HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), has welcomed HE José Agüero Avila, Ambassador of the Republic of Paraguay to the UAE. The visit aimed to explore bilateral cooperation, exchange experiences in renewable energy and solar panels, support partnership with the UAE, and learn about Dubai’s experience in developing new and sustainable energy technologies. The meeting was attended by Waleed Bin Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at DEWA.
During the visit, HE Al Tayer welcomed HE José Agüero Avila, the first resident Ambassador of Paraguay to the UAE, wishing him success in his diplomatic mission. He emphasised DEWA’s keenness to strengthen cooperation and joint work with diplomatic and consular missions in the UAE. Al Tayer underlined the strong relations between the UAE and Paraguay.
Al Tayer presented to the Ambassador of Paraguay, the ambitious initiatives and pioneering and innovative development projects implemented by DEWA to achieve the vision and directives of the wise leadership. Al Tayer said that the main direction of energy in Dubai aligns with the wise leadership’s directives to expand clean energy projects and increase the use of the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, digitisation, promoting world-class infrastructure, the highest standards of reliability, efficiency, and availability, and accelerating investments in disruptive technologies.
“We work in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to achieve the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100% of Dubai’s total power production from clean energy sources by 2050. One of our key projects to achieve this goal is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, with a planned production capacity of 5,000MW by 2030,” said Al Tayer.
Al Tayer talked about the 4th phase of the solar park, with a capacity of 950MW and investments amounting to AED 15.78 billion according to the IPP model. It is the largest single-site CSP power plant that combines CSP and photovoltaic solar panels. This phase will use three hybrid technologies: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex (three units of 200MW each), 100MW from the world’s tallest solar power tower at 262.44 metres (based on Molten Salt technology), and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. On its completion, the project will have the largest thermal storage capacity in the world of 15 hours, allowing for energy availability round the clock. The 4th phase will provide clean energy for around 320,000 residences and reduce 1.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
Al Tayer also highlighted the 900MW 5th phase of the solar park with investments totalling AED 2.058 billion. The 5th phase uses the latest solar photovoltaic bifacial technologies with Single Axis Tracking to increase energy production. It provides clean energy for more than 270,000 residences in Dubai and reduce 1.18 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
Al Tayer also talked about DEWA’s other strategic projects including the pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant in Hatta, with a production capacity of 250MW and a storage capacity of 1,500 MWh. The plant, which is the first of its kind in the Arabian Gulf region, is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. He also talked about the Green Hydrogen Project, which DEWA built in cooperation with Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens Energy at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. It is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa to produce hydrogen using solar power. The pilot plant, which spreads over 10,000 square metres, was designed and built to accommodate future applications and testing facilities for different hydrogen uses, including energy generation and transportation.
HE the Ambassador of Paraguay visited the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, where he was briefed by DEWA officials about its various phases. These include photovoltaic solar panels and concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies. Avila commended DEWA’s efforts in the renewable and clean energy sector, pointing out the importance of exchanging the best international experiences and practices in renewable and clean energy.
