Dubai vies for 2.5 GW of rooftop solar capacity

Oct 25, 2012 - State-owned Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) has identified that the addition of 2,500 MW of distributed rooftop solar systems can meet 20% of Dubai's power needs by 2030, DEWA's head Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said yesterday.

The emirate is implementing technical, commercial and legal frameworks to boost the adoption of solar power, he said speaking at the World Energy Forum 2012 in Dubai.

Meanwhile, the 10-MW first phase of Dubai's USD-3.5-billion (EUR 2.69bn) 1,000-MW Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid solar park will become operational before the end of 2013, with the whole plant expected to be completed by 2030, Al Tayer said.

Al Tayer added that Dubai's average energy growth is projected to be in the range of 4% to 5% per year by 2030. The emirate aims to reduce its energy consumption by 30% through energy efficiency initiatives. At present, natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) account for 99% of the fuel used for power generation and desalinated water production in Dubai. The emirate targets to diversify its fuel mix through giving a 12% share to clean coal power sources, 5% to renewable sources, 12% to nuclear power and 71% to gas by 2030, under its Integrated Energy Strategy 2030.

(USD 1 = EUR 0.770)

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