DUBAI - The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, has achieved a world record by receiving the lowest bid of 1.6953 cents per kilowatt-hour for the 900MW 5th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, MBR, Solar Park for using photovoltaic, PV, solar panels, based on the Independent Power Producer, IPP, model.

The phase will become operational in stages starting in Q2 of 2021.

"For the fifth time, DEWA has achieved a world record in getting the lowest price for PV solar power projects based on the IPP model. This shows the priority our leadership gives to clean and renewable energy projects, which has contributed to its global reduction in cost. The projects at the MBR Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world, are of great interest to international developers, and reaffirm investor confidence in the major projects that are supported by the Government of Dubai," said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

"Achieving the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to provide 75 percent of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2050 requires a capacity of 42,000MW of clean and renewable energy by 2050. The current total production capacity of solar projects at the solar park is 713MW. DEWA is building three other projects with a total capacity of 1,250MW. The 900MW 5th phase of the solar park will increase the production capacity to 2,863MW," added Al Tayer.

Al Tayer said that DEWA is committed to completing the phases of the MBR Solar Park according to the highest international standards using the latest solar power technologies to enhance the shift towards a green economy by increasing its share of clean and renewable energy. He noted that the solar park would reduce over 6.5 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development & Excellence at DEWA, said that the authority released the tender for the 5th phase in February 2019, and received 60 Requests for Qualifications from developers to build and operate the 900MW project. After studying the proposals, nine consortiums and companies qualified and were invited to send their bids. These bids are being studied and the winning bid will be announced next month.

© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2019.