DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — ACWA Power announced the inauguration of the 300 MW first stage of the 900-MW Shuaa Energy 3 PSC, the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai. The ceremony was held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, in the presence of several notable Dubai government figures, as well as HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, and Mohammad Abunayyan, ACWA Power’s chairman.
The inauguration of the project marks another transformative moment in Dubai’s continued energy transition, energy diversification strategies, and development plans. The 900-MW fifth phase was awarded to an ACWA Power-led consortium at a tariff of $1.69 per kWh last year and brings the current production capacity of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to 1,313 MW.
Once fully operational, the solar park has a planned production capacity of 5,000 MW, saving over 7.2 million tons of carbon emissions annually.
Shuaa Energy 3 PSC is the special purpose vehicle incorporated for the project, with 60% owned by the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) and the remaining 40% split between ACWA Power and Gulf Investment Corp.
“The inauguration of the first part of the fifth phase of the solar park in Dubai reinforces ACWA Power’s commitment to supporting Dubai’s ambitious strategy to balance economic growth and environmental sustainability, contributing to Dubai’s reputation as a global player in green economic transformation, and a driver of global carbon footprint reduction,” said Abunayyan.
Shuaa Energy 3 PSC is expected to power 270,000 residential units, and offset carbon emissions amounting to 1.18 million tons per year in Dubai. The project will use the latest bifacial photovoltaic solar panels, which capture sunlight on both sides of the panel and produce energy with an advanced solar tracking system to increase generation efficiency by 20%.
The project will feature an automated solar panel cleaning system, with 2,662 automatic cleaning robots positioned around the plant. The system guarantees a cleaning factor of 99.3%, further optimizing the productivity and operational capability of the plant.
