Monday, April 01, 2019
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), has inspected the construction work of the fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site concentrated solar power (CSP) project in the world, based on the independent power producer (IPP) model with a capacity of 950MW costing up to AED 15.78 billion. The base concrete of the CSP tower has been completed and, once built, the 260-metre tower will be the tallest solar power tower in the world. The work is progressing according to the set timetable for this project that will contribute to Dubai’s transformation into a global clean and renewable energy hub, and accelerate its shift towards solar power.
Al Tayer was accompanied during his visit by Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at DEWA; Jamal Shaheen Al Hammadi, Vice President of Clean Energy & Diversification at DEWA; and a number of DEWA officials. Al Tayer was briefed on the progress of construction work by Abdul Hamid Al Muhaidib, Executive Managing Director of Noor Energy 1, a venture formed through a partnership between DEWA, Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power and China’s Silk Road Fund to build the fourth phase of the Park.
Al Muhaidib confirmed the completion of the concrete base that contains about 1,300 tonnes of steel rebar and concrete, equivalent to 20% of Paris’s Eiffel Tower. The concrete placed weighs over 19,000 tonnes, equivalent to the weight of 34 full A380s planes’ take off weight with 555 passengers.
Al Muhaidib explained that 33% of the engineering work has been completed for the project, which is proceeding according to plan.
This project features several world records. It is the largest single-site solar IPP project in the world that combines CSP and photovoltaic technology. The phase will use three technologies to produce 950 megawatts (MW) of clean energy. It will use 700MW of CSP; 600MW from a parabolic basin complex and 100MW from a solar tower; and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. This phase will provide clean energy for 320,000 residences and will reduce 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually. The project, which will cover an area of 44 square kilometres, achieved several world records. These include the world’s lowest CSP Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCoE) of USD7.3 cents per kilowatt-hour and the lowest (LCoE) for photovoltaic technology of 2.4 US cents per kilowatt-hour. The project will feature the tallest solar tower in the world at 260 metres. It will use 70,000 heliostats, and the largest thermal storage capacity of 15 hours; allowing for energy availability round the clock.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is the largest single-site solar park in the world, based on the IPP model. It will generate 5,000MW by 2030 with investments of up to AED 50 billion. The 13MW photovoltaic first phase became operational in 2013. The 200MW photovoltaic second phase of the solar park was launched in March 2017. The 200MW first stage of the 800MW photovoltaic third phase became operational in May 2018. The third phase will be completed in 2020.
