The UAE’s wise leadership has worked tirelessly to anticipate the future, as a fundamental element of its strategies and plans. The vision of the UAE’s leadership, led by HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE; HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, plays a key role in strategic planning, to ensure a brighter future for generations to come.
Despite being home to one of the largest oil reserves, the UAE has already started preparing to bid farewell to the last barrel of oil. Today, the UAE leads international efforts in clean and renewable energy, as result of its strategies and investments. The UAE’s National Agenda incorporates this vision to develop a sustainable environment, while increasing its dependence on clean and green development. The UAE has established itself as a pioneer in the international energy sector, and has already launched world-class projects to diversify energy resources, with a focus on solar energy, due to the UAE’s convenient location on the Sunbelt. Dubai receives about 2,200 kilowatts per square meter (kW/m2) of the Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI), while the Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) is 1,900 kW/m2, annually. The amount of direct radiation can be used generate energy through photovoltaic (PV) and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technologies.
UAE Energy Strategy
The UAE Energy Strategy 2050 aims to develop an energy mix that combines renewable, nuclear and clean energy sources to balance economic requirements and environmental goals. By 2050, the UAE aims to invest AED 600 billion to meet the growing energy demand and ensure the sustainable growth of the country’s economy. The strategy also seeks to increase efficiency of individuals and organisational demand by 40%, and achieve savings of AED 700 billion by 2050.
Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050
Dubai has become an international pioneer in the development of smart cities, contributing to the renewable energy sector. It has also developed a number of techniques and practices to enhance the efficiency of the energy sector while rationalising consumption and finding alternative solutions to conventional energy. This supports the sustainable development of Dubai and the UAE. The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 was launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to provide 7% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2020. This target will increase to 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050. Dubai is the only city in the region to have launched such a promising strategy, with set goals and timelines that map the future of energy until 2050. The strategy consists of five main pillars: infrastructure, legislation, funding, building capacities and skills, and having an environment-friendly energy mix. The infrastructural pillar includes initiatives such as the Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is the largest single-site solar energy project in the world, with a planned total production capacity of 5,000 megawatts by 2030, and a total investment of AED 50 billion.
“The vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has been both an inspiration and a guiding beacon in our march towards excellence. This has enabled us to launch many ambitious projects and initiatives, to achieve the UAE Vision 2021, and the Dubai Plan 2021, which aims to transform Dubai into a sustainable city with clean and healthy environment, while promoting Dubai as an international hub for trade, finance, and tourism. The Dubai Plan 2021 also creates a model through which we will achieve the highest standards of energy efficiency and increase our dependence on renewable energy sources. We are also working to achieve the goals of the Demand Side Management Strategy, to reduce energy and water demand by 30% by 2030, in order to make Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world,” says HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).
Al Tayer noted that the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is being implemented by DEWA, will greatly contribute towards achieving the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, and the Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative, which was launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to develop a green economy and achieve the sustainable development of the UAE. Al Tayer noted that the solar park offers a host of promising investment opportunities to strengthen partnerships and investments between the public and private sectors in the field of energy. The soar park’s projects are based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model.
The largest single-site solar energy project in the world
In January 2012, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the IPP model, over an area of 77 square kilometres. The solar park has a total planned capacity of 1000MW by 2020, and 5000MW by 2030, with a total investment of AED 50 billion. After completion, the solar park will reduce 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
1st Phase
The 13MW first phase became operational on 22 October 2013, and the project contributed to a major reduction of carbon emissions in adherence with the Clean Development Mechanism. The implementation of the first phase was an important step in achieving Dubai’s objectives to diversify energy resources. The first phase is built up of about 153,000 PV cells, connected to 13 transformers in inverter buildings. The output is transformed to 33 kilovolts (kV), and generates 24 million kWh of electricity annually. The first phase contributes to an annual reduction of about 15,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. The surface area of the project covers 280,000 square metres.
2nd Phase
The 20MW second phase 2 of the solar park is the largest and first project of its kind in the region’s solar energy sector, based on the IPP model. The project was implemented through a partnership with the consortium led by ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia, and Spain’s TSK, with an investment of AED 1.2 billion. The project will provide clean energy to 50,000 residences in the Emirate, reducing 214,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. This phase installed 2.3 million photovoltaic (PV) solar panels over an area of 4.5 square kilometres.
Third Phase
In June 2016, DEWA announced the selection of the Masdar-led consortium as the best bidder to develop the 800MW third phase of the solar park. DEWA set another world record by obtaining the lowest recorded USD 2.99 cents per kW/h for the third phase of the park, which will be implemented in stages until 2020.
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