Dubai’s DEWA inaugurates new visitor centre in fourth phase of mega solar park

Dubai’s DEWA inaugurates new visitor centre in fourth phase of mega solar park

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has inaugurated the Noor Energy 1 Visitors Centre as part of the fourth phase of the mega Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The visitors centre features an exhibition that chronicles the history of energy and future energy technologies. It displays the latest technologies in concentrated solar power (CSP), photovoltaic cells, and the future of green hydrogen. It also uses virtual reality (VR) to enable visitors to tour the solar park and understand the projects and technologies being used to produce energy. Overall, the 950-megawatt (MW) fourth phase of the park has investments totalling Dhs15.78bn based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. It will use 700MW of CSP (600MW from a parabolic basin complex and 100MW from the solar power tower) and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. A consortium led by DEWA and ACWA Power formed a project company, Noor Energy 1, to design, build, and operate the plant. DEWA owns 51 per cent of the company, while ACWA Power holds 25 per cent, and the Silk Road Fund owns 24 per cent. “When fully operational, Noor Energy 1 will be the largest single-site concentrated solar power plant in the world,”