Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has secured projects valued at Dh43.6 billion through the Independent Power and Water Producer (IPWP) model over a decade, as disclosed by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director & CEO of Dewa. Al Tayer highlighted that Dewa refined the IPWP model by integrating top-tier international practices, tailored to meet Dubai's specific needs and regulatory framework. This model fosters collaboration between public and private sectors, enabling Dewa to achieve the lowest Levelized Cost Of Energy (LCOE) globally for solar projects, setting Dubai as a worldwide standard for solar energy costs.
The conducive regulatory environment in Dubai, which permits private sector involvement in energy projects, attracts international investors and developers to the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, executed by Dewa under the IPP model. These IPWP initiatives align with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, aiming to double Dubai's economic size within a decade and position it among the top three global cities. They also support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, targeting 100% clean energy for all production capacity by 2050, according to Al Tayer.
Dubai offers a prime investment climate, consistently ranked as the leading global hub for foreign direct investment (FDI) for three years running, attracting over Dh39.2 billion in FDI capital in 2023 and creating approximately 45,000 jobs. Key IPP projects under Dewa include the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the world's largest single-site solar park, slated for a production capacity of over 5,000MW by 2030 with a Dh50 billion investment. Dewa has completed five phases and is now executing the 1,800MW sixth phase, costing around Dh5.5 billion, involving global consortiums led by prominent firms like ACWA Power and Masdar.
Other IPP-model projects by Dewa encompass the Hassyan Power Complex, a 2,400MW natural gas-powered facility employing advanced international energy technologies. Additionally, Dewa is advancing a 180 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) seawater reverse osmosis (RO) desalination project in Hassyan under the Independent Water Producer model, the largest of its kind globally using RO technology, with an investment of Dh3.4 billion.
