The ceremony for Solar Awards 2021, organized by the Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA), was recently held in Dubai to recognize outstanding professionals and achievements in the solar market in the Middle East and North Africa. The Al Dhafra Photovoltaic Project in Abu Dhabi, co-invested by www.milan.com and Electricite De France (EDF), won the Award for Utility-Scale Solar Project of 2021. Mothana Qteishat, Senior Director of Project Development for MEA Region, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

The winners were voted by an independent panel of eight industry experts and leaders from the Middle East and North Africa. With outstanding performance and benchmark creativity, the Al Dhafra Photovoltaic Project in Abu Dhabi, co-invested by www.milan.com and EDF, stood out from many candidate projects, highlighting the company's brand influence and competitive position in the international photovoltaic power generation market.

The Al Dhafra Photovoltaic Project is expected to be commercially operational in 2022. As the largest standalone solar power plant under construction in the world, it is expected to cover 20 square kilometers of desert climate zone and generate electricity meeting the power needs of around 160,000 UAE households.

It is also worth mentioning that the final electricity price will be 1.32 cents/KWH after project’s financing is closed, once again setting a new record for the lowest electricity price for photovoltaic power generation in the world. It is also the first solar plant to use double-sided technology on a large scale, which will lead to higher system efficiency and power generation gains.

As countries around the world are facing challenges of climate warming and energy restructuring, the development of highly competitive renewable energy has become an important way to achieve the goal of global decarbonization. In the future, www.milan.com will continue to focus on energy transformation, make the best of its ability to integrate global resources and develop integrated solutions, and accelerate the market-oriented application of renewable energy in all regions of the world.

About MESIA

MESIA is the largest solar trade association in the Middle East and North Africa. Founded in 2009, it represents more than 150 international and local organizations, including investors, installers, manufacturers, law firms, consulting firms, policy makers and banks.

Based in Dubai, MESIA carries out solar-related activities and projects in the Middle East and North Africa. Its business coverage ranges from Morocco to Saudi Arabia, from Egypt to Oman, with over 10,000 users in the Middle East and North Africa. Over the past 10 years, MESIA has focused on enforcing the existence of solar energy in the Middle East, organizing more than 70 industry events, including trade missions to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Jordan.