Dubai: Dubai Electricity & Water Authority said it received five bids to build 800 megawatts of solar-power generation capacity.

Developers are bidding to construct the third phase of a Dewa solar park in the desert, according to an emailed statement from the company. The lowest-cost bid would provide power for 2.99 cents a kilowatt-hour, it said.

Dubai is boosting solar generating capacity to diversify its energy mix and help meet growing demand for electricity. The emirate aims to get 7 per cent of its power from clean energy sources by 2020. Dubai currently has 13 megawatts in operation at the solar park and a further 200 megawatts under construction.

Dewa will now review technical and commercial aspects of the bids, it said. Chief Executive Officer Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said in March that the company planned to award construction contracts in May.