Dewa, Enoc to develop pilot project for the use of hydrogen in mobility

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and Enoc signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in a feasibility study to establish, develop and operate a joint integrated pilot project for the use of hydrogen in mobility.

The agreement was signed on the first day of the World Government Summit 2023 in the presence of Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Suhail Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and Omar Bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dewa, and Saif Humaid Al Falasi, CEO of Enoc Group.

The proposed project will utilize DEWA’s existing green hydrogen production facility in the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and ENOC’s knowledge of the fuel market and reach to customers.

The MoU supports the UAE’s hosting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) later this year. The project includes a feasibility study for building a hydrogen fueling station, contributing to achieving the goals of the Dubai Green Mobility Initiative 2030, which aims to stimulate the use of sustainable means of transportation, and supports the national hydrogen vehicle system. The UAE aims to develop the hydrogen economy and open local markets to hydrogen vehicles.

Al Tayer said: “Dewa and Enoc Group have a strategic partnership that supports the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to promote as a global model in sustainability and green transformation. We are pleased to sign this MoU with Enoc Group to use green hydrogen, which is one of the environment friendly energy sources and represents one of the pillars of a sustainable future that depends on accelerating the transition to net-zero carbon emissions to achieve the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and Dubai Net-zero Carbon Strategy 2050.”

He added: “The Green Hydrogen project supports the UAE’s hosting of COP28, and is in line with Dubai’s firm commitment to sustainability and its unwavering support for energy and climate change issues, and our vision to be a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation committed to achieving net-zero by 2050.”

“We are moving steadily to prepare a roadmap for a green hydrogen strategy that will be implemented in phases, as well as our strategy to diversify energy sources and increase investments.”

Al Falasi said: “Enoc Group’s partnership with Dewa follows the announcement of 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’ by the UAE’s President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It also aligns with the Dubai Economic Agenda ‘D33’ that was announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai. The agreement underpins the Group’s efforts to nurture public-private partnerships to achieve Dubai’s Clean Energy Strategy 2050 as well as lay the foundation for a green economy and lead the adoption of sustainable energy solutions.”

“Given the relentless efforts made by Dewa in the field of sustainability and the provision of environment friendly energy solutions, we are extremely pleased to strengthen our relationship with the authority. Enoc Group is committed to providing energy supplies and continuously supporting the UAE’s energy transition efforts. The Group’s contribution to establishing hydrogen fuel supply stations stems from the vital role that Enoc plays in the UAE’s field of fuel supply and its extensive experience in this industry,” added Al Falasi.

Meanwhile, Dewa is participating in the 9th World Government Summit as the Sustainable Energy Partner. During the Summit, held from 13 to 15 February 2023, Dewa highlights its key project and initiatives to limit carbon emissions in the energy sector by increasing the share of clean and renewable energy capacity, which currently constitutes 14% of the total energy production capacity in Dubai.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, will give a speech on the second day of the World Government Summit to highlight Dubai’s clean and renewable energy and what it offers to the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28), which the UAE will host in Dubai Expo City later this year.

The projects Dewa will highlight during its participation in the World Government Summit 2023 include:

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, The Green Hydrogen Project, The hydroelectric power plant in Hatta, Space-D, The Green Charger and Digital DEWA.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which Dewa is implementing, is the largest single-site solar park in the world using the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. It contributes to achieving the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050. The current production capacity of the solar park is 2,027 megawatts (MW) using solar photovoltaic and concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies. This is about 14% of Dubai’s energy mix, which has reached 14,517MW.

Dewa will highlight the Green Hydrogen project, which it implemented in cooperation with Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens Energy at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. It is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa to produce hydrogen using solar energy. The pilot project, which covers an area of about 10,000 square metres, has been designed and built to accommodate future applications and test platforms for various uses of hydrogen, including energy production and transportation.

Dewa highlights the pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant that it is building in Hatta. It will have a production capacity of 250 MW, and a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours. This is the first station of its kind in the Arabian Gulf region. The hydroelectric power plant will be an energy storage facility with a turnaround efficiency of 78.9% that utilises the water stored in the upper dam, which is converted to kinetic energy during the flow of water through the 1.2-kilometre subterranean tunnel. This kinetic energy rotates the turbines and converts mechanical energy to electrical energy, which is sent to DEWA’s grid within 90 seconds in response to demand. To store energy, clean energy generated at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be used to pump the water through this tunnel back to the upper dam by converting the electrical power to kinetic energy making the whole project 100% renewable.

Dewa is also highlighting its ‘Space-D programme,’ which aims to enhance the operational efficiency and effectiveness of its production, transmission and distribution sectors, improve performance and increase stakeholders’ happiness. As per of the programme, DEWA launched “DEWA-Sat 1” nanosatellite last year and plans to launch “DEWA-Sat 2” nanosatellite in 2023. DEWA is the first utility in the world to use nano-satellites in its operations.