Phanes Group Begins Construction on Largest Solar Rooftop Project in the Middle East

/ MEDIA STATEMENT / This content is not written by Creamer Media, but is a supplied media statement.

Phanes Group’s ‘Green Energy Tomorrow’ begins installation of 88,000 solar panels on DP World’s facilities in Dubai
22 megawatt array will produce enough clean power for 3,000 homes per year
Project supports the UAE vision 2021 for a sustainable environment

Dubai - United Arab Emirates, 6 October 2016: Phanes Group’s rooftop solar specialist firm Green Energy Tomorrow, has officially started construction work on the DP World Solar Project in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Once phase one is complete, its 88,000 rooftop solar panels will make it the largest rooftop solar project in the Middle East, producing enough clean power for 3,000 homes.

DP World appointed Green Energy Tomorrow earlier this year to deploy the 22 megawatt array on its warehouses, office buildings and car parks in Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) and Mina Rashid Port. The scheme will have major environmental benefits and is part of DP World’s commitment to being a world leader in sustainability.

Once phase one is completed in 2017, the project will provide enough clean power for 3,000 homes per year and result in 22,000 tonnes of carbon being saved annually – the equivalent of removing 4,500 cars from the road. The solar panels will provide 40% of the total energy consumption of Jafza, one of the world’s largest free trade zones.

“Establishing solar on every rooftop in the UAE starts with positive action from our industrial economy capitalizing on a good regulatory environment, to dramatically reduce both carbon impact and operating costs. This ground breaking project demonstrates that the UAE’s commitments to a diversified clean energy future are not the sole pursuit of our policy makers but of our private sector and citizens too – paving the way for a smarter approach to corporate citizenship that is aligned with national objectives and has a clear business case,” said Martin Haupts, CEO of Phanes Group.

Work on phase one is scheduled to be complete in 2017, with phases two and three to follow, with further solar installations due in Jafza and Mina Rashid. With 77 marine and inland terminals in over 40 countries, there is significant scope for DP World to implement the learnings from this project across its global operations.

The expertise and knowledge from the solar project will be shared to help develop supply chain capabilities for both DP World’s own operations and those of its stakeholders. In addition, the company aims to raise awareness of renewable energy and energy efficiency amongst stakeholders through this project.

The DP World Solar Programme will contribute to energy diversification in the region as part of Dubai’s Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, which aims to reduce energy demand by 30% by 2030. It also supports the UAE’s vision 2021 for a sustainable environment, the national initiative for building a green economy launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The solar scheme is one of the largest initiatives to be implemented under the recently launched Shams Dubai programme by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA).