Al Maktoum Solar Park Phase 4 on track for Q1 completion
DUBAI, August 30, 2023
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has announced that work is moving at a steady pace on the fourth phase of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world, with its completion likely in Q1 next year.
Giving a project update, Dewa said the first phase has been fully completed, covering 100% of the 100MW from the solar tower, 200MW from the parabolic basin complex, and 217MW from photovoltaic solar panels.
The second phase, with 200MW from the parabolic basin complex, is 98.5% complete, while the third phase, comprising 200MW from the parabolic basin complex and 33MW from photovoltaic solar panels, is 87.1% ready.
The project is being implemented by Noor Energy 1, a consortium comprising Dewa and Saudi utility developer Acwa Power along with the Chinese Silk Road Fund.
Once completed, the fourth phase of the project, which has a capacity of 950MW, will provide clean energy to over 320,000 homes, it stated.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dewa, inspected the work progress on the fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
This phase uses the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model with investments up to AED15.78 billion ($4.3 billion). It is set to provide clean energy for approximately 320,000 residences and reduce carbon emissions by 1.6 million tonnes annually.
Al Tayer was later briefed by Noor Energy 1 officials on the work progress in the 4th phase, which is the largest single-site project that combines Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and photovoltaic technology.
During the visit, Al Tayer was accompanied by 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, as well as other Dewa officials.
Dewa and the Acwa Power-led consortium, established Noor Energy 1 as a project company to design, build, and operate the 4th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. Dewa holds a 51% stake in the company, while Acwa Power holds 25%, and the Chinese Silk Road Fund owns 24%.
"The commissioned solar energy projects within the park currently total 2,427MW, contributing to approximately 16.3% of Dubai's energy mix. This percentage will increase to 24% by 2026 upon the completion of the Sixth Phase and the ongoing construction of subsequent phases," stated Al Tayer.
According to him, the 4th phase of the solar park uses three hybrid technologies to produce clean energy: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex (three units of 200MW each), 100MW from the world’s tallest solar power tower at 262.44 metres (based on Molten Salt technology), and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels.
"So far, 717MW have been commissioned from this phase, which will have the largest thermal storage capacity in the world of 15 hours, allowing for energy availability round the clock. The 4th phase will provide clean energy for around 320,000 residences and reduce 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year," explained Al Tayer.
The 4th phase included the installation of more than 790,000 photovoltaic solar panels and more than 63,600 parabolic trough collectors (PT). The project integrates 70,000 mirrors (heliostats) that track the sun's movement, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
