Following the success of Phase 1 of the Dubai Festival City Mall solar generation project, Al-Futtaim Malls has announced plans to extend the facility’s operations with an AED 8 million Phase 2. The solar panels, installed in January 2020 on the roofs of IKEA and Carrefour, have yielded high efficiency rates and an output of nearly AED 2.7 million worth of power.

The solar panels project, which ensures an agreed rate for Dubai Festival City Mall tenants as set forth by a contractual agreement, is set to usher in an era of sustainable development for the region’s retail industry. Phase 2 is divided into two sections providing a total of 2.6 MWh of power, which is estimated to generate nearly AED 1.6 million on annual basis.

The first part of Phase 2 comprises a solar farm on the malls’ roof, which provides direct power generation to common area assets. The second section, a solar generation farm atop ACE Hardware, will enable the retailer to follow a payback structure based on generated values similar to IKEA and Carrefour’s Phase 1 plan.

Commenting on the second launch, Hayssam Hajjar, General Manager of Dubai Festival City Mall said: “At Al-Futtaim, we actively support socially responsible initiatives. Since 1955, we have grown by leaps and bounds across all categories, but our biggest goal is our continuing effort to become totally sustainable. Phase 1 of the solar generation project has proved to be a successful step in support of our efforts to become a greener mall, and an effective cost-saving solution for our partners.”

The solar panel initiative will also be integrated into Al-Futtaim’s Festival Plaza mall, a Jebel Ali community hotspot.