UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has broken ground on the fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the biggest concentrated solar power (CSP) project in the world.

The CSP project will generate 700 MW of clean energy and features the world’s tallest solar tower measuring 260 m and the world’s largest thermal energy storage capacity. The project will provide clean energy to over 270,000 residences in Dubai, reducing 1.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year, said the Saudi-based ACWA Power, which is leading the consortium that is developing the fourth phase.

This CSP project, based on the independent power producer (IPP) model, will use two technologies for the production of clean energy: the 600 MW parabolic basin complex and the 100 MW solar tower over a total area of 43 sq km.