HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), received HE Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, Malaysian Minister of Environment and Water, to discuss ways to promote cooperation in terms of projects, initiatives, and programmes aimed at consolidating the transition towards a green economy and sustainability.
During the meeting, Al Tayer highlighted DEWA’s major projects, initiative and programmes aiming to realise the vision and directives of the UAE’s leadership.
He said: “We set a clear strategy and specific goals based on increasing our reliance on renewable and clean energy within Dubai’s energy mix. With a planned capacity of 5,000MW by 2030, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar power project in the world, using the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, is one of our most prominent projects in this regard. Its projects constitute a cornerstone for realising the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to provide 75% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.”
Al Tayer also highlighted the Green Hydrogen project at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai. This pilot project marks the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa to produce eco-friendly hydrogen using renewable energy. Green hydrogen is dubbed a “promising and environmentally friendly source of energy”, usually produced by water electrolysis. Green hydrogen represents one of the pillars of sustainable future that depends on accelerating the transition to carbon neutrality to support a green economy. Its objectives are to develop the green mobility sector, and reduce carbon emissions from large-scale industries.
He added that the building retrofit programme is part of the Demand Side Management Strategy 2030 to reduce 30% of electricity and water demand by 2030. This, according to Al Tayer, contributes to making Dubai a globally leading hub in demand-side management.
Al Tayer noted that DEWA, through its subsidiary Etihad ESCO has retrofitted 8,000 buildings in Dubai. This includes installing photovoltaic solar panels on rooftops in Dubai, as part of the Shams Dubai initiative, to support sustainable development in Dubai. DEWA has so far connected more than 6,850 photovoltaic installations on buildings in Dubai, with a total capacity of 352MW.
Al Tayer pointed that DEWA has adopted reverse osmosis (RO) technologies to desalinate sea water, to ensure that all its desalinated water needs are fully secured by relying on clean energy by 2030. In conclusion, Al Tayer stressed that DEWA adopts innovation, the latest disruptive and Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, to enhance its resilience and preparedness to adapt and provide solutions that streamline people’s lives and encourage them to take part in all efforts to realising sustainable development and reducing their carbon footprint.
