Dubai’s appointment of a consultant for a solar plant to power its planned Museum of the Future is the latest move from the emirate to establish itself as the region’s most innovative renewable energy market.

The award of the consultancy contract to the local office of Austria’s ILF Consulting Engineers for the museum solar facility followed shortly after Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) received consultancy bids for feasibility studies on the development of geothermal and wave energy.

Having already selected the preferred bidder for the region’s largest solar scheme, the 800MW third phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum solar park in 2016, Dubai had already cemented its position as a key renewable energy market. By setting a target for 25 per cent of clean energy by 2030, the emirate has made it clear it is committed to diversifying its energy sector into alternative power.

The world record-low tariff of 2.99 cents a kilowatt hour for the 800MW project is a testament to the trust that international developers and lenders have in Dubai. The emirate offers high credit ratings bolstered by a stable offtaker for all power purchase agreements. This means state utilities can achieve some of the lowest rates for unsubsidised renewable energy in the world.

Plans to develop direct photovoltaic (PV) solar for its futuristic museum and develop new technologies show Dubai is determined to remain at the forefront for renewable energy, not just regionally, but globally. The emirate is also pushing ahead with an ambitious rooftop solar scheme to make buildings self-sufficient in their energy usage moving forward.

While much of the international renewables market waits with bated breath to see if Saudi Arabia and Egypt deliver on ambitious programmes, Dubai remains a safe option for developers and lenders for the foreseeable future.