A high-level delegation from the Republic of Chile, headed by HE Ximena Fuentes Torrijo, Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs of Chile, and HE Patricio Diaz Broughton, Ambassador of Chile to the UAE, visited the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai. The solar park, by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), is the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. It has a planned capacity of 5,000MW by 2030.
The visit aimed to learn about DEWA’s experience in developing sustainable energy technologies. The Chilean delegation visited the Innovation Centre and the Research and Development (R&D) Centre at the solar park. They learned about the Green Hydrogen project, implemented by DEWA, in collaboration with Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens Energy. The pilot project is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa to produce hydrogen using solar power.
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, emphasised DEWA’s commitment to exchanging expertise with ministries and organisations worldwide in renewable and clean energy, environmental sustainability, innovation, smart cities, water, and other areas of common interest. He noted that the R&D Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park has become a global platform to enhance the operations and services of the utility sector. He explained that green hydrogen is an environmentally friendly energy source and represents one of the pillars of a sustainable future for accelerating the transition to carbon neutrality. This supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100% of the energy production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.
Al Tayer noted that the Innovation Centre supports innovation in clean and renewable energy and develops the skills and capacity of the next generation of innovators in clean energy technologies. It also provides a unique learning environment by hosting events, conferences, seminars and workshops, building partnerships with local and international universities and startups to cooperate in the areas of innovation and exchange of knowledge and experience, in addition to raising awareness about clean energy and sustainability.
The visiting delegation commended DEWA’s efforts and its achievements in innovation, research and development in the renewable and clean energy sector.