project is the Jebel Ali Power and Desalination Complex, which includes solar photovoltaic installations contributing to the city’s renewable energy targets. The Complex has a power generation capacity of 9,547MW.
