Dewa’s innovative initiatives

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), showcased its key projects and innovative initiatives through its two stands at the Northern and Southern Complexes of the 23rd Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) and Dubai Solar Show (DSS).

Dewa organised WETEX and DSS under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) from 5 to 7 October, 2021, at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo 2020 Dubai.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dewa, Founder and Chairman of WETEX and DSS, said that the exhibition is held in conjunction with Expo 2020 Dubai, which provides an opportunity to showcase Dewa’s globally leading achievements for millions of visitors. It provides an ideal platform to enhance collaborations with Dewa and help it develop its business in the Mena region.

Dewa showcased the following projects and initiatives.

Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park: Dewa showcased a model of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world with a planned capacity of 5,000 megawatts (MW) in 2030. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum has recently inaugurated the first stage of the Solar Park’s fifth phase, increasing DEWA’s total capacity from clean energy to 1,310 MW and the clean energy share in Dubai’s energy mix to 10%. DEWA’s electricity capacity has reached 13,200 MW of electricity and 490 million gallons of water per day (MIGD).

Dewa is also showcasing a model of the Innovation Centre at the Solar Park, which has consolidated its position as a global platform for promoting the future of sustainable energy. Moreover, Dewa highlights its R&D Centre at the Solar Park, which supports DEWA’s efforts in anticipating the future and developing proactive, long-term plans that keep pace with the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and disruptive technologies as well as provide world-class services that improve the quality of life in Dubai.

Dewa’s Space D-Programme: Dewa’s Space-D project includes the launch of a satellite constellation to support its primary satellite. These will be manufactured by Emiratis at the Research and Development (R&D) Centre of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The system features a ground station at the solar park as well as IoT and AI technologies to support ground communication transmission stations in electricity and water networks. By deploying this infrastructure, DEWA seeks to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its planning and operations, and enhance preventive maintenance at its production, transmission, distribution divisions as well as its smart grids, and electric vehicle charging stations.

Green Hydrogen project: Dewa’s stand presents a model for the green hydrogen project, a pioneering project implemented in collaboration between Dewa, Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens Energy at the outdoor testing facilities of the Solar Park. It is the first project of its kind in the Mena region to produce hydrogen from solar power.

Pioneering projects in Hatta: Dewa is showcased its pioneering projects in Hatta. These include the hydroelectric power plant, the first of its kind in the GCC to generate electricity using stored water in Hatta Dam. The station’s production capacity will reach 250 MW. It will have a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours. DEWA’s projects in Hatta also include Dubai Summit, and Hatta Sustainable Waterfalls. Dubai Summit includes the construction of a 5.4-kilometre cable car to transport tourists to the summit of Um Al Nesoor. At 1,300 metres above sea level, it is the highest natural summit in Dubai. Hatta Sustainable Waterfalls will use the slope of the upper dam to create a natural waterfall. A waterway will be built along the parking area below the dam. The water used in the waterfall will be collected at the end of the stream, recycled, and pumped back to the top of the dam. Moreover, DEWA will showcase Hatta Line and Cable, a strategic flagship project connecting the one-of-a-kind new Hatta Hydroelectric Plant to Dubai’s high voltage transmission grid through a combination of 132kV new and existing underground cables and overhead lines.

Net Zero Energy Buildings: Dewa showcased its net-zero energy buildings, which received the Platinum Rating in the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Cities certification awarded by the US Green Building Council (USGBC). These include DEWA’s Sustainable Building, the first sustainable government building in the UAE and the largest government building in the world certified by LEED; Al-Shera’a (Arabic for sail) Building, DEWA’s new headquarters, which will be the tallest, largest, and smartest government Zero Energy building in the world; the Innovation Centre; R&D Centre; Smart Grids Station (SGS); Moro Hub (Data Hub Integrated Solutions LLC ) in Jebel Ali; and the Distribution Power Division Complex in Al Ruwayyah.

Solar Decathlon Middle East: Dewa is organising the second Solar Decathlon Middle East (SDME) to design solar-powered buildings in conjunction with Expo 2020 Dubai under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council as part of a partnership between Dewa, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), and the US Department of Energy. Dewa organised the first SDME, the most competitive Decathlon among universities in 2018 for the first time in the Middle East and Africa.

Smart Grid Strategy: WETEX and DSS witnessed the launch of DEWA Smart Grid Strategy 2021-2035 and Dewa Smart Grid Report 2021. DEWA’s Smart Grid Strategy 2021 – 2035 includes six main themes: Foundational Capabilities; Grid Automation; Smart Energy Solutions and Green Mobility; Smart Water; Artificial Intelligence; and Innovative Value-Added Services. The Smart Grid Strategy themes comprise 19 smart grid capabilities.

Shams Dubai The Shams Dubai initiative aims to encourage building owners to install solar photovoltaic panels to produce clean energy and connect it to Dewa’s grid.

Duroob smart app Duroob is an Arabic name given for the Mobile GIS application developed specifically for field Staff to use Geographical Information System (GIS) data in their mobile devices to view, navigate, analyse, edit and capture the data from the site.

Smart Living initiative The Smart Living initiative helps customers adopt a sustainable lifestyle, digitally and proactively monitor their water and electricity usage, and resolve any issues causing excessive waste without contacting DEWA.

EV Green Charger: The EV Green Charger initiative aims to provide EV charging stations across Dubai and promote sustainable mobility. This initiative has provided the first public infrastructure for EV chargers in the region. Customers can access Dewa’s green charger stations, which have reached more than 300 stations across Dubai, through Dewa’s website or mobile app. Storing desalinated water in a subterranean basin Dewa is building a subterranean water basin to store 6,000 million gallons of water that can be retrieved when needed. This will provide the Emirate with a strategic reserve of over 50 million gallons of water per day in emergencies, while ensuring the quality of the stored water remains unaffected by external factors.