ABB technologies to enable expansion of solar park in Dubai

Substation at Mohammed Bin Rashid solar park will strengthen Dubai’s power grid and lower carbon footprint

ABB has won an order worth more than $90 million from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the leading power utility in United Arab Emirates (UAE), to build the Shams 400 kV substation that will integrate solar power from upcoming phases of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park into the city’s electrical grid. This will be ABB’s second substation for the park, exemplifying the company’s commitment to deliver reliable power to consumers and serve the building and infrastructure sector alongside utility and industry customers.

Following years of rapid growth and urbanization, Dubai continues to be one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, and booming growth in population and economic sectors, like tourism, have increased demand for energy. To increase power supply and meet goals for increased use of renewables, the UAE launched its ambitious Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to make Dubai a global center of clean energy and green economy.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park, located inland 50 km south of Dubai, has been a central part of Dubai’s renewable strategy. When completed in 2030, the park will occupy 214 square km, generate 5,000 MW and reduce carbon emissions by approximately 6.5 million tons.

ABB is responsible for the design, supply, and installation and commissioning of the Shams 400/ 132 kV substation, which once completed, will have an overall capacity of more than 2,000 megavolt amperes (MVA). When Phase-3 of the project is finished in 2020, which is the same year that Dubai will host Expo 2020, the total solar power generated through Solar Photovoltaic will exceed 1,000 MW, and significantly lower carbon emissions.

“We are proud to work with DEWA and continue to contribute to this landmark project with our state-of-the-art technologies that will boost capacity and bring cleaner solar power to the people,” said Claudio Facchin, President of ABB’s Power Grids Division. “Integrating renewables is a key element of our Next Level strategy and our proven track record reinforces our position as a partner of choice for enabling a stronger, smarter and greener grid.”

“In Dubai, we have a comprehensive approach to the energy sector. We are committed to achieve the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to provide 75 percent of the Emirate’s total power output from clean energy by 2050. Meeting the clean energy objectives requires a capacity of 42,000 MW of clean and renewable energy by 2050. The most prominent project to achieve these objectives, is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which will have a generation capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030, with investments totaling AED50 billion. The solar park will contribute to reducing over 6.5 million tons of carbon emissions per year when completed”, said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA.

The ABB substation includes supply of 400 and 132 kV gas-insulated switchgear, power transformers, protection, automation and control systems as well as surveillance and communication systems. The substation will also be IEC 61850 enabled, to support open and seamless communication with all intelligent devices. In 2017, ABB delivered its first substation connecting the second phase of the MBR Solar Park and integrating 200 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the transmission grid.