DEWA delegation visits Netherlands to strengthen ties

A senior delegation, headed by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, is visiting the Kingdom of the Netherlands, aimed at strengthening ties, exchanging expertise, and promoting participation by Dutch companies in the first Dubai Solar Show, which will be held in conjunction with the 18th Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX 2016) from 4 to 6 October 2016.

WETEX is organised under the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of DEWA.

The delegation includes Hussain Lootah, Executive Vice President of Transmission, Waleed Ali Salman, Executive Vice President of Strategy & Business Development, Dr. Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support & Human Resources, Matar Suhail Salem Al Mehairi, Vice President of Distribution Asset Management, Mohamed Al Shamsi, Vice President of Water & Civil Projects and Water Maintenance, Moza Al Akraf, CIO, Faisal Al Dashti, Senior Manager of Information Security, Ahmed Belarti, Senior Manager of Smart Services, Mohamed Abdulkarim Al Shamsi, Senior Manager of Sustainability & Climate Change, and Ahmed Abdullah, Senior Manager of External Communications.

During the visit, Al Tayer met with Ahmed Aboutaleb, Mayor of Rotterdam, Abdallah Hamdan Al Naqbi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and high-profile representatives of Dutch companies operating in energy, water and environment. Al Tayer praised the efforts of the UAE Embassy in the Netherlands.

Al Tayer highlighted opportunities for cooperation between Dubai and the Netherlands, the potential of the energy and environment sectors in the UAE, and cooperation on renewable and clean energy projects, and plans that Dubai has for the future.

"Our nation is blessed with leaders who have a real vision of a brighter future that incorporates sustainability at the heart of our daily lives. President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, have both mandated that Solar Energy and sustainability are essential to the future of our nation," said Al Tayer.

"The UAE’s commitment to combatting climate change and developing renewable energy is already well-established. As well as supporting the COP21 accords in Paris, the UAE hosts the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency. Dubai intends to generate 75% of its total power output from clean energy by 2050. This target is part of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum last November," he added.

"This strategy has defined our efforts to develop the efforts of our Emirate and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority to bring solar power to our citizens and residents. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park, which is the largest single-site solar park in the world, will generate 1,000 megawatts by 2020 and 5,000 megawatts by 2030, which will save approximately 6.5 million metric tons per year in carbon dioxide emissions," according to Al Tayer.

"We are working with international players to form public-private partnerships that are based on the independent power producer model to achieve these targets. We are on track to deliver a dedicated supply of 100 megawatts from the solar park to the World Expo 2020 that will take place in Dubai."

"Supporting these promises, requires the robust financing of the transition to a low-carbon economy. The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 also includes a Green Fund that will contribute over USD 27 billion (AED 100 billion) to clean energy projects in the Emirate and will establish a Free Trade Zone specifically for green investments."

"I would now like to conclude with a brief mention about DEWA’s motto, which is, ‘for generations to come.’ This is at the heart of what we do," Al Tayer said.

At the end of the function, Al Tayer presented an award to Al Naqbi, in recognition of the efforts made by the UAE Embassy to promote ties between the UAE and the Netherlands.

Salman presented the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is the largest single-site solar project in the world. It will produce 5,000MW by 2030. He also highlighted the Solar Innovation Centre, the Research and Development Centre, the Hassyan clean coal power plant that is based on the Independent Power Producer model (IPP), and DEWA’s smart initiatives including Shams Dubai to install photovoltaic panels on rooftops to produce solar energy. He also highlighted smart grids, energy demand side management initiatives, and a number of other projects and initiatives.

Al Shamsi, who is also Acting Executive Director of the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia), gave a presentation about the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Awards and Suqia’s initiatives to provide safe drinking water to an estimated five million people who suffer from potable water shortages worldwide.

Dr. Al Akraf made a presentation about WETEX and Dubai Solar Show, and asked Dutch companies to participate in WETEX 2016 in Dubai, where his invitation received positive feedback from attending companies.

As the world’s renewable energy industry continues to grow, DEWA is organising the first Dubai Solar Show, which will be the largest of its kind in the region. It will be held in conjunction with WETEX 2016 from 4–6 October 2016 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Source : WAM