The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai has reached a key clean energy milestone by generating enough power to provide over 270,000 households. The park is still under construction, but once finished it will be the largest single-site solar park in the world. It will be one of the world’s largest solar parks when it reaches its full capacity of 5,000 megawatts in 2030.
Solar technology such as photovoltaic cells and concentrated solar electricity are used in the park (CSP). Mirrors concentrate sunlight onto a boiler in concentrated solar power (CSP), which turns the steam into usable energy. For Dubai’s sustainable energy ambitions, the park is a game-changer. By 2050, the emirate aims to have 75% of its power come from renewable resources. A vital aspect of this initiative is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
The park does more than just generate renewable energy; it also helps the local economy by generating jobs. Already more than 4,000 people have found work on the project, and another 10,000 are anticipated to find work by the time it is finished.
The park is also contributing to Dubai’s efforts to lower its carbon footprint. More than 6 million tons of carbon dioxide will be eliminated annually because to this initiative. This is the same as removing over a million vehicles from the road.
Dubai is a leader in the sustainable energy sector, and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is a prime illustration of this. The park is a model for other cities across the world and is contributing to Dubai’s efforts to become a more sustainable metropolis.
Stages of solar park:
First Stage (13MW using photovoltaic solar panels)
On October 22, 2013, the initial 13MW phase went live. This phase consists of around 152,000 solar cells, which are linked to 13 transformers in inverter buildings. Almost 28 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy are produced annually when the output is changed to 33 kilovolts (kV). The first stage helps to cut down on carbon emissions by around 15,000 tons each year.
Second Stage (200MW using photovoltaic solar panels)
The 200MW photovoltaic second phase of the solar park was officially opened by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on March 20th, 2017. This is the largest and first project of its type in the area, based on the IPP model. DEWA invested AED 1.2 billion into the project with a consortium led by ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia as the main developer and TSK from Spain as the major contractor.
Clean energy from the solar park’s second 200MW phase will be made available to 50,000 homes in the Emirate, resulting in an annual savings of 214,000 tons of carbon. At this stage, 2.3 million photovoltaic solar panels were placed across 4.5 km2. At the time of the tender, DEWA obtained the lowest price in the world for the second phase of the park, at USD 5.6 cents per kWh.
Third Stage (800MW using photovoltaic solar panels)
Masdar, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Corporation CEO Mohamed Jamel Al Ramahi remarked, “We congratulate DEWA and all our partners for completing the first stage of the greatest extension of the Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park done to date.”
When completed, this solar PV project will be the largest of its type in the MENA area, and its on-time delivery of the first 200MW stage is a testament to the professionalism, collaboration, and capacity to execute at the highest level shown by everyone involved. Masdar is pleased to have spearheaded the world-class consortium responsible for completing the third phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which has established a new benchmark for cost-effective solar energy worldwide. Now that we’ve reached this major milestone, we can go on to the next two stages of this historic project,” Al Ramahi said.
The solar park’s initial phase three project is a sun-tracking tilting panel station, the first of its type in the Middle East and North Africa. This station has the potential to generate 200 MW, enough to power roughly 60,000 homes with renewable energy. Over a total of 4.48 square kilometers, 806,992 photovoltaic polycrystalline panels are used for the project. According to Jamal Al Hammadi, DEWA’s Vice President of Sustainable Energy & Diversification, “almost 1,700 personnel spent 2.4 million safe work hours without injuries to accomplish the project.”
Forth Stage (950MW of CSP and PV)
The fourth phase’s overall capacity increased from 700MW to 950MW when DEWA signed a modification to the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) on 3 November 2018 to add 250MW of photovoltaic solar panels. The renewable energy for the fourth phase will come from three sources: a parabolic basin complex with 600MW, a concentrated solar tower with 100MW, and photovoltaic panels with 250MW.
Fifth Stage (900MW using photovoltaic solar panels)
For the 900MW fifth phase of the Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, DEWA has just issued a Request for Qualification (RFQ) to developers. Photovoltaic solar panels based on the IPP model will be utilized throughout this stage. It will be put into service in phases beginning in the second quarter of 2021.
Conclusion:
Although it is a challenging undertaking, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park represents a significant advance toward Dubai’s objectives in the field of environmentally friendly power generation. The park is assisting in the process of Dubai becoming a more environmentally friendly city, and it is serving as a model for other cities all over the world.
