DUBAI, 22nd May, 2023 (WAM) — Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), welcomed a high-level delegation from World Smart Sustainable Cities Organisation (WeGO). The delegation included Jung Sook Park, WeGO Secretary-General, and Eunbyul Elena Cho, Head of Programme Department.
The visit aimed to discuss cooperation in urban sustainability, smart technologies and innovative solutions, to achieve sustainable development goals. The meeting was attended by Waleed bin Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at DEWA.
The meeting discussed prospects for cooperation and exchange of experiences and best practices between DEWA and WeGO, which is based in Seoul, South Korea. It includes 215 members from local governments, institutions, and corporations worldwide.
During the meeting, Al Tayer said that the UAE’s wise leadership attaches great importance to environmental sustainability and enhancing the happiness and well-being of citizens, residents and visitors.
Al Tayer said that smart cities focus on increasing the share of clean and renewable energy, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact. He highlighted DEWA’s plans and projects to achieve the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.
Among DEWA’s key projects to achieve these goals is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world, using the independent power producer model. The current production capacity of the solar park is 2,327 megawatts (MW), using photovoltaic solar panels and concentrated solar power technologies. This is about 15.7% of Dubai’s total power capacity.
The solar park will have a capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030 and, when completed, will contribute to reducing more than 6.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Al Tayer also highlighted DEWA’s smart grid and its role in supporting the smart city by managing facilities and services through interconnected systems that use the latest disruptive technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. These include artificial intelligence, blockchain, energy storage, the Internet of Things, and others. This has helped DEWA achieve competitive results that surpass leading European and American companies in terms of efficiency and reliability.
In 2022, losses from electricity transmission and distribution networks were reduced to 2.2%, compared to 6-7% in Europe and the USA. Water network losses were also reduced to 4.5%, compared to around 15% in North America. DEWA has achieved a new world record in electricity Customer Minutes Lost (CML) per year.
Dubai recorded 1.19 minutes per customer, compared to around 15 minutes recorded by leading utility companies in the European Union.
Al Tayer also highlighted the EV Green Charger initiative launched by DEWA in 2015 to encourage the use of electric vehicles. DEWA has installed more than 370 charging stations across Dubai, with plans to reach 1,000 stations by the end of 2025.
The WeGO delegation commended DEWA’s efforts in sustainability and the transition towards renewable and clean energy in support of Dubai’s vision to become a smart and sustainable city. The delegation expressed their desire to enhance cooperation with DEWA in urban sustainability and the use of smart technologies and innovative solutions.