Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced that it is building the world?s largest concentrated solar power project (CSP), which will generate 200MW next year and will reach 1,000MW by 2030
Three months after Morocco launched its 160MW CSP plant, touted to be the largest until now, DEWA said today that the project, which is the phase two of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, will be operational in April 2017. The 13MW phase one has already been operational since 2013. The park is the largest single-site solar park in the world that uses independent power producer (IPP) model.
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park will eventually cover 40 sq km once completed and produce 1,000MW by 2020 of clean energy for the national grid. DEWA said that the park will generate 5,000MW by 2030 using both PV and CSP.
With an aim to target lowest carbon footprint by 2050, the CSP project is expected to reduce approximately 6.5mn tonnes of carbon emissions annually. It will also provide for seven per cent of Dubai?s total output from clean energy sources by 2020, 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050.
DEWA CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said, ?The advantage with CSP is that thermal heat can be stored, which makes it possible to produce electricity in the evening. The plant will have thousands of heliostats located around a tower to receive radiation from the sun. The heat-transfer fluid will then be used to power the steam turbine to generate electricity. This energy can be used for eight to 12 hours daily. This will contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of the production and meet the requirement of the electricity grid.
?DEWA is working to diversify Dubai?s energy mix to include 61 per cent from natural gas, 25 per cent from solar energy, seven per cent from both clean coal and nuclear energy respectively by 2030. The mix will gradually increase to 75 per cent by 2050.?
Al Tayer also revealed that DEWA has achieved global competitive price of US$2.99 per kWh for Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park?s 800MW phase three. Once the CSP project is completed, tariffs may come down to as less as eight cents.
According to DEWA, the initiative was the result of the emirate?s significant achievements in solar energy to support Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050.
