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![Masdar Solar Power Plant 2GW Al Dhafra Photovoltaic Solar Power Plant.](https://www.inceptivemind.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/masdar-solar-plant.jpg)
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched the world’s largest single-site solar power plant ahead of hosting the United Nations climate change conference COP28.
The 2 GW Al Dhafra solar photovoltaic independent power generation project is jointly owned by clean energy company Masdar, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), France’s EDF Renewables, China’s Jinko Power and power purchaser Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC).
The opening ceremony was presided over by HH Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi. He said the power plant already supplies clean, emission-free electricity to the UAE national grid.
The massive solar farm, 22 miles (35 kilometers) from the city of Abu Dhabi and spanning more than 20 square kilometers of desert land, has 4 million JinkoPower bifacial solar panels, ensuring that both sides of the panels capture sunlight, thereby maximizing power generation. The clean electricity generated by the solar farm will power 200,000 homes and reduce more than 2.4 million tons of carbon emissions each year.
The project created approximately 4,500 jobs during its peak construction period and greatly boosted the local economy. During construction, an average of 10 megawatts (MW) of solar panels were installed per day.
TAQA holds a 40% stake in the project, with Masdar, EDF Renewables and JinkoPower each holding 20%. His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan said this ground-breaking plan reflects the country’s continued commitment to increasing its share of clean energy, reducing carbon emissions and supporting global climate action efforts.
Al Dhafra has started operations and will supply electricity to Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) under the 2020 Power Purchase Agreement. With Al Dhafra coming online, the UAE’s solar power capacity now reaches 3.2 GW.
According to the statement, the Al Dhafra solar photovoltaic project, planned and procured by EWEC, broke the cost record for a utility-scale solar project. Initially, the project set one of the most competitive solar electricity prices at 4.97 fils/kWh (1.35 cents/kWh), which was further increased to 4.85 fils/kWh (1.32 cents/kWh) after the financial close ). kWh).
“The announcement of the plant is of special significance as it coincides with China’s preparations to host the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), a global climate event,” said Engineer Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, Chairman of the Energy Department in Abu Dhabi. “This further strengthens the country’s efforts aimed at producing photovoltaic solar energy at competitive costs, providing strong support to Abu Dhabi’s commitment to diversifying clean and renewable energy sources and the Ministry of Energy’s strategies and policies in this regard. “
EWEC has also recently commissioned the development of two further solar power projects of the same size and scale as Al Dhafra Solar PV, which will make Abu Dhabi home to four of the largest solar power plants in the world. In addition, they plan to develop an additional 1GW of new solar projects in Abu Dhabi each year over the next ten years as part of a strategy to rapidly accelerate the decarbonization of energy production. The UAE plans to triple the contribution of renewable energy to its electricity mix over the next seven years.
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