The proposed Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is expected to be the largest single-site solar park in the world, designed to have 5GW capacity by 2030
Image: The project supports the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. Photo: courtesy of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has selected a consortium led by ACWA Power and Gulf Investment Corporation as the preferred bidder to build and operate the 900MW project at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park.
The contract is for the fifth phase of the solar park. For this phase, DEWA created a world record by receiving the lowest bid of $1.6953 cents per kilowatt hour (kW/h).
DEWA MD and CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said: “We also support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to provide 75% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2050 and make Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world.
“To achieve this, DEWA launched several leading renewable projects, including the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world. Using the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, it will have a capacity of 5,000MW by 2030 with investments totalling AED50bn.”
Fifth phase of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park to become operational in stages
The fifth phase of the solar park is expected to become operational in stages starting from the second quarter of 2021. The first phase became operational in 2013, while the second phase was operational in March 2017, and the third phase is expected to be operational by 2020.
Al Tayer added that the project documents, power purchase agreement (PPA), and financial close agreements will be signed in due course.
In June, DEWA had released the tender for the 5th phase and received letters of intent from 64 companies for the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which marks the largest single-site solar park in the world to have a capacity of 5GW by 2030, and involves £10.8bn investments.
At present, the combined energy generation capacity at the solar park is 713MW. DEWA is also involved in the development of three other solar facilities that have a total capacity of 1,250MW.
Once completed, the fifth phase of the solar park will increase the production capacity to 2,863MW.