Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA’s) stand at Expo Astana 2017 is receiving a large number of visitors from around the world. DEWA is participating in the exhibition, whose theme is ‘Energy of the Future,’ as a gold sponsor of the UAE pavilion, which covers 980 square metres.
“DEWA’s participation in Expo Astana supports the vision of our wise leadership to strengthen the UAE’s leadership in renewable energy, sustainability, green economy, and energy efficiency. It reflects our commitment to promote sustainability, which is a key element of Expo 2020 in Dubai, where DEWA is an official partner in sustainable energy. At Expo Astana, we’re showing our ambitious programmes, projects and initiatives that combine economic growth, sustainable energy, and a clean and safe environment. DEWA is working on major renewable and clean energy projects in line with the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to provide 7% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy sources by 2020, 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
The number of visitors to DEWA’s stand range from 3,000 to 6,000 visitors per day. DEWA’s stand also attracts officials and stakeholders in renewable energy, sustainability, green economy and energy efficiency from around the world.
Al Tayer commended the volunteers at the UAE Pavilion and DEWA’s stand, for providing visitors with information about the UAE's pioneering initiatives and investments in renewable energy, as well as the UAE’s culture, customs, traditions, and values of tolerance.
At Expo Astana 2017, which runs until 11 September 2017, DEWA is showing a number of its clean energy projects and initiatives. These include the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which covers the three themes of economic, environmental and social sustainability. It is the largest single-site solar project in the world, based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, with a total investment of AED 50 billion. It will generate 1,000MW by 2020 and 5,000MW by 2030. Upon completion, the solar park will contribute to reducing over 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
DEWA is also showing its smart initiatives, including Shams Dubai initiative, which allows building owners to install photovoltaic panels on their rooftops to generate electricity from solar power, and connect the systems to DEWA’s grid. The electricity is used onsite and the surplus is exported to DEWA’s grid. The Green Charger initiative builds the infrastructure and electric vehicle charging stations across Dubai, to encourage the public to use electric vehicles and contribute to protecting the environment. DEWA has installed 100 Green Chargers, and is working on installing another 100 stations across Dubai.
DEWA is building three 132/11kV substations with 45 kilometres of 132kV high-voltage cables. The total cost of the electricity projects will be AED 420 million. The substations are called Sustainability, Mobility, and Opportunity to serve Expo 2020 in Dubai. This supports Dubai Expo’s theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and its three sub-themes of Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity. Sustainability substation is expected to be operational by October 2017, while Opportunity substation is expected to be operational by December 2017, and Mobility by the end of August 2017.