Dubai looking to install floating solar panels

Studies are currently taking place with a view to installing a floating photovoltaic solar panel system on the deep tunnel rainwater drainage lakes near Al Maktoum International Airport.

The Dubai Municipality lakes, where the solar panels would be locatted, are 50 percent complete.

“The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, launched by His Highness, aims to diversify the energy sources in the emirate, and we in Dubai Municipality are working to achieve the ambitious vision of our leadership in the framework of the approved strategies and plans, including the UAE Vision 2021, Emirates C 2071, and the Dubai Plan 2021,” said Dawoud Al Hajri, director general of Dubai Municipality.

In addition to being a sustainable solution to produce electricity in clean ways, the presence of the station on the water will help to reduce the heat surrounding the solar panels and raise their efficiency.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, said: “Achieving the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 requires a production capacity of 42,000 MW of clean and renewable energy by 2050. DEWA has launched several ambitious initiatives and projects to achieve this goal, including the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is the world’s largest renewable power plant in a single location, with a production capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030 with investments of Dhs50 billion.”

DEWA has announced a tender for consultancy services to study, develop and establish floating solar power plants in the waters of the Arabian Gulf.

The consultancy contract includes a feasibility study and preparation of technical requirements for the construction of floating solar PV panels, environmental studies and marine requirements including tidal buoys, safety procedures, electrical conductivity, system performance and other required studies and settings, as well as preparation of technical specifications for the project.