The 900-MW plant is the first utility scale solar photovoltaic power facility to operate remotely with zero manpower on site.
Shanghai Electric to build solar park phase
01 September 2020
Acwa Power has appointed Shanghai Electric as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park, which follows within only three months of the power purchase agreement (PPA) signing between Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and the consortium led by Acwa Power.
In a virtual ceremony, Mohammad Abunayyan, Chairman of Acwa Power and Zheng Jianhua, Chairman of Shanghai Electric, addressed a gathering of senior delegates and company representatives from both parties, reiterating their commitment to the project and longstanding partnership.
“The signing of the EPC agreement between Acwa Power and Shanghai Electric represents a crucial milestone in the delivery of Phase Five of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Solar Park. With their participation, this iconic project will be realised through an international collaboration between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and China. We are delighted to have been a reliable and trusted partner for Dewa’s ambitious goals and remain committed to building on our strong relationships with both Shanghai Electric and Dewa, leveraging our combined expertise, technical insights and pioneering technologies to create a legacy of success,” said Abunayyan.
The PPA for the project was signed in April 2020 between Dewa and Acwa Power, achieving a world-record solar energy tariff for 1.6953 cents per kWh.
With an investment of $564 million, the 900-MW plant is the first utility scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant to operate remotely with zero manpower on site, and is aimed to be delivered by Shanghai Electric in three phases, with a construction period of 12 months on each 300 MWp phase.
“Acwa Power and Shanghai Electric are both acknowledged as important participators in the global energy field. The signed 900-MW photovoltaic solar power – independent power project Phase Five is another milestone in the bilateral cooperative track. I hope the upcoming plant would be another benchmark in the region as well as worldwide and a flagship in the One Belt One Road,” said Zheng Jianhua, Shanghai Electric Chairman.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Solar Park will be pivotal in fulfilling Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to increase the share of clean energy in Dubai’s total power output to 75 per cent by 2050. The project sets the benchmark for the rest of the world through leveraging the PPP model and carrying forward large-scale, cost-competitive projects.
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