ALEC Energy, the Dubai-based solar solutions provider and related business division of ALEC Engineering and Contracting, has said that it has successfully delivered a unique energy solution for the Visitor Centre of Noor Energy 1 – the world’s largest CSP installation (Concentrated Solar Power) located in Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai, UAE.

Long-duration energy storage system

ALEC Energy explained that the energy system is the first of its kind in the world. It is an off-grid micro-grid with Azelio’s long-duration energy storage system. Leveraging a ground-breaking 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.

Basar Kayali, General Manager of ALEC Energy said: “As the world’s largest single-site CSP, Noor Energy 1 is a landmark project that sets global benchmarks in clean energy production. The solution we have implemented here has the potential to revolutionise how clean power can be supplied to factories, agricultural facilities, and hotels or resorts in remote locations in the UAE and beyond,” Kayali added.

The NOOR Energy 1 Visitor Centre is part of Phase 4 of the Solar Park and is nestled between millions of square metres of solar panels. ALEC Energy began implementing the unique micro-grid in June 2021 and completed the entire project in just 15 months, the statement added, pointing out that the off-grid micro-grid 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. 

Milestone renewable energy installation

“The hybrid system supplying power to the Noor Energy 1 Visitor Centre project is a milestone installation demonstrating how our long-duration energy storage system can form a vital part of a micro-grid 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 micro-grid system fully operational, and I am looking forward to more projects in the region,” added Azelio’s CEO, Jonas Wallmander. 

The long-duration energy storage system developed by Azelio stores energy in recycled aluminium and is converted into electricity and heat with a total efficiency of up to 90%. The solution is scalable, sustainable and cost effective from 0.1MW to up to 20MW, the company said.

“We are excited to incorporate the World's First off-grid micro-grid with Azelio’s long-duration energy storage system at the Noor Energy 1 Visitor Centre. 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,” stated Hashim Al Ghabashi, Executive Managing Director of NOOR Energy. “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. 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.”