DEWA breaks ground on region's largest solar powered data centre

Dubai’s state-backed utility provider broke ground for the first phase of the largest solar-powered data centre in the Middle East and Africa region, using 100 percent renewable energy with a capacity exceeding 100 megawatts.

The centre will be implemented by Moro Hub (Data Hub Integrated Solutions LLC), a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, the digital arm of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai, Moro said.

“Breaking ground for the largest green data centre in the Middle East and Africa confirms that we are on the right track to achieve the goals of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100 percent of energy from clean energy sources by 2050,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and Chief Executive of DEWA in a statement.

“We do this by developing innovative environment-friendly solutions that reduce carbon emissions. The green data centre that Moro Hub implements will enable global hyper-scalers to access carbon-free computing. It will also help organisations in their sustainability initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Al Tayer.

The project will also help meet the targets of the Dubai Demand Side Management Strategy, which aims to reduce electricity and water demand by 30 per cent by 2030, he said.

“Data is quickly becoming the new engine for economic expansion and diversification. As more data centre facilities are established in the future, this project serves as an exemplar of combining digital and power electronic technologies to create greener, low-carbon ICT infrastructure powered through renewable energy,” said Steven Yi, President of Huawei Middle East & Africa, who accompanied Al Tayer at the ground-breaking ceremony.

“We are committed to contributing towards carbon neutrality worldwide and very proud to be working with Moro Hub, in what is truly a landmark project for the region in this regard,” he added.

This is the second solar-powered green data centre in Dubai launched by Moro Hub. It will offer digital products and services using Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, such as cloud services, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The launch of the sustainable data centre comes amid a raft of clean energy initiatives across the Gulf and the Middle East.

Last month, Israel, Jordan and the UAE announced plans to collaborate on developing renewable power projects in the Middle East amid greater cooperation among the three countries.

On November 22, the three countries signed in Dubai “a landmark declaration of intent to build renewable electricity and water desalination capacity and address the threat posed by climate change on energy and water security in the region,” according to state news agency WAM. The project includes plans for solar photovoltaic plants generating capacity of 600 MW to be built in Jordan, with all clean power produced to be exported to Israel.

Earlier this month, Oman launched a pilot project to desalinate sea water with the use of solar power – the first step in scaling up sustainability in water production in the Gulf state. The project is sponsored by the Korean ministry of environment within the framework of the Korean-Omani cooperation.

DEWA’s announcement came on the same day that The Sustainable City, the first fully operational sustainable community in the Middle East, launched a collection of solar-powered short-stay studio-apartments located within the community in Dubai. These homes allow visitors, residents and international tourists to experience sustainable living and enjoy Dubai with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.

DEWA plans to list on the Dubai Financial Market, becoming among 10 state-backed companies to be floated as part of plans to boost activity on the local bourse.