MBR solar park to power 320,000 Dubai homes

MBR solar park to power 320,000 Dubai homes

The fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, that Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) is building, will have the largest energy storage capacity in the world of 15 hours on completion, allowing for energy availability around the clock.

This phase will provide clean energy for 320,000 residences and will reduce 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year, Dewa said in a statement on Saturday.

The 950MW 4th phase is the largest investment project in the world that combines Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and photovoltaic solar power with investments totalling Dh15.78 billion based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model.

It uses three hybrid technologies to produce clean energy: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex (three units of 200MW each), 100MW from a solar power tower (based on Molten Salt technology), 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. The fourth phase will be