Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), recently inspected the progress of the 4th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, a project set to provide clean energy to approximately 320,000 residences while reducing carbon emissions by 1.6 million tonnes annually. With investments totaling AED 15.78 billion, this phase employs the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model.
During the visit, Al Tayer received a briefing from Noor Energy 1 officials on the project’s advancements. The 4th phase is the largest single-site initiative worldwide, combining Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and photovoltaic technology. The first phase, covering 100MW from the solar tower, 200MW from the parabolic basin complex, and 217MW from photovoltaic solar panels, is fully constructed. The second phase, featuring 200MW from the parabolic basin complex, is 98.5% complete. The 3rd phase, including 200MW from the parabolic basin complex and 33MW from photovoltaic solar panels, is 87.1% complete.
Accompanying Al Tayer were Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation; Hussain Lootah, Executive Vice President of Transmission Power; Yousef Jebril, Executive Vice President of Power, Water & Planning; Mohammad Jame, Acting Vice President of Clean Energy and Diversification, and other DEWA officials.
Noor Energy 1, established through a consortium led by ACWA Power and DEWA, operates as the project company responsible for designing, building, and operating the 4th phase. DEWA holds a 51% stake, ACWA Power holds 25%, and the Chinese Silk Road Fund owns 24%.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, aiming for a total capacity of 5,000 megawatts (MW) by 2030, stands as the world’s largest single-site solar park. It plays a significant role in Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy, which targets sourcing 100% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy by 2050. Currently, the commissioned solar energy projects within the park generate 2,427MW, contributing to approximately 16.3% of Dubai’s energy mix. This percentage will rise to 24% by 2026 with the completion of the Sixth Phase and ongoing construction of subsequent phases
The 4th phase employs three hybrid technologies: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex (three units of 200MW each), 100MW from the world’s tallest solar power tower standing at 262.44 meters (utilizing Molten Salt technology), and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. To date, 717MW from this phase have been commissioned, boasting the largest thermal storage capacity worldwide at 15 hours, ensuring round-the-clock energy availability. Once completed in Q1 of 2024, the 4th phase will provide clean energy to approximately 320,000 homes and reduce carbon emissions by 1.6 million tonnes annually.
The 4th phase involved the installation of over 790,000 photovoltaic solar panels and more than 63,600 parabolic trough collectors (PT). The project incorporates 70,000 mirrors (heliostats) to track the movement of the sun. DEWA’s ongoing efforts to increase the share of renewable and clean energy and energy storage are further supported by the 250MW hydroelectric power plant in Hatta, featuring a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt hours, as well as the Green Hydrogen project, which leverages solar energy to produce and store green hydrogen.