DEWA Boosts Clean Energy Capacity to 3,860MW at Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced a significant increase in clean energy capacity at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which now generates a total of 3,860 megawatts (MW) using a combination of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies.

The announcement was made by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, who noted that the recent addition of 800MW from the park’s sixth phase contributed to this milestone. As a result, clean energy now constitutes approximately 21.5% of DEWA’s total energy production capacity.

Al Tayer emphasized that this achievement supports the UAE’s broader vision for sustainability, led by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. “The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is a cornerstone project in achieving the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, which aim to produce 100% of Dubai’s energy from clean sources by 2050,” Al Tayer stated.

He added that the solar park’s production capacity is projected to reach 7,260MW by 2030, increasing the share of clean energy in DEWA’s energy mix to 34% and reducing carbon emissions by around 8 million tonnes annually.

Solar Park Development Timeline

The solar park’s development has proceeded in multiple phases:

• Phase 1 (2013): Launched with a capacity of 13MW using PV panels.
• Phase 2 (2017): Commissioned 200MW of PV capacity; the first project in the region based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model.
• Phase 3 (2020): Added 800MW using PV technology and single-axis tracking, a regional first.
• Phase 4 (2023): Introduced a hybrid model combining 600MW from a parabolic trough CSP, 100MW from a solar power tower, and 250MW from PV, totaling 950MW.
• Phase 5 (2023): Commissioned 900MW using PV technology.
• Phase 6 (2025): Currently under development, adding another 1,800MW using PV panels.

Upcoming Phase 7: A Global Benchmark in Solar-Plus-Storage

DEWA has invited international developers to participate in Phase 7, which will have a capacity of 1,600MW, expandable to 2,000MW. This phase will feature PV solar panels and an integrated battery energy storage system (BESS) with a capacity of 1,000MW for six hours, equating to a storage capacity of 6,000 megawatt-hours.

This makes Phase 7 one of the largest solar-plus-storage projects globally, and it will also follow the IPP model for implementation.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park continues to play a central role in Dubai’s clean energy transition, contributing significantly to the UAE’s long-term sustainability, carbon reduction, and energy resilience goals.