Dubai solar park to generate 5GW of power by 2030

Shanghai Electric and Acwa Power of Saudi Arabia have been awarded a US$3.8 billion contract to build the fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (MBR) Solar Park in Dubai.

The park, set to be the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world when completed, is expected to be generating 1GW of power by 2020, stepping up to 5GW by 2030.

The fourth phase of the project will add 700MW to the park’s capacity and will include the world’s tallest solar tower. The 260m-tall tower will collect energy from many thousands of mirrors, to power the plant’s steam turbine.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), which awarded the construction contract, said, “Awarding this strategic project supports the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to promote sustainability, and make Dubai a global centre for clean energy and a green economy.”

He added, “This vision is supported by the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to increase the share of clean energy in the emirate’s total power output to 7% by 2020, 25% by 2030, and 75% by 2050.”

The new contract is notable for its low energy-generation cost, which has been set at $0.73 per kW/h. Al Tayer described this as “the lowest cost in the world”.