
DUBAI: 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.
The country’s National Agenda incorporates the vision to develop a sustainable environment, while increasing its dependence on clean and green development. The UAE has already launched projects to diversify energy resources, with a focus on solar energy, due to the UAE’s convenient location on the global 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 Dh600 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 per cent, and achieve savings of Dh700 billion by 2050.
Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050:The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 aims to provide 7 per cent of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2020. This target will increase to 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 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 Dh50 billion.
“The Dubai Plan 2021 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 per cent by 2030, in order to make Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world,” says Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa).
Largest single-site solar energy project: The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the IPP model, was launched in January 2012. It covers an area of 77 square kilometres, and will have a total planned capacity of 1,000MW by 2020, and 5,000MW by 2030, with a total investment of Dh50 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 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 Dh1.2 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.
3rd 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 US$2.99 cents per kW/h for the third phase of the park, which will be implemented in stages until 2020.
Concentrated Solar Power Project: The CSP plant at Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park was announced in June 2016. The first phase will be operational by April 2021, and will generate 1000MW using CSP by 2030. In October 2016, Dewa issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the CSP plant, and received 30 Expressions of Interest (EOI) before the submission deadline. Dewa issued the project’s RFP on 15 January 2017, with a submission deadline by May 2017.
Al Tayer noted that the project will use thermal storage technology for 8-12 hours a day, taking technical and economic factors into account, to raise efficiency and provide a sustainable energy services to contribute to achieving people’s happiness.
Research and Development Centre: The Research and Development (R&D) centre was launched in 2014 and is currently in the implementation phase. It will be completed by 2020. The R&D centre will base its work around the four main areas:
1. Production of electricity from solar energy: Conducting research in cooperation with international institutions to study PV technology and mitigate the effects of dust on the performance of solar panels, while testing their long-term reliability to develop standards that meet the local climate.
2. Smart Grid Integration: Conduct R&D to develop systems and technologies to control and rational consumption, while studying the effects of new technologies on the network, renewable energy sources, energy storage, 3D-printing, and the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in maintenance.
3. Energy Efficiency: Dewa is cooperating with stakeholders and institutions from all over the world, to promote creativity among the youth, in the development of solar energy technologies, by launching leading initiatives.
4. Water: Dewa is exploring and working to develop sustainable solutions for the desalination and purification of water using solar energy, in addition to developing technology to produce drinking water from the moisture.
Innovation Centre and solar testing facility: Dewa is working to develop an Innovation Centre, equipped with the latest renewable and clean energy technologies. The Innovation Centre will serve as a museum and exhibition for solar energy. The centre will also feature two solar testing facilities, the first will specialise in testing PV solar panels, while the second will focus on CSP.
The centre is currently testing 30 photovoltaic panel types from global specialist manufacturers to check the properties, analyse the results, and use them in research and development. It collaborates with international organisations on soiling and dust mitigation on photovoltaic equipment.
The solar testing facility will focus on mitigating the effects of dust, understanding the physical and chemical properties of dust, testing new methods, understanding the effects of dust on PV panels, establishing challenges, enhancing reliability and performance, and developing technology to withstand the weather conditions of the region.
Solar powered water pumping and desalination plant: The solar-powered water pumping and desalination station at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park uses PV solar panels to desalinate water with Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology, with a production capacity of 50 cubic metres (around 11,000 gallons) a day. The project is in cooperation with the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia), under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, to provide clean and safe drinking water for people in needy countries, through funding and supporting water technology projects to combat drought.
Global Interest: The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park has seen considerable interest from international developers since its launch. Dewa has also received a number of Expressions of Interest (EoI) from international organisations. This reflects the confidence of international investors in the projects that are supported by Dubai Government. Many global developers expressed their desire to invest in development and implementation of the solar park, which contributes to providing promising opportunities in Dubai at various levels.
– By Rajive Singh