World's Biggest Solar Park to Power Half a Million Homes in Dubai

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the Ruler of Dubai, and Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Masdar, an Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy company, to implement the sixth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the world's largest single-site solar photovoltaic power plant.

The sixth phase of the project will use photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and will be implemented using the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. The IPP model is a public-private partnership that allows private companies to finance, build, and operate power plants. The estimated cost of the sixth phase is Dh5.51 billion ($1.4 billion).

It will “provide energy for more than half a million homes and reduce energy consumption”, Sheikh Mohammed said on X, formerly Twitter.

The sixth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is scheduled to be operational in stages starting from the fourth quarter of 2024. It is expected to power more than 500,000 homes and reduce carbon emissions by 2.36 million tonnes annually.

"Ahead of our nation hosting Cop28 later this year, it is vital that the world triples global renewable energy capacity by 2030 to keep the ambition of 1.5 degrees within reach. This landmark project demonstrates definitive action in our shared journey towards a cleaner, greener future”, said Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, chairman of Masdar and Cop28 President-designate.