World’s Tallest Concentrated Solar Power Tower

The world’s tallest concentrated solar power tower is located in Dubai. The tower reaches 262 meters into the sky and at the top is perched the Molten Salt Receiver (MSR) which is a critical component in all concentrated solar power plants. The tower receives concentrated radiation from parabolic mirrors and then converts it to thermal energy which is stored in molten salt form for use to drive turbines and provide electricity even after the sun goes down

The solar power tower is part of phase 4 of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park which came with a US$4.3 billion price tag. The fourth phase of the solar park combines CSP and photovoltaic technology and is rated for 950MW. It will use 700 MW of CSP, 600 MW from a parabolic basin complex, 100MW from the solar power tower and 250 MW from photovoltaic solar panels. On completion, the project will have the largest thermal storage capacity in the world of 15 hours, allowing for energy availability around the clock.

More about the Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park

Reported in September 2022

The mega Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park project is on its th phase which  received 4 bids for its consultancy contract late last year. The solar park is reportedly the largest single-site solar park in the world.

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The 4 bids received are all from internationally acclaimed companies. A marker showing the confidence that interested parties from all around the world have in the project.

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to be at the forefront of renewable & clean energy

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is under the expertise of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa). It uses the independent power producer (IPP) model. Furthermore, by 2030, it aims to reach a total production capacity of 5,000 megawatts.

Meanwhile, the total production capacity of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park project’s 6th phase will be 900 megawatts. Currently, the facility’s production stands at a total of 1,627 megawatts through the use of photovoltaic solar panels.

In the long run, Dewa plans on expanding to concentrated solar power technology. As a result, the project will raise the share of clean energy production within the region’s energy mix to about 11.5%. As it stands, Dewa has not yet released information on when the awarding of the project’s consultancy contract will be.

Remarks on the project

The CEO and Managing Director of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority spoke about the project’s development thus far. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer pointed to the impressive fact that since its launch, the project has received a considerable amount of global interest.

Al Tayer further also stated that the project as a whole aims to place Dubai and the UAE at large at the forefront when it comes to the production of clean and renewable energy. Impressively, for five consecutive times, the firm has attained a world record for the lowest solar energy prices (Levelised Cost of Electricity.

By end of 2022, it had been reported by the Dubai Enaergy and Water Authority that the capacity of clean energy at solar park has reached 2,027MW, increasing the production capacity of clean energy in Dubai to about 14% of the total production capacity of electrical energy.