Dubai unveils world’s largest concentrated solar power project

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday unveiled the world’s largest concentrated solar power and photovoltaic power project in Dubai.

On X platform, Sheikh Mohammed said, “Thank God we have launched the world's largest concentrated solar power and photovoltaic power project in Dubai. Spanning over 44 square kilometers, the project’s total cost is more than Dhs15 billion. It includes the highest concentrated solar power tower in the world at a height of 263 meters and the largest thermal energy storage capacity in the world.”

He continued, “The project will reduce carbon emissions by more than 1.6 million tonnes per year, as our goal is that Dubai's energy production capacity to be 100 per cent from clean sources by 2050 with a complete carbon neutrality by the same year.”

“We reiterate that we are serious about investing in clean energy, serious about confronting climate change and serious about preserving the environment for future generations,” His Highness added.

The 950-megawatt (MW) fourth phase is the largest investment project that uses three hybrid technologies: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex, 100MW from the CSP tower, and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels.

Built at an investment of Dhs15.78 billion, using the independent power producer (IPP) model, the project features the tallest solar tower in the world, at 263.126 metres, and the largest thermal energy storage capacity with a capacity of 5,907 megawatt hours (MWh), according to the Guinness World Records.

The fourth phase of the Solar Park uses three hybrid technologies to produce clean energy: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex (three units of 200MW each), 100MW from the world’s tallest solar power tower (based on Molten Salt technology), and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels.

The Molten Salt Receiver (MSR) on top of the solar power tower is the core and most important part of the CSP plant. It receives solar radiation and turns it into thermal energy. The MSR contains over 1,000 thin tubes that enable the absorption of sun rays and their transfer to the molten salt within these tubes.