UAE: To ensure a sustainable supply of clean energy

Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park       

                                                       

UAE Launches Mega-Project Combining Solar Power and Battery Storage

The UAE has issued a call for developers to implement a mega-project combining solar power and battery electricity storage to ensure a sustainable supply of clean energy.

The new phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park, the world's largest single-site solar park, aims to add approximately 2,000 gigawatts of clean energy, in addition to battery storage technologies to ensure a sustainable supply of clean electricity. The new phase, which will be implemented using the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, will be one of the largest projects in the world combining solar power and battery storage.

DEWA has invited international developers to submit expressions of interest for an international tender to develop the seventh phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park, with a capacity of 1,600 megawatts (with the potential to be expanded to 2,000 megawatts). The project will feature photovoltaic solar panels and a 1,000 megawatt battery storage system with a capacity of 6 hours, for a total capacity of up to 6,000 megawatt-hours.

Dubai Electricity

DEWA has invited international developers or consortiums to submit expressions of interest for the project by March 21, 2025. The seventh phase is expected to produce 4.5 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, which will help avoid burning more than 36 billion cubic feet of natural gas annually.

The seventh phase project will increase the planned production capacity of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park from 5 gigawatts to 7.26 gigawatts, increasing the share of clean energy in Dubai's energy mix from 27% to 34% by 2030.

The project will also support the reduction of total carbon dioxide emissions from 6.5 million tons to approximately 8 million tons annually, strengthening Dubai's position as a leading global center for sustainability and innovation in renewable energy. The seventh phase is scheduled to be operational in stages between 2027 and 2029. The solar park's current operational projects have a capacity of 3.46 GW, while the projects under construction have a capacity of 1,200 MW.

Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park

The Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park is the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. It is a key pillar of Dubai's ambition to generate 100% of its energy from clean sources by 2050. This phase represents an important step towards achieving the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Carbon Neutrality Strategy 2050, which aim to generate 100% of Dubai's energy production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.

The integration of the seventh phase with a 1,000 MW electricity storage system will enhance the use of renewable energy and increase the share of clean energy in Dubai's energy mix, enhancing energy flexibility. By combining advanced solar photovoltaic technologies with battery electricity storage, the phase will help overcome the intermittent nature of solar energy production and serve as a replicable model for sustainable energy systems worldwide.

The project is the second electricity storage project in the UAE. Its announcement comes days after Masdar announced the construction of a 5.2 GW solar energy project in Abu Dhabi, capable of providing 1 GW of stable electricity through battery storage. The project is scheduled to begin operating in 2027.