On Monday 30th April 2018, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, accompanied by His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), His Excellency Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State in the UAE Cabinet, CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC Group) and Chairman of MASDAR, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (MASDAR), and by Jean-Bernard Lévy, the EDF Group’s Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, in the presence of His Excellency Ludovic Pouille, French Ambassador to the UAE, and Bruno Bensasson, Group Executive Vice-President in charge of Renewables, inaugurated 200 MW of solar capacity in the Emirate of Dubai
This plant is the first unit of the 800-MW Dewa III facility in which EDF acquired a stake along with Masdar and the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA). DEWA III is the third phase of one of the world’s most powerful solar projects – the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park. Amounting to a total investment of 14 billion US dollars (50 billion AED), the solar park will have a total installed capacity of 5000 MW, creating more than 1000 jobs during its development phase and cutting down on CO2 emissions by up to 6.5 million tons a year once it is fully operational in 2030.
The DEWA III project had been awarded at a highly competitive price of 2.99 US cents per kilowatt-hour for the generation of solar power. The currently installed 200 MW of generating capacity will be followed by the consecutive commissioning of two 300-MW units in 2019 and 2020. The facility will thus be used to power Dubai’s World Expo in 2020, according to the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to increase the share of clean energy in Dubai, with a total power output to 75% by 2050.
Statement from Jean-Bernard Lévy, EDF’s Chairman & Chief Executive Officer: “It is a great honour for the EDF Group to contribute to the Emirate of Dubai’s energy transition. I am delighted with the trusting relationship we have forged with our partners Masdar and DEWA to develop carbon-free energy in the region and beyond. Dewa III exemplifies the EDF Group’s ability to execute large-scale solar projects, whilst contributing to the ambitions of the Group’s CAP 2030 strategy: doubling its renewable capacities and tripling its international business outside of Europe by 2030”.
Statement from Bruno Bensasson, Group Executive Vice-President in charge of Renewables: “We are proud to inaugurate the first unit of our large-scale DEWA III solar project with a total installed capacity of 800 MW in this strategic region for the EDF Group. This new project, which is being delivered in accordance with a challenging schedule, illustrates our workforce’s know-how when it comes to developing large solar plants".
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