DEWA has ramped up the battery storage capacity for the seventh phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the world’s largest single-site solar project currently under construction.
A tender that launched in February stated that the seventh phase of works would include a PV facility ranging from 1.6 GW to 2 GW that would be connected to 1 GW of battery capacity.
In an update posted on Nov. 5, DEWA confirmed that the phase will add 2 GW of solar connected to 1.4 GW of battery storage with six-hour capacity, capable of generating 8.4 GWh.
DEWA said it received 49 expressions of interest during the initial stage of the tender. The request for proposal document was issued to qualified bidders on Oct. 20. The selected developer will implement the project under an independent power producer model via a long-term power purchase agreement.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, said that by the time the seventh phase is completed, the total production capacity of the site will be in excess of 8 GW. The park’s current production capacity stands at over 3.8 GW.
The first phase of the solar park, which incorporates both ground-mounted solar and concentrated solar power technologies, was commissioned in October 2013. It was followed by a 200 MW second stage and 800 MW third phase.
In September, DEWA announced the sixth phase of work, set to add a total 1.8 GW of solar, is more than two thirds complete with 1 GW now in operation.
The solar park is a cornerstone of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, which set a target of providing 100% of the emirate’s total power capacity from clean sources by mid-century.
