The first phase of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai will be operational before end of 2013, a senior official said.

 

The park will have a capacity of 1,000MW by 2030, and, upon completion, will be one of the biggest solar parks in the region, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), in his speech at the Mena Renewable Energy Forum.

 

The first phase will be a 13 MW solar PV plant.

 

“His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced in January 2012 the launch of a long-term national initiative to build a green economy in the UAE entitled, “Green Economy for Sustainable Development,” which seeks to enhance the country's competitiveness and sustainability of its development, and preserve its environment for generations to come,” said Al Tayer. 

 “By 2030, Dubai’s average energy growth is projected to be in the range of 4-5 per cent per annum and our target under the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, is to reduce energy consumption by 30 per cent through the implementation of enhanced energy-efficient initiatives and, by the same token, to significantly reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide. 

 

Currently, the combined power generation and desalinated water production in Dubai are most-efficiently produced using natural gas and LNG as the primary fuel (99 per cent), and supplemented by liquid fuel and diesel oil as a secondary fuel (1 per cent). As per the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy, by 2030 Dubai will have diversified its fuel mix by adding new energy sources such as 12 per cent from clean coal, 5 per cent from renewable energy including solar power, 12 per cent from nuclear power and 71 per cent from gas,” added Al Tayer.  – TradeArabia News Service