Al Dhafra Solar PV Project, UAE
Betting on Solar Power
The United Arab Emirates has the seventh largest oil reserves in the world, and now some of the world’s largest solar projects. This Arab form of energy transition is paradoxical at first glance, but at second glance it is smart, forward-thinking and highly effective economically. The Al Dhafra project, which started in 2019, will generate enough electricity to power around 160,000 homes. It’s a success story in which Fichtner has played a major role.
The Al Dhafra solar plant is located some 30 kilometers south of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. In the middle of the desert, one of the world’s largest single-site photovoltaic (PV) power plants has been completed after construction work started at the end of 2020. With an average of 360 days of sunshine a year, it’s a source of energy that’s as sustainable as it is reliable.
Bringing an Ambitious Plan to Life
Almost four million PV modules have been installed over an area of more than 20 square kilometers, the equivalent of about 3,000 soccer fields. Now complete, the 2 GWp (DC) photovoltaic plant will be the largest PV power plant in the world built on a single site. And its output will generate the energy to meet the annual consumption of approx. 160,000 households in Abu Dhabi.
Al Dhafra in Numbers
4 million PV modules
33,000 solar trackers
8,000 inverters
2.1 GWp DC capacity
1.5 GW AC capacity
4,700 GWh annual production
21.18 km² surface area
Approximately $US1 billion Investment
One statistic I particularly like as a project manager is this:
Over 11 million safe working hours with no lost time injuries (LTI) throughout the construction period
Fichtner On Site
As technical advisor, Fichtner initially developed the PV plant concept and supported the system operator Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) in tendering the project developed according to the Build, Own and Operate (BOO) model. Subsequently, we were entrusted by the contractor consortium with all owner’s engineering tasks during the construction phase, through to the end of the warranty period.
Technical Data
Fichtner’s Services
A Project of Contrasts
Anyone who knows the world knows the commonalities of all people, but also the differences between them. The Al Dhafra project was also exciting for this reason: As a project in the United Arab Emirates with a multinational ownership and many international and local contractors, it meant that there was no shortage of challenging contrasts on the construction site due to this diversity. But in this case, it worked out well.
Diversity as a Success Factor
Success has many fathers and mothers, but at Fichtner we can be particularly proud of perhaps the greatest success factor: An interdisciplinary, completely international and intercultural group of around 15 employees permanently on site became a close-knit team that mastered all tasks and challenges. The common mindset united all differences, and the learning effects became as great over time as the mutual support.
My Conclusion
It is a project full of superlatives. Numbers often illustrate that best: 1,000-1,500 people worked on the site every day, and well over that number at peak times. The total length of the DC cables laid on site is around 6,000 km, which is roughly equivalent to 1.25 times the distance as the crow flies between Stuttgart and Abu Dhabi – or from Greenland to Cuba. The superlative, however, that cannot be measured in numbers is this: In the middle of the desert, people from all continents and cultures have created something sustainable – for our planet and thus for the whole world. It’s a special success story and we were part of it.
December 2023
Alessandro Ciattaglia
Senior Project Manager
in the Renewable Energies, Smart Energies & Environment division
