The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) orchestrated guided excursions for 217 attendees at COP28 to the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, with a majority hailing from beyond the UAE. These visits, held concurrently with COP28, encompassed explorations of the Innovation Centre and the fourth phase of the solar park.
Participants lauded the Innovation Centre, a prominent Dubai landmark and a pivotal destination for those eager to delve into the latest advancements in clean and renewable energy technologies. They also commended DEWA’s commitment to implementing solar park phases utilizing cutting-edge technologies and adhering to the highest international standards.
Within the Innovation Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, visitors delved into the first-floor exhibition area, encountering over 35 interactive displays spotlighting developments in renewable energy. They toured the DEWA Museum, reviewing key milestones in DEWA’s journey, historical breakthroughs in electricity, and innovations in renewable and sustainable energy. Insights into light and solar radiation properties, critical elements of photovoltaic solar cells, and related technologies such as Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and the Solar Power Tower were shared. The journey also covered DEWA’s foray into renewable energy, Smart DEWA, solar cell applications in space technology, and the evolution of DEWA’s sustainable buildings. Additionally, visitors relished captivating experiences offered by the Innovation Centre, including drone shows, holograms, Augmented Reality (AR), the metaverse, and more. Interactive encounters like autonomous bus rides and other innovative technologies were also part of the immersive visit. Leveraging metaverse technology, the Centre provided a virtual tour of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
Insights into the 950MW fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, inaugurated by DEWA during COP28 and hailed as the world’s largest CSP project, were shared. This phase integrates three hybrid technologies: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex, 100MW from the CSP tower, and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. With an investment of AED15.78 billion under the independent power producer (IPP) model, the project boasts the world’s tallest solar tower at 263.126 meters and the largest thermal energy storage capacity, recognized by Guinness World Records at 5,907 megawatt hours (MWh). The project is poised to provide approximately 320,000 residences with clean and sustainable energy, curtailing carbon emissions by about 1.6 million tonnes annually, reinforcing Dubai’s stature as a premier global hub for clean, renewable energy, and climate action.
DEWA has successfully inaugurated five phases of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, with the current capacity reaching 2,627MW. The ongoing implementation of the 1,800MW sixth phase is underway, promising to deliver clean energy to 540,000 residences upon completion. The solar park, envisaged to reach a capacity of 5,000MW by 2030, stands as a cornerstone in achieving the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, aiming to derive 100% of energy production capacity from clean sources by 2050.
