Dubai’s DEWA launches tender for 900MW fifth phase of mega solar park

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has issued a tender for the 900MW fifth phase of its mega solar park using photovoltaic solar panels, it announced on Saturday.

DEWA said it received letters of intent for the tender – based on the Independent Power Project (IPP) model – from 64 companies.

The deadline to submit the tenders is August 22, 2019, a statement said.

The winning bid will own 40 per cent of the company operating the project, and DEWA will own 60 per cent.

The winning bidder will sign an agreement with DEWA to purchase the generated power for 25 years.

The fifth phase of the solar park will be commissioned in stages starting from Q2 2021, the statement added.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park is the largest single-site solar park of its kind in the world. It will have a capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030 with investments of Dhs50bn.

The 13MW first phase became operational in 2013 using photovoltaic solar panels. The 200MW photovoltaic second phase of the solar park was operational in March 2017. The 800MW photovoltaic third phase will be operational by 2020.

The fourth phase of the solar park is the largest single-site Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project in the world based on IPP, at a total investment of Dhs15.78bn. The fourth phase of the 950MW hybrid power plant will use three technologies: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex, 100MW from a solar tower, and 250MW from photovoltaic panels.

The project will feature the tallest solar tower in the world, 260 metres tall, and the largest thermal storage capacity of 15 hours – generating power around the clock.

Through its projects, the park will accelerate Dubai’s expansion of solar power.

The park will ensure that the “energy supply will meet growing demand in Dubai and enhance the shift toward green economy by increasing its share of clean energy”, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of DEWA.

Dubai’s clean energy strategy 2050 aims to provide 75 per cent of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2050.

“DEWA is working to transform Dubai into a global hub for clean energy and green economy, to make it the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world. Meeting the clean energy objectives requires a capacity of 42,000MW of clean and renewable energy by 2050,” Al Tayer added.