Dubai’s electricity capacity reaches 12,900 MW, increasing tenfold compared to the 1990s
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced that its installed capacity has reached 12,900 megawatts (MW) of electricity and 490 million imperial gallons of desalinated water per day (MIGD) thanks to its state-of-the-art infrastructure, innovation and planning. This is in line with DEWA’s efforts to keep pace with increasing demand for electricity and water, as well as Dubai’s ambitious urban and economic plans.
In comparison with the 1990s, which witnessed the merger of the Dubai Electricity Company and the Dubai Water Department and the establishment of DEWA, the installed capacity of electricity was about 1,200 MW and water was 60 MIGD. This means DEWA’s production capacity today has increased more than 10 times for electricity and more than 8 times for water. It is expected that the installed production capacity of electricity will increase next July to 13,200 megawatts, with the commissioning of the 300MW first project of the 900MW 5th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, using photovoltaic solar panels based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model.
“We work in line with 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 provide an advanced and integrated infrastructure for electricity and water according to the highest standards of reliability, availability, and efficiency. This meets the growing demand and keeps pace with Dubai’s future sustainable development needs through specific and reliable planning processes that are based on the latest foresight tools. Electricity infrastructure expansion plans are developed based on demand forecast in Dubai until 2030, considering the demographic and economic growth in the Emirate. Despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic on the global economy, Dubai continues to grow and develop; consolidating its position as an attractive environment for global investments,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
“In line with DEWA’s vision to become a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation, we work to provide state-of-the-art infrastructure for facilities management and services through smart and integrated systems that use disruptive technologies and Fourth Industrial Revolution applications. These include Artificial Intelligence (AI), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Blockchain, Energy Storage, and Internet of Things (IoT), among others.
DEWA has major clean and renewable energy projects to achieve Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, aiming to provide 75% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050. These include the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is the largest single-site solar park in the world, with a planned capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030. The Smart Grid is a key component of DEWA’s strategy to develop an advanced infrastructure. The Smart Grid includes programmes with investments of up to AED 7 billion that will be completed in the short, medium, and long-term until 2035,” added Al Tayer.
DEWA achieved a new world record in reducing Customer Minutes Lost (CML) for electricity per year. DEWA recorded 1.66 minutes in Dubai, compared to around 15 minutes recorded by leading electricity companies in the European Union. The UAE, represented by DEWA, has maintained its first global ranking, for the third consecutive year, with scores of 100% in all Getting Electricity indicators in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2020 report. The report measures the ease of doing business in 190 economies around the world.
