An area in Hatta has been identified as the site for the UAE’s first wind farm under a feasibility study to develop a 28mW generation unit.

Using preliminary data and following wind studies and field visits, the site was selected in the Hatta mountain area where actual wind speeds are currently being measured for a full year using a 150m tower. The feasibility study being conducted will enable the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) to assess the total capacity of the wind farm and technical elements, such as the number of turbines and average annual operating hours.

Saeed Mohammed Al-Tayer, MD & CEO of Dewa, said: “The project to generate electricity using wind power is part of our efforts to diversify clean and renewable energy sources in Dubai. These include photovoltaic solar panels technology, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), green hydrogen production using renewable energy and pumped-storage technology in the hydroelectric power station in Hatta.”

The wind farm was announced during the commissioning of the first 300mW capacity of the 900mW fifth phase at the Mohamed bin Rashid (MBR) solar park in Dubai, which brings the installed capacity of clean energy in Dubai to 1,310mW.

“Dewa’s production capacity has increased to 13,200mW of electricity and 490 million imperial gallons of desalinated water per day (MIGD). By the end of 2021, clean energy capacity will increase to 13.3% of Dubai’s total energy mix after adding 517mW from solar photovoltaic panels and CSP in the fourth phase of the solar park. These include 100mW from the world’s tallest CSP tower at 262.44m, 200mW from the first project of the parabolic trough, and 217mW using photovoltaic solar panels,” said Al-Tayer.

Under the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, the emirate aims to generate 75% of its total power from clean energy sources by 2050.