HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), inspected the work progress at the 950MW 4th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The 4th phase uses the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model with investments up to AED 15.78 billion. Al Tayer also reviewed work progress at the Visitors’ Centre of the 4th phase of the solar park. This is the largest Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project globally and features the world’s tallest solar power tower at 262.44 metres.
Al Tayer was accompanied by a number of Executive Vice Presidents and officials at DEWA.
Abdul Hamid Al Muhaidib, Executive Managing Director of Noor Energy 1, briefed Al Tayer on the work progress in the project. Noor Energy 1 is owned by DEWA, ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia, and the Silk Road Fund, which is owned by the Chinese Government. The visit discussed the construction workflow and continuity for this strategic project. Progress in the solar tower is around 87%, completing 10 million safe working hours without injuries. The concrete part of the solar power tower is now complete at a height of 222 metres. The Molten Salt Receiver (MSR) was built and assembled on top of the world’s highest solar tower in a remarkable construction process in June 2020. The pallets and tubes that transfer the molten salt inside the solar tower have also been completed.
The MSR is the centre and the most important part of the CSP plant. It receives solar radiation and turns it into thermal energy. Up to 82.7% of the overall project’s first phase has been completed. This includes the solar power tower, the parabolic basin complex, and the photovoltaic solar panels.
The 4th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is the largest single-site investment project that combines CSP and photovoltaic technology using the IPP model, and is rated for 950MW. It will use 700MW of CSP (600MW from a parabolic basin complex, 100MW from the solar power tower) and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. On its completion, the project will have the largest thermal storage capacity in the world of 15 hours, allowing for energy availability round the clock. The 4th phase will provide clean energy for around 320,000 residences and reduce 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
This project covers 44 square kilometres and has broken many world records, including the lowest Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of USD 7.3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for the 700MW CSP and USD 2.4 cents per kWh for the 250MW photovoltaic solar panels.
