DUBAI, 11th September, 2023 (WAM) — Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) continues to enhance sustainability and support the transition towards a sustainable green economy by increasing the share of clean and renewable energy in Dubai’s energy mix.

This supports the Year of Sustainability in the UAE, during which the country will host the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).

Earlier this year, DEWA inaugurated the 900 megawatts (MW) fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world, using the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, with total investments of over AED 2 billion. DEWA has also signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), to build and operate the 1,800 MW sixth phase of the solar park, with investments of up to AED 5.51 billion.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, explained that the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will reduce around 6.424 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually after commissioning the 6th phase in 2026.

“DEWA supports the UAE’s efforts to reach Net-Zero by 2050 and realise the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, to provide 100% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050. To achieve this goal, we continue to implement the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park projects as per the timeline. The total capacity of the solar energy projects commissioned at the solar park has reached 2,427MW, which is 16.3% of the total installed capacity in Dubai.”

Al Tayer added that this percentage will reach 24% in 2026 after completing the Fourth and Sixth phases. The solar park has a planned production capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030 using solar photovoltaic panels and concentrated solar power with total investments of AED50 billion. When completed, the solar park will reduce over 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.