DEWA successfully concludes participation at WFES 2017

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has successfully concluded participating in the 10th World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, which was organised by Masdar, Abu Dhabi's multi-faceted renewable-energy company.

DEWA is the efficiency sponsor of WFES 2017. Its stand had attracted a large number of experts and specialists from the renewable and clean energy sector. Visitors to DEWA’s stand commended DEWA’s efforts to increase its reliance on clean energy, and praised its innovative projects and initiatives.

Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy, visited DEWA’s stand at WFES. He commended DEWA’s projects, noting that it always takes the lead in adopting state-of-the-art technologies in all areas.

Al Mazrouei was briefed on the latest developments at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park project and Shams Dubai initiative, which encourages building owners to install photovoltaic panels to generate electricity and connect the systems to DEWA’s grid.

The Minister also reviewed DEWA’s new headquarters, which is being constructed in the Cultural Village in Al Jadaf in Dubai. The new building, named Al-Sheraa (Arabic for sail), will be the tallest, largest, and smartest government net Zero Energy Building (ZEB) in the world after installing the solar panels. Al Mazrouei also praised the projects of the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia), under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, in cooperation with DEWA.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, gave a keynote speech in a session titled ‘Meeting the UAE’s Renewable Energy Targets.’ HE Suhail Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy, was present. He highlighted DEWA’s efforts to promote the energy sector and make the UAE the most sustainable country in the world.

Al Tayer received James Michel, Former President of the Republic of Seychelles, who commended DEWA’s efforts to increase the use of clean and renewable energy. During the visit, Al Tayer highlighted the efforts of the UAE and Dubai in diversifying energy sources, and DEWA’s projects that support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050.

He also received a Finnish delegation headed by Kai Mykkanen, the Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade and Development. The meeting discussed ways to enhance cooperation and exchanging best practices between DEWA and Finnish companies in renewable and clean energy, environmental sustainability, innovation, and smart cities.

At WFES, Al Tayer received a high-level delegation headed by Piyush Goyal, the Indian Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines DEWA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the French electricity company (Electricite de France). The MoU was signed by Al Tayer, and Antoine Cahuzac, Senior Executive Vice President of Renewable Energies at EDF, and was witnessed by Michel Miraillet, Ambassador of France to the UAE.

According to the MoU, DEWA and EDF will work together in Research and Development (R&D) in energy system integration, energy storage, renewable energy, distributed energy resources, demand response, energy resilience, disaster recovery, electric vehicle charging stations, and laboratory infrastructure development.

At WFES, Al Tayer visited the Department of Energy’s stand, and attended the signing ceremony of the Project Management Office (PMO) contract for the preparations of the World Energy Congress (WEC) 2019 in Abu Dhabi. The contract with Energy Events Experts (E3) was signed by Dr Matar Neyadi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy, and Chairman of the Organising Committee of WEC. Also present at the ceremony was Suhail Mohammed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy, Sheikh Mishaal Al Thani, Undersecretary, Ministry of Energy and Industry – Qatar, Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy.

Al Tayer also visited the stand of Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA), and attended the launch of a webpage dedicated to company registration. Al Tayer was briefed on ADWEA’s projects in energy storage.

At DEWA’s stand in WFES, Al Tayer also received Dr. Graciela Chichilnisky, a world renowned economist, a professor at Stanford and Columbia Universities, a special adviser to the UN and the World Bank. She acted as Lead US Author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, and was the creator of the Carbon Market of the UN Kyoto Protocol. Both Al Tayer and Dr Chichilnisky were key speakers at WFES 2017.

Al Tayer and Dr Chichilnisky discussed a number of topics of mutual interest, especially climate change and reducing carbon dioxide emissions to limit global warming, and using carbon capture technologies. Dr Chichilnisky highlighted Carbon-Negative Technology, which she co-invented at Thermostat, where she is its Chief Executive Officer. Carbon-Negative Technology captures CO2 from air at low cost, transforming it into profitable assets such as bio fuels and polymers.

DEWA’s stand in WFES 2017, received many experts, specialists, and visitors interested in renewable energy. They commended DEWA’s projects and praised its innovative initiatives in renewable energy.

Visitors to DEWA’s platform at WFES 2017 were interested in the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which DEWA is building. It is the largest single-site solar energy project in the world, based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. The solar park will produce 5,000MW by 2030 with a total investment of AED 50 billion. It will reduce 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

The solar park supports DEWA’s efforts to achieve the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to transform the Emirate into an international hub for clean energy and green economy, and to generate 7% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy sources by 2020. This target will increase to 25% by 2030 and to 75% by 2050.

Smart Initiatives DEWA’s stand at WFES also highlighted the projects and initiatives of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, and the Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), which promotes energy efficiency, and reduces consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions.

The stand also featured Mai Dubai, which provides low-sodium drinking water to world-class standards, Etihad Energy Services Company (Etihad ESCO), which was established by DEWA to retrofit 30,000 buildings to increase their energy efficiency and reduce consumption, and the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence (Dubai Carbon), which recommends viable targets for reducing carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases and a methodology to monetise emissions, and other carbon reduction schemes.

DEWA’s stand also presented key projects of the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia), which is under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. In cooperation with DEWA, Suqia’s R&D projects include reverse osmosis of sea water and a photovoltaic desalination plant, in addition to water purification using solar technology.

The stand highlighted the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award. The initiative has allocated USD1 million to finding sustainable solutions to help address water shortages internationally.