HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) gave a keynote speech in a session titled ‘Meeting the UAE’s Renewable Energy Targets’ at the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2017. HE Suhail Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy, was present.
Al Tayrer highlighted DEWA’s strategies and projects to achieve Dubai’s and the UAE’s renewable energy objectives, decrease dependence on fossil fuels, and reduce emissions.
“I am pleased to be here today to review the progress of our promising initiatives and projects in clean and renewable energy, which are expanding the energy sector to make the UAE the most sustainable nation in the world. These achievements support the directives of our wise leadership, represented by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to shape the future and achieve the UAE Vision 2021 to make the UAE one of the best countries in the world by 2021. The energy sector is a major element of our economic, environmental, and social development. The biggest challenge that governments will face in the future is meeting their growing energy needs, enhance energy security and sustainability and mitigating their environmental effects," said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.
“In Dubai, we are diversifying to increase the share of clean energy in our energy mix. In November 2015, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to provide 7% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2020, 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050. Dubai is the only city in the Middle East and North Africa to launch such a strategy, with specific targets and deadlines that outline the future of energy in Dubai until 2050. Recently, the clean and renewable energy sector has developed considerably, so we are preparing to bid farewell to the last drop of oil. We are making major technological advances in energy and making the most of solar power. We are also committed to the global environment by reducing our carbon footprint. This promise is stated in the Dubai Carbon Abatement Strategy with a target to reduce carbon emissions by 16% by 2021, and we are encouraging Research and Development (R&D) in solar energy, as the UAE in strategically located within the Sunbelt. One of the major solar energy projects in Dubai is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is the largest single-site solar park in the world, with a planned capacity of 5,000 megawatts (MW) by 2030. It will help reduce 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually,” added Al Tayer.
“We have made significant achievements in our plans with the Solar Park’s ongoing projects. The 13MW first phase of the solar park became operational in October 2013. On 28 November 2015, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum inaugurated the 200MW second phase of the solar park. By mid-December 2016, we had completed 80% of this phase. It is the largest and biggest project of its kind to be developed based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, and will be operational by April 2017. DEWA has set a world record by obtaining the lowest price globally for the second phase, at USD 5.6 cents per kilowatt hour (kW/h). DEWA set another world record with the lowest recorded bid being USD 2.99 cents per kW/h for the 800MW third phase of the park, which will be operational by 2020, based on the IPP model. DEWA intends to build the largest Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project in the world, based on the IPP model. DEWA has released a tender for leading international CSP consultants to submit their proposals for advisory services for the 200MW first project of the CSP plant. It will be operational by April 2021, and DEWA will generate 1,000MW using this technology by 2030,” said Al Tayer.
“DEWA is also developing an interactive innovation centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. It will be equipped with the latest technologies in clean and renewable energy, to enhance national skills in the energy sector, business competitiveness, and society awareness about renewable and sustainable energy. The project will be completed this year,” continued Al Tayer.
“The R&D centre was launched in 2014. It is currently under construction and will be completed by 2020. The centre will conduct studies for industrial and social requirements. It will enable scientific research by linking researchers, academics and developers, and devising strategies for innovative and productive ideas. It has two testing facilities, one for photovoltaic solar testing and the other for CSP.
The centre is currently testing 30 photovoltaic panels from global specialist manufacturers to check the properties, analyse the results, and use them in research and development. It collaborates with international organisations on soiling and dust mitigation on photovoltaic equipment. The tests are currently being performed to set a baseline for the development of specifications, tests and standards for photovoltaic equipment. The R&D centre will focus on four key operations. These include producing electricity using solar energy, integration of smart grids, developing sustainable solutions to produce water using solar energy, and improve energy efficiency. We consider demand side management a key factor in improving energy efficiency and ensuring its environmental and economic sustainability in terms of savings, improving operations, and enhancing the efficiency of solar energy. DEWA cooperates with partners and educational institutions all over the world, to invest in innovation and creativity, and works to develop the next generation’s access to solar energy through initiatives such as the Solar Decathlon Middle East. This competition will encourage university teams to present their latest innovations to develop the solar houses of the future. Dubai will host two rounds of the Solar Decathlon, which will be held for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa, in 2018 and again in 2020 to coincide with World Expo 2020 in Dubai. Competition prizes will make a total of AED 10 million,” said Al Tayer.
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