Phase I, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park

Project Datasheet
Phase I, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Owner:
Dubai Electricity & Water
Authority (DEWA)
EPC Contractor:
First Solar
Size:
13MW (DC)
Status:
Completed
Type:
Ground-Mount Fixed Tilt
Output:
~24 million KWh per year
CO2 Displacement: 15,000 metric tons per year
Modules Used:
152,880 Type: FS-385 black
Project Timeline
Oct 12 to
Dec 12
Planning
Oct 12 to
Mar 13
Mar 13 to
Sept 13
Oct 2013
onwards
Permitting Construction Operation
Engineering
About First Solar
First Solar is a leading global provider of
comprehensive photovoltaic (PV) solar
systems which use its advanced thin-film
modules. Our integrated power plant
solutions deliver an economically attractive
alternative to fossil-fuel electricity generation
today. With over 8 gigawatts (GW) installed
worldwide, First Solar delivers advanced PV
energy solutions that address contemporary
energy needs to enable a world powered by
clean, reliable and affordable solar energy. For More Information:
Please visit www.firstsolar.com
or contact us at [email protected]
DEWA13_DS_14JAN14 | © Copyright 2013, First Solar, Inc.
Phase I of the landmark Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park
represents the first stage of Dubai’s energy diversification strategy. The
cornerstone of an ambitious plan to generate as much as 1 Gigawatt (GW)
of the emirate’s electricity from sunlight, the plant was, at the time of its
inauguration in October 2013, the largest facility of its kind in the region.
Given its scale and location, the plant was recognized as having established
new benchmarks for the development of utility-scale solar power plants in
the region. It is also a showpiece of First Solar’s industry-leading EPC and
technological capabilities.
Covering an area of 59 acres or 238,764 square meters - sufficient to
accommodate approximately 33 soccer pitches – the facility was completed
on schedule, in less than 30 weeks from groundbreaking to grid-connection.
The project had a workforce of 1,280 personnel at its peak and required
more than 1.4 million man-hours to complete, all of which were accidentfree. Importantly, First Solar spent fifty percent of the project’s cost in the
UAE, demonstrating how solar energy can contribute to local businesses.
Since its completion, the plant has seamlessly been integrated into the
emirate’s electricity grid and continues to ratify the suitability of First Solar’s
thin film module technology to the Middle East and North Africa region’s
environmental conditions. This consistently reliable performance in actual
hot, humid weather and high soiling conditions, played a significant role in
Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) being specified as the technology of choice for the
plant. Powered by 152,880 FS Series 3 Black modules, the plant will generate
approximately 24 million kilowatt hours of clean solar electricity per year.
The project was implemented by Dubai’s Supreme Council of Energy and is
managed and operated by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA),
the state-owned power company. First Solar was also selected to provide
Operations and Maintenance (O&M) services until 2015.