The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is planning to build 1GW concentrated solar power (CSP) complex by 2030.
The CSP complex will be developed using the independent power producer (IPP) model and will be a part of the country’s 5GW Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park, which is scheduled to be commissioned by 2030.
As part of this effort, a tender has been floated for CSP consultants seeking advisory services for the 200MW first phase of the CSP plant. It is planned be commissioned by April 2021.
The CSP project is expected to contribute to the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to generate 7% of its total power from renewable sources by 2020, 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050.
DEWA CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said: "An important advantage of CSP is that thermal heat, which is used to produce electricity, can be stored easily, which makes it possible to produce electricity after sunset.
Featuring several thousand heliostats which will be installed around a tower, the CSP plant will use thermal storage for 8-12 hours daily.
Al Tayer added: "This will contribute to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of production and meet the requirements of the electricity grid."
By 2030, Dubai aims to have a diversified energy mix to include 61% from natural gas, 25% from solar energy, 7% from clean coal, and 7% from nuclear power.
DEWA is currently seeking bids for the third phase with 800MW capacity of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park.
Al Tayer noted: "One of the successes that DEWA has achieved in this area, is receiving a globally-competitive price of $2.99 cents per kilowatt hour for the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park’s 800MW third phase."
Image: Dubai intends to boost solar power generation capacity. Photo: courtesy of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.