ACWA wins the tender for the 900-megawatt solar farm in Dubai

• The solar field will become operational in Q2 of 2021. This is the project for deployment of phase five of the huge 5-gigawatt Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar farm.

Electricity and Water Authority of Dubai confirms ACWA Power has been chosen as developer of phase five of the gigantic solar farm named after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. 

Last week, it became known that the Saudi-based company will sell power to Dubai at $0.016953 per kilowatt-hour. The solar farm phase five will have a capacity of 900 megawatts. The facility is scheduled to start operations in the second quarter of 2021. According to the 25-year long term PPA, the Authority of Dubai is getting a 60 per cent stake in the venture. 

ACWA is currently deploying the second phase of the solar project in cooperation with Spain-based TKS. Construction of the third phase started two years ago by France’s EDF. 200 megawatts of this 800-megawatt project became operational in spring 2018. 

The fourth phase is being constructed by the energy company from Saudi Arabia as well. Initially, the plant was planned as a 700-megawatt solar thermal facility. Later, another 250 megawatts of PV capacity were added. 

The MBR Solar Park will be supplemented with huge hydrogen and storage facilities. The solar farm is slated to be completed in about ten years.