Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, has issued a request for proposal, RFP, for appointing consultants to study, develop and construct floating solar photovoltaic plants in the Arabian Gulf.
This is a new and innovative initiative by DEWA to use solar power that supports the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, DCES 2050, to diversify the energy mix in Dubai to provide 75% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2050.
The consultancy services include a feasibility study, the technical requirements for a floating solar photovoltaic plant, an environmental impact assessment report, a study of the marine requirements, and other necessary studies on setting up electrical transmission, a safety plan, and a seawater feasibility studies including tidal and system specifications, and system performance.
Speaking on the occasion, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, said, "At DEWA, we work in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to achieve economic, social, and environmental sustainable development and preserve natural resources within the framework of federal and local strategies, including the UAE Vision 2021, UAE Centennial 2071, the Dubai Plan 2021, and the DCES 2050, as directed by His Highness, to make Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050."
Achieving the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 will require a production capacity of 42,000 megawatts, MW, of clean and renewable energy by 2050. DEWA launched several ambitious initiatives and projects to achieve these objectives, including the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. This is the largest single-site solar park in the world, based on the Independent Power Project model, with a planned capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030 at a total investment of AED50 billion.