Fifth Phase of the World’s Largest Single-Site Solar Park Launched
The most recent phase of the largest single-site solar park in the world, which officially launched in Dubai on Sunday, will power 270,000 homes. More than one million tonnes of carbon emissions each year will be decreased because of this environmentally friendly energy source.
The 900 megawatts (MW) fifth phase of the solar park is under the name of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai who also inaugurated the project.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, with a Dh50 billion investment, will eventually cut 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions yearly. Seih Al Dahl's enormous park is designed after the Independent Power Producer (IPP) business model.
Sheikh Mohammed said, “The UAE is at the forefront of global efforts to create a more sustainable future for all of humanity by taking concrete action to transition to renewable energies and combat climate change. In 2023, the UAE’s Year of Sustainability, and the year in which we are hosting COP28, we continue to place sustainability at the heart of our development plans and make new strides in shaping a truly environmentally friendly economy. The completion of the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park takes us another major step closer to realizing our vision for an economy fully powered by clean energy.”
Despite the implementation having started during the Covid-19 pandemic, the most recent phase, which saw more than 6.8 million safe working hours, was completed earlier than expected, in June 2023 as opposed to December 2023.
One of the first Middle Eastern projects to employ artificial intelligence (AI) as a component of a complex robotic cleaning system for the operation and maintenance of photovoltaic panels is the fifth phase. The fifth phase spans roughly 10 square kilometers in total area.
Sheikh Mohammed also mentioned Dubai's development of a clear strategy and route to achieving its goals of generating 25% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 and 100% by 2050.
“Dubai is resolute in its commitment to becoming one of the most sustainable cities in the world, with diverse initiatives. The rapid progress of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park project is yet another example of our strong ethos of public-private partnerships.”
In order to boost energy output and plant efficiency, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has implemented this phase by employing the most recent solar photovoltaic bifacial technologies.
The solar park's completed solar energy plants have a combined capacity of 2,427MW. Dewa has boosted the proportion of clean energy in Dubai's mix to above 16%.