UAE turns on world’s largest single-site solar power plant

The 2 GW Al Dhafra Solar PV project is estimated to power 200,000 homes in UAE.

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC (Masdar), along with industry partners Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), EDF Renewables, JinkoPower, and project procurer Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), launched the largest single-site solar power plant globally, with a total capacity of two gigawatts (GW).

The Al Dhafra project is estimated to supply 200,000 homes and cancel over 2.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually, allowing emissions-free power to be integrated into the UAE grid.

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The project's development has been propelled by the strategic partnership Masdar formed with its counterparts. As a result, the Al Dhafra Solar PV has achieved records for one of the most competitive tariffs for solar power set at $1.35 cents/kWh (AED 4.97 fils/kWh), but further improved by $1.32 cents/kWh (AED 4.85 fils/kWh).

During its construction, an estimated 4 million bi-facial solar panels mounted generated a daily average of 10 megawatts (MW).

“The project contributes to creating opportunities for sustainable economic and social growth, whilst simultaneously achieving a balance between sustainable development and mitigating the impacts of climate change,” HE Engineer Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, Chairman of the Department of Energy in Abu Dhabi, stated.

Currently, the UAE is the second in the world per capita solar energy usage.