DP World, the Dubai-based global shipping terminal operator, has started construction of the largest distributed solar rooftop project in the Middle East with the installation of 88,000 rooftop solar panels on its Dubai facilities as part of its continued efforts to reduce its carbon emissions.

The Dubai group has appointed Green Energy Tomorrow, Phanes Group’s rooftop solar specialist, to deliver the solar panels on its warehouses, office buildings and car-parks in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) and Mina Rashid Port.

The scheme will have major environmental benefits and is part of DP World’s commitment to being a world leader in sustainability.

Once Phase One is completed in 2017, the project will provide enough clean power for 3,000 homes a year, said a statement from DP world.

It will result in 22,000 tonnes of carbon being saved annually, equivalent to taking 4,500 cars off the road. The solar panels will provide 40 per cent of the total energy consumption of Jafza, one of the world’s largest free trade zones.

The DP World Solar Programme will contribute to energy diversification in the region as part of Dubai’s Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, which seeks to reduce energy demand by 30 per cent by 2030.

DP World Group chairman and chief executive Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, said: "This landmark initiative will have major environmental benefits, and we are pleased to contribute to Dubai’s Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 as well as the UAE vision 2021 for a sustainable environment."

"We aim to ensure that everything we do has a long-lasting positive impact on economies and society. By raising awareness of renewable energy, we are helping work towards a carbon-neutral future for the UAE. This project demonstrates the scale of DP World’s ambition to be a world leader in sustainability and we look forward to sharing the learnings across our business and also with our stakeholders," he added.

After Phase One of the project is completed in 2017 (totalling 22 MW at peak), phases Two and Three will follow, with further solar installations due in Jafza and Mina Rashid, said the global shipping terminal operator.

With 77 marine and inland terminals in over 40 countries, there is significant scope for DP World to implement the learnings from this project across its operations, it added.

The expertise and knowledge from the solar project will be shared to help develop supply chain capabilities for both DP World’s own operations and those of its stakeholders.

In addition, the company aims to raise awareness of renewable energy and energy efficiency amongst stakeholders through this project. In addition to its environmental benefits, the project has positive business implications for DP World and its subsidiary Jebel Ali Free Zone.

Nabil Battal, the director of Global Safety & Environment at DP World, said: “Bringing sustainability into all areas of our work is important to us commercially and to the societies in which we operate. Both the solar scheme and the Carbon Ambassadors Programme, in addition to the global “Go Green” campaign form part of our continued efforts to reduce our carbon emissions and to produce energy through innovative solutions and green technologies.”

Martin Haupts, the chief executive of Phanes Group, said: "Establishing solar on every rooftop in the UAE starts with positive action from our industrial economy capitalising on a good regulatory environment, to dramatically reduce both carbon impact and operating costs."

"This ground breaking project demonstrates that the UAE’s commitments to a diversified clean energy future are not the sole pursuit of our policy makers, but of our private sector and citizens too – paving the way for a smarter approach to corporate citizenship that is aligned with national objectives and has a clear business case," he added.-TradeArabia News Service