Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has called upon international developers to provide expressions of interest for a tender related to the development of the 1,600-megawatt (MW) seventh phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
This phase, which can be expanded to 2,000MW, will incorporate photovoltaic solar panels alongside a battery energy storage system boasting a capacity of 1,000MW for six hours, resulting in a total storage capacity of 6,000 megawatt-hours (MWh).
This initiative, Dubai Media Office reported, will position it among the world’s largest solar-plus-storage projects. The phase will be carried out under the independent power producer (IPP) model. DEWA has encouraged international developers or consortia to submit their expressions of interest by March 21, 2025.
Expected electricity production and environmental impact
The seventh phase is projected to generate 4.5 terawatt-hours of electricity each year, preventing the combustion of over 36 billion cubic feet of natural gas. It will further elevate the solar park’s planned production capacity from 5,000MW to 7,260MW, enhancing the share of clean energy in Dubai’s energy mix from 27 percent to 34 percent by 2030.
Read more: UAE solar energy leadership accelerates tripling of clean contributions with over $54 billion investments
Reduction in carbon emissions
As a result, the total reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is expected to climb from 6.5 million tons to roughly 8 million tons annually, solidifying Dubai’s status as a global center for sustainability and innovation in renewable energy.
Moreover, the seventh phase is slated to become operational in stages between 2027 and 2029.
Presently, the solar park’s production capacity stands at 3,460MW, with an additional 1,200MW currently under construction.
