10 June 2015
Dubai - The first phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, a 13MW photovoltaic plant, has been awarded 10,635 carbon credits from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Executive Board of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. These carbon credits were for the energy generated by the park in 2014, which exceeded expectations. The solar park is in Seih al Dahal and is managed by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA). The CDM Executive Board registered the first phase in August 2012.

Regional and international parties are now negotiating to improve the value of these credits in local markets. The CDM enables a country with an emission-reduction or emission-limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to implement an emission-reduction project in developing countries. Such projects will earn certified emission reduction (CER) credits: each being equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide. This can then be counted towards meeting the Kyoto targets. This is regarded as the first global environment investment and credit scheme of its kind that provides a standardised emissions offset instrument. A CDM project, for example, could be a rural electrification project that uses solar panels.

"The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park plays a key role in achieving the goals of the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, launched by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, to reduce demand for energy, diversify energy sources and increase the share of renewable energy," said HE Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

"Dubai is making significant and steady progress in increasing the production of renewable and clean energy. Recently, we have increased our target for renewable energy in Dubai's total energy mix to 7% by 2020 and 15% by 2030. We have doubled the capacity of the second phase of the Solar Park to 200MW and announced the third phase with a capacity of 800MW. The project, is based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, and is another key achievement that places Dubai and the UAE at the forefront of nations leveraging renewable and clean energy," he said.

"The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is one of the largest renewable energy projects in the world, and plays a central role in achieving the UAE Vision 2021 by promoting sustainable development. We are using efficient procedures to increase the percentage of renewable energy in the total energy mix,"said Waleed Salman, Chairman of the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence (Dubai Carbon).

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park was launched in October 2013. Producing clean energy, the projecthas contributed to reducing carbon emissions in an evidence-based manner, and is accredited by the CDM Executive Board.

-Ends-

For more information, please contact:
Ribal Dayekh or Noora Khoory 
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority 
+9714 307 2006 or 515 1784  
ribal.dayekh@dewa.gov.ae  
noora.khoory@dewa.gov.ae  

Mutasem Shadid or Mazen Alebrahem
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
+9714 450 7675 or 450 7613
Mutasem.shadid@bm.com
Mazen.Alebrahem@bm.com

© Press Release 2015