Alec Energy, a leading solar solutions provider in the Middle East, said it has delivered the world's first off-grid microgrid for the Visitor Centre of Noor Energy 1 – the largest CSP installation (Concentrated Solar Power) – located in Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai, UAE.
The pioneering energy storage solution was supplied by Swedish renewable energy expert Azelio.
The energy system, a first of its kind in the world, has been installed at the fourth phase of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Noor Energy 1) Visitor Centre to deliver around-the-clock clean power.
Leveraging a groundbreaking energy storage solution from Azelio, combined with 300 kW of solar PV, the system delivers power to the facility, reducing the need for conventional power generation during night-time and overcast conditions.
On the successful deployment, Basar Kayali, General Manager of Alec Energy said: "Noor Energy 1 is a landmark project that sets global benchmarks in clean energy production and the solution we have implemented here has the potential to revolutionize how clean power can be supplied to factories, agricultural facilities, and hotels or resorts in remote locations in the UAE and beyond."
The Noor Energy 1 Visitor Centre, a part of Phase 4 of the solar park, is nestled between millions of square meters of solar panels. Alec Energy began implementing the unique microgrid in June 2021 and completed the entire project in just 15 months.
The off-grid microgrid with energy storage is significantly more cost efficient than the traditional alternatives of connecting to the national grid or relying on conventional powered generator sets, he stated.
Azelio’s CEO, Jonas Wallmander said the hybrid system supplying power to the Noor Energy 1 Visitor Center project is a milestone installation demonstrating how our long-duration energy storage system can form a vital part of a microgrid for around-the-clock clean power, while serving as a reference project for our solution in the Mena region.
"The TES.POD was installed in 2021, and I am now delighted to see the complete microgrid system fully operational, and I am looking forward to more projects in the region," stated Wallmander.
Hashim Al Ghabashi, the Execeutive Managing Director of Noor Energy, said: "We are excited to incorporate the world's first off-grid microgrid with Azelio’s long-duration energy storage system at the Noor Energy 1 Visitor Center. Our facility showcases the latest technologies in concentrated solar power, and photovoltaic cells and therefore it is of immense importance that the Center itself is powered by a cutting-edge clean energy solution."
"I’m proud of the collaboration between Noor Energy & Alec Energy that has enabled both teams in bringing this pioneering idea from an ambitious vision to reality," stated Al Ghabashi.
"The passion, expertise, and professionalism demonstrated by Alec Energy and Azelio was exemplary, and we believe that the success achieved together will pave the way for further innovations in the future," he added.
