How Mohammed bin Rashid solar park plays a key role in Dubai’s net-zero strategy

The park will reduce more than 6.5 million tonnes of emissions annually

An aerial view of Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park in Dubai in January 2022. Solar is essential to the UAE's new energy mix. All photos by Pawan Singh / The National

The fifth phase of a clean energy project at the Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park will further help reduce carbon emissions.

An aerial view of the Solar Park in the Dubai desert.

Marco Garcia, chief commercial officer of Nextracker, a US company which has provided photovoltaic technology used in the project.

The Innovation Centre at the MBR Solar Park in Dubai, where machine learning is being utilised to track direct sunlight to maximise efficient energy capture, storage and transmission.

The solar powered panels follow the path of the sun to help the emirate reach its clean energy transition goals.

Omar Al Hassan, chief executive of Shuaa Energy 3, the company operating the scheme, says the vast project will ultimately create clean energy to power more than 250,000 houses in Dubai.

Robotic cleaning systems are installed on the solar panels.

More than 2.5 million photovoltaic modules have been fitted during phase 5 of the project.

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world, will help reduce more than 6.5 million tonnes of emissions when it becomes operational, contributing to Dubai’s net-zero strategy.

The park has a planned capacity of 5,000 megawatts and is developed at a cost of Dh50 billion ($13.61bn) across five stages. It will be operational by 2030.

The park is expected to play a key role in helping Dubai procure 100 per cent of its power from clean energy sources by 2050.

The clean energy capacity share is currently around 11.4 per cent of Dubai’s energy mix, and is expected to reach around 14 per cent by the end of 2022

Saeed Al Tayer,
managing director and chief executive of Dewa

The current capacity at the solar park is 1,527MW using photovoltaic solar panels, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority said.

“Dewa is implementing more projects with a total capacity of 1,333MW using solar photovoltaic and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) in addition to future phases to reach 5,000MW by 2030,” said Saeed Al Tayer, managing director and chief executive of Dewa.

“The clean energy capacity share is currently around 11.4 per cent of Dubai’s energy mix, and is expected to reach around 14 per cent by the end of 2022.”

The first phase, which has a 13MW capacity, became operational in 2013. It comprised around 152,000 photovoltaic cells and generates nearly 28 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually. The first phase helps reduce about 15,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in a year, Dewa said.

The solar park’s second phase was launched in 2017 and was developed at a cost of Dh1.2bn. It provides clean energy to around 50,000 residences in Dubai and reduces 214,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. Dewa also used the IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) model to develop it where a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Acwa Power was the main developer, while Spain’s TSK was the main contractor.

The 800MW third phase was developed using the IPP model in partnership with a consortium led by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and EDF Group, through its subsidiary EDF Énergies Nouvelles for Dh3.4bn. It provides clean energy for more than 240,000 residences in Dubai.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said clean energy in Dubai will account for 13 per cent before the end of the year.. Images courtesy Dubai Media Office via Twitter

Sheikh Mohammed views the 300-megawatt first stage of the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

The massive solar project is set to have an installed capacity of 5,000 megawatts by 2030.

"Our goal is 75 per cent before 2050 and we are proceeding according to our plan successfully,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

The emirate attracted Dh40 billion ($10.8bn) in investment from the private sector as part of its “new energy production partnership model”.

Dubai's electricity production capacity has reached 13.2 gigawatts with 490 million imperial gallons of desalinated water per day.

Power generated from renewable energy in the UAE is set to rise to 21 per cent in 2030 and 44 per cent by 2050, from 7 per cent last year, as more projects come online, according to Rystad Energy.

Sheikh Moahmmed bin Rashid also launched a project studying the feasibility of power generation from wind in Hatta.

The fourth phase, being developed at a cost of Dh15.7bn, will have a capacity of 950MW. Upon completion, the project will also have the ability to store energy and will power 320,000 residences, as well as reduce 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

The final phase will be developed by a consortium led by Acwa Power and Gulf Investment Corporation, and will aim to power 270,000 residences while mitigating 1.18 million tonnes of emissions.

The solar park also features an innovation centre and an R&D centre to further boost sustainability and knowledge about clean energy, Dewa said.