Commissioning of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park (Dubai), equipped with a John Cockerill solar thermal receiver

The Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, inaugurated in December 2023 the world’s largest Concentrated Solar Power project (CSP) of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The power plant has been commissioned. John Cockerill has proudly contributed to this achievement through the design, supply, erection, and commissioning of the molten-salt thermal solar receiver, real heart of the plant.

In Dubai’s desert, at the top of the world’s tallest solar tower (263 meters) stands a state-of-the-art solar thermal technology designed by John Cockerill and which enables the production of solar electricity 24 hours a day. This project represents the world’s largest thermal energy storage capacity with 5,907 megawatt-hours (MWht). The John Cockerill technology is impressive both in terms of dimensions and capabilities: a giant interlacing of pipes, tanks and heat exchangers, the element weighs 1 500 tons and is itself about 40 meters high.

Vanessa Solem, Senior Vice President of John Cockerill’s Energy Transition Business Line: “Our Molten Salt Receiver (MSR) is the most important part of the Central Tower plant. The MSR contains over 1,000 thin tubes that enable the absorption of sunrays and their transfer to the molten salt. It receives solar radiation and turns it into thermal energy. Now that the commissioning is done, our thermal receiver absorbs steadily 600 MWt of solar energy, which was a contractual performance to reach. Our equipment, associated to the solar field, even exceeds this performance with peaks above 630 MWt. I am particularly proud of this achievement, and I congratulate my teams for their technical performance and their professionalism.”

Thomas Bohner, CEO of John Cockerill Energy expressed the Group’s pride to contribute to the success of this pioneering renewable energy project. He stated: “At John Cockerill, we are honored to play a pivotal role in the realization of the world’s largest Concentrated Solar Power project. Our innovative molten salt technology ensures the generation of 100MW electricity 24 hours a day, marking a significant leap in sustainable energy solutions. This achievement not only underscores our commitment to excellence but also positions John Cockerill as a key player in driving the global transition towards clean and renewable energy sources.”

At the project’s inauguration last December, the Managing Director and CEO of DEWA Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer stated: “The project will provide approximately 320,000 households with clean and sustainable energy and reduce carbon emissions by about 1.6 million tons per year, strengthening Dubai’s position as a leading global hub for clean, renewable energy and climate action”.

This was in 2018: John Cockerill had signed a contract for the design and supply of a thermal solar receiver with Shanghai Electric/Brightsource Solar Energy Limited for the owner Noor Energy 1 PSC. Congratulations to all the partners involved: Noor Energy 1, ACWA Power, DEWA, SilkRoad Fund, Shanghai Electric Group Co LTD, BrightSource Energy, Empresarios Agrupados, RPOW, and NOMAC.

As a world’s leading supplier of molten salt solar receivers, John Cockerill confirmed its technological expertise and leadership in this domain with the signing, in 2021, of a contract for the design and supply of a solar thermal receiver in South Africa. With 5 reference projects for this 100% green power production technology around the world (South Africa, China, Chile, United Arab Emirates), John Cockerill positions itself as a major player in the energy transition.