Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, has confirmed that DEWA is progressing according to plan with the construction of the 400/132kV substation at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

"This supports the vision of Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and the Dubai Plan 2021, to enhance Dubai's position as a global role model for achieving the highest standards in energy efficiency, renewable energy, creativity, innovation, and creating a sustainable future for generations to come," he said in a statement.

Al Tayer noted that DEWA is building a world-class energy infrastructure to meet all the development needs in the Emirate. Constructing the 400/132kV substation is part of DEWA's efforts to implement its strategy and ambitious plans according to the highest availability, reliability, and efficiency standards. This project includes supplying, installing, testing, and commissioning a 400/132kV substation with four 400kV cables. About 30% of the project's engineering work has been completed. The station is due to be completed by November 2016.

MD DEWA pointed out that the 400/132kV substation will connect the solar power generated from the 200MW second phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, to DEWA's grid to supply Dubai with electricity. In the future, other phases of the Solar Park will be connected to the station to power new development projects in Dubai. There will be future expansions at the station. Another substation with the same capacity will be built to transmit the solar energy of the Solar Park, which is expected to reach 3,000MW by 2030.

The 400/132KV substation is being built at a cost of Dh250 million and has a 505 MVA transmission capacity. It is one of the projects of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is one of the largest strategic Independent Power Producer, IPP, projects worldwide in renewable energy with a planned 1,000MW production capacity by 2020 and 3,000MW by 2030. The project supports the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 developed by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy to diversify the energy mix in the Emirate.

Solar energy will account for 7 percent of the total energy production by 2020 and 15 percent by 2030. The project, which occupies 4.5 square kilometres, will help achieve a reduction of approximately 400,000 tonnes of carbon emissions by 2020, and support the green initiatives and programmes implemented by the Government of Dubai to reduce carbon emissions.
Source: WAM