Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), has completed the electrical connections and installation of smart meters at four projects, an electric vehicle charging station, and a Manarati' smart pole at Al Marmoom nature reserve. This supports the vision and directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to preserve the environment and promote sustainable development. His Highness made Marmoom a nature reserve for plants, animals, and local and migratory birds. The reserve aims to become the largest environmental tourist destination, attracting one million visitors annually, and will include over 20 projects implemented by nine government organisations.
DEWA is participating in the development of Al Marmoom nature reserve via six projects. The first will supply clean energy from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to help protect the environment and promote sustainable development. The second project is the installation of solar panels on the rooftops of the reserve's facilities and connecting them to DEWA's grid as part of the Shams Dubai initiative. The third is the installation of electric vehicle charging stations as part of the Green Charger initiative to promote an uptake of electric vehicles. Another project provides state-of-the-art smart meters with advanced features that contribute to a smart and eco-friendly lifestyle. The fifth project involves the installation of Manarati smart poles with innovative applications including charging electric vehicles, interactive screens, smart environmental sensors, and Internet access. The final project involves the development of an advanced water infrastructure at Al Marmoom Reserve that meets the highest global standards, to ensure the readiness of DEWA's network to provide water for all the projects in the reserve.
DEWA developed its strategy to include the triple-bottom line approach of economy, society and the environment for sustainable development. This supports its vision of being a sustainable innovative world world-class utility, and its key role in achieving sustainable development in Dubai. DEWA's development projects in Al Marmoom reserve are part of this strategic direction, and also supports the main tracks and strategic objectives of the long-term national Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative, launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to build a green economy in the UAE.
"DEWA is contributing its support to the comprehensive plan to develop Al Marmooom reserve, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and promote it as a leading cultural area and tourist attraction. We are pleased to participate in this plan through projects that support sustainable development in its economic, environmental, and social aspects, supporting the objectives of the UAE Centennial 2071, and contributing to making the UAE one of the best countries in the world. We have developed our concept of sustainability beyond our operations to include suppliers, society and economy of Dubai. We support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to make Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050, to make the Emirate a global hub of clean energy and green economy, diversify the energy mix and provide 75% of Dubai's total power output from clean energy by 2050," said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
Al Tayer highlighted that the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, located within Al Marmoom Reserve, is the largest single-site solar project in the world with a total planned capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030, and is part of the three-dimensional perspective of overall economic, social and environmental sustainability.
"The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will contribute to enhancing the efficiency of our natural resources and reducing the environmental footprint through the reduction of over 6.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year upon completion. This solar park also demonstrates DEWA's absolute commitment to governance, work ethics, social responsibility and providing work opportunities for citizens and residents. The solar park is likely to create 1,100 green jobs by 2020. Companies established by DEWA and private sector partners will focus on employing and educating Emirati youth, to directly benefit the community. DEWA signed several agreements with different local and international bodies, institutions, and companies in research and development to establish the latest developments in energy, water and environment. These institutions include the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the US Department of Energy, the Spanish National Renewable Energy Center (CENER), Kipco Korea, the United Arab Emirates University and Khalifa University," said Al Tayer.
"The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park plays a crucial role in improving cost and revenue efficiency, attracting investment, supporting sustainable economic growth in Dubai and diversifying the local supply chain. Previously, DEWA adopted the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (ECP) model for its power generation projects. Since 2014, DEWA has pioneered the Independent Power Producer project management and implementation model to achieve world-class results and set a new global standard by achieving world records in solar power prices: USD 5.6 cents per kWh for phase two of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park with a capacity of 200 MW in 2015; USD 2.99 cents/kWh for phase three with a capacity of 800 MW in 2016, and USD 7.3 cents/kWh for phase four to generate 700 MW from Concentrated Solar Power," concluded Al Tayer
