Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Masdar will break ground on the next phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai at the end of this month.
An international consortium led by specialist renewable energy contractor GranSolar of Spain, alongside compatriot contractor Acciona and Ghella of Italy will carry out the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) for the 800 megawatt (MW) phase 3 of the project.
The news was announced at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2017.
DEWA selected a Masdar-led consortium in June to develop what will eventually be the worlds largest solar park on a single plot after setting a record low price for solar power of $2.99 cents per kilowatt-hour, kWh.
Construction of the 16 square-kilometre plant will occur in three stages. The first 200MW stage is expected to be completed by the first half of 2018 and the next 300MW phase is due the following year, with the final 300MW to come on stream in the first half of 2020.
“The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park project marks a new global milestone in the development of renewable energy in the Middle East and the world, said Domingo Vegas Fernandez, president of Grupo Gransolar on behalf of the consortium.
The consortium of Gransolar, Acciona Industrial and Ghella is delighted to form part of it, ready to provide its extensive experience in designing, constructing and operating solar energy plants and being fully committed to the DEWA and Masdar vision towards a more sustainable future for the region.