Dubai's floating solar power plants

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has issued a request for proposal (RFP) to appoint consultants to study, develop and construct floating solar photovoltaic plants in the Arabian Gulf.

The project will work towards achieving Dubai’s clean energy strategy which intends for 75% of Dubai’s total power output to be generated from clean energy by 2050.

The consultants must deliver a feasibility study on the technical requirements for a floating solar photovoltaic plant, an environmental impact assessment report, a study of the marine requirements, and other studies on setting up electrical transmission.

A safety plan will need to be outlined, and a study of the seawater including tidal and system specifications, and system performance must be carried out.

In order to achieve the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, a production capacity of 42,000MW of clean and renewable energy will need to be delivered by 2050.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, said, “At DEWA, we launch innovative initiatives and solutions in line with our vision to provide an innovative and sustainable world for generations to come. Floating photovoltaic systems are one of the most prominent emerging technologies that rely on installing solar photovoltaic systems directly above water”.