HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has inaugurated Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (Dewa), Innovation Centre and the 800MW third phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world being built at an investment of Dh50 billion ($13.6 billion). 

 

Sheikh Mohammed also visited the site of the 950MW fourth phase of the solar park, the world’s largest Concentrated Solar Power, CSP, project, being developed at an investment of AED15.78 billion using the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. 

 

The fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park combines CSP with photovoltaic solar panels. The project features the world’s tallest solar power tower that will be 262.44 metres high. Once completed, the project aims to have a total capacity of 5,000MW by 2030. 

 

Sheikh Mohammed was briefed by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dewa, on the Innovation Centre, a global hub for renewable and clean energy innovation that is expected to contribute to shaping the global future of sustainable energy.

 

The centre houses an auditorium for events, conferences, and training programmes on solar power, renewable energy, and other green initiatives. The four-storey building covers 4,355 sq m and is 88 m high. 

 

The Dubai ruler later toured the Innovation Centre’s exhibitions, which focus on solar power and its various technologies.

 

Through the Innovation Centre, Dewa aims to support innovation and creativity in clean and renewable energy, promote sustainability, develop Emirati talent and enhance the country’s competitive advantage in this sector. 

 

The Innovation Centre’s research on solar power will support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to diversify the energy mix and provide 75% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.

 

During the visit, Sheikh Mohammed inaugurated the third phase of the solar park which had been built by Dewa using the IPP model in partnership with a consortium led by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Masdar, and EDF Group, through its subsidiary EDF Energies Nouvelles at an investment of AED3.47 billion. This key phase provides clean energy for over 240,000 residences in Dubai.

 

The facility is the first of its kind in the Mena region to use single axis solar tracking to increase energy generation. It also uses other innovative technologies including cleaning robots for photovoltaic panels to increase the plant’s efficiency.

 

Sheikh Mohammed was later briefed by Al Tayer on the Solar Park’s phases and technologies. The total capacity of operational projects at the Solar Park, which use photovoltaic solar panels, is 1,013MW.

 

Dewa is creating an additional capacity of 1,850 MW using solar panels and concentrated solar power (CSP) in addition to future phases to reach 5,000 MW by 2030.