The leader of the United Arab Emirates has inaugurated the 800MW third phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar farm in Dubai.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, inaugurated the solar plant along with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA’s) Innovation Centre.
DEWA built the third phase with a consortium led by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and EDF Group.
The facility is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region to use single axis solar tracking to increase energy generation.
Other innovations include cleaning robots for the photovoltaic panels to increase the plant’s efficiency.
The array is part of a larger solar complex with a planned total capacity of 5GW by 2030.
The Innovation Centre has been established as “global hub” for renewable and clean energy innovation to help enhance the UAE’s “competitive advantage” in this sector.
The centre’s research into solar power will support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to diversify the energy mix and provide 75% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.