Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has received the lowest international bid of US$9.45 cents per kilowatt hour (kW/h) for the 200MW concentrated solar power (CSP) plant, which is the fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park
The bids from four international consortiums were opened on 4 June at DEWA head office. DEWA is working to build the biggest CSP project in the world based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. The 200MW CSP plant will be operational by April 2021, with other CSP projects eventually generating a total of 1,000MW by 2030.
In October 2016, DEWA had invited energy companies to send expressions of interest (EOI) for the 200MW Solar CSP plant. By end of October, 30 international solar IPP players had sent EOIs. DEWA received seven requests for quotations from international IPP bidders and consortium partners on 5 December 2016. The request for proposal was sent to qualified bidders on 15 January 2017.
?Our achievements support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to provide seven per cent of Dubai?s total power output from clean energy by 2020, 25 per cent by 2030, and 75 per cent by 2050. This will transform Dubai into a global hub for clean energy and a green economy. The UAE?s focus on renewable energy generation has led to a drop in prices worldwide and has lowered the price of solar and wind power bids in Europe and the Middle East,? said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
?The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is the biggest single-site solar park in the world that is based on the IPP model. It will generate 1,000MW by 2020 and 5,000MW by 2030. The 13MW photovoltaic first phase became operational in 2013. The 200MW photovoltaic second phase of the solar park was launched in March 2017. The 800MW photovoltaic third phase will be operational by 2020, and the 200MW CSP fourth phase will be operational by 2021.?
