ACCIONA, Gransolar and Ghella to construct world’s largest photovoltaic plant in Dubai

The EPC consortium led by Gransolar, which includes the Spanish firm ACCIONA Industrial and the Italian company Ghella, will construct the world’s largest photovoltaic plant, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park (Phase III), which will have a peak capacity of 1054 MWdc when complete. This will be a turnkey (EPC, Engineering, Procurement and Construction) project for a specifically created company formed by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Masdar and was awarded in June 2016.

The new plant will cover approximately 17.8 km² and will consist of more than three million photovoltaic panels equipped with single-axis solar tracking systems (mechanical devices capable of angling the panels) for producing clean energy. Once operational, the plant will prevent the emission of around 1.4 million tonnes of CO₂ every year.

The project will be executed in three phases and is expected to be complete during the first half of 2020 to coincide with the Dubai EXPO.

“This important milestone is a clear demonstration of the strong momentum behind the expansion of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, now including partnerships with GranSolar, Acciona and Ghella – respected international companies with a strong track record in renewables. At Masdar, we are proud to be supporting the UAE in realising its bold clean energy targets, and we are grateful for DEWA’s excellent leadership in this benchmark project,” said Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar.

“This plant is the first major step being taken in the region to move power generation from fossil fuels to renewable sources. Gransolar, a company that has specialised in photovoltaic energy for more than 10 years, is proud to be participating in this project and to be responsible for making it a success for Dubai and the UAE”, explained Domingo Vegas, chairman of Gransolar.

“This project marks a major step forward in the development of renewable energy in the Middle East and allows ACCIONA to offer its extensive experience of developing energy projects to this region. At ACCIONA Industrial we are committed to creating a more sustainable future based on the highest quality standards and respect for the environment”, said Ramón Jiménez, CEO of ACCIONA Industrial.

ACCIONA has extensive international experience of installing large-scale photovoltaic plants, with more than 479 MWp installed globally distributed across 27 proprietary and third-party plants.

Recent projects include construction of the Sishen plant in South Africa, the largest capacity photovoltaic plant on the African continent with a 94 MWp capability. The company also constructed the El Romero Solar plant in the Atacama Desert (Chile), one of the 10 largest plants in the world with a capacity of 246 MWp, capable of producing enough energy to supply 240,000 households. These plants are a reflection of ACCIONA’s commitment to developing renewable energy around the world.

Through its ACCIONA Industrial division, the company specialises in industrial EPC and turnkey projects with a high technology content for thermal power generation, oil & gas and hydroelectric generation. ACCIONA Industrial is committed to innovation and using the most advanced techniques, with major projects in development and under construction in South Africa, Canada, Australia, UAE, Egypt’s, Mexico, Brazil and Chile, among others.