MBR Solar Park to Reduce 2.36 million Tonnes of Carbon Emissions by 2026

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) on Monday said that it continues to enhance sustainability and support the transition towards a sustainable green economy by increasing the share of clean and renewable energy in Dubai’s energy mix.

This supports the Year of Sustainability in the UAE, during which the country will host the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).

Earlier this year, DEWA inaugurated the 900 MW fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world, using the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, with total investments of over $540 million.

DEWA has also signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), to build and operate the 1,800MW sixth phase of the solar park, with investments of up to $1.5 billion, DEWA Managing Director CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said on Monday.

He explained that the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will reduce around 6.424 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually after commissioning the sixth phase in 2026.

He said that in line with the vision and directives of H H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DEWA supports the UAE’s efforts to reach Net-Zero by 2050 and realise the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, to provide 100% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.

“To achieve this goal, we continue to implement the projects of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park as per the timeline. The total capacity of the solar energy projects commissioned at the solar park has reached 2,427 MW, which is 16.3% of the total installed capacity in Dubai,” he averred.

“This percentage will reach 24% in 2026 after the completion of the Fourth and Sixth phases. The solar park has a planned production capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030 using solar photovoltaic panels and concentrated solar power with total investments of $13.61 billion. When completed, the solar park will reduce over 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually,” Al Tayer added.

Carbon Emissions Reduction phase wise

While the 13MW first phase: reduced 15,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, the 200MW second phase reduced 214,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, the 800 MW third phase reduced 1.055 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Likewise, the 950MW fourth phase reduced 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually when completed, the 900MW fifth phase has reduced 1.18 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually

The 1800MW sixth phase is expected to reduce 2.36 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually when completed, Al Tayer added.