With the installation of the largest solar roof in the world, Dubai Airports hopes to create history and produce 60,000 MWh of electricity a year. This significant project marks a crucial milestone in Dubai’s commitment to renewable energy and sustainability.
The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) subsidiary Etihad Clean Energy Development Company and Dubai Airports are teaming up to install 62,904 solar panels at the Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC) airports. This 39 MWp project, which is anticipated to be completed by 2026, is intended to produce 60,346 MWh of renewable energy annually, considerably lowering the carbon footprint of one of the busiest airports in the world.
This solar program, according to state news agency WAM, would offset 23,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions yearly, which is the same as taking 5,000 cars off the road or powering 3,000 households for a year. 6.5% of DXB’s power requirements and 20% of DWC’s will come from solar energy, demonstrating Dubai Airports’ commitment to running sustainably.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, who is the Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and also the Chief Executive Officer of DEWA, has a better view on things. He says that Dubai has compelled its clean energy targets and now aims for 27% of the energy mix to come from renewables by 2030 and later 100% by 2050. “To us, this isn’t just another solar installation—it’s about putting sustainability at the heart of our business and being a pioneer of green aviation. That’s what this project represents for us.”- Paul Griffiths, CEO Dubai Airports.
“Partnerships like this are captivating and capture the true essence and spirit of Dubai’s sustainability vision, bringing it to life,” said Dr. Waleed Alnuaimi, CEO of Etihad ESCO. “It inspires us to see that our projects such as this one can eventually achieve a transformative change, specifically to make the built environment in Dubai very energy efficient. This is a significant leap forward in clean energy solutions.” The initiative will support new solar installations to be constructed at DXB’s Terminal 2 and Concourse D1, thereby underpinning further Dubai’s leading position in deploying solar solutions.