HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA welcomed HE Goetz Lingenthal, German Ambassador to the UAE, who headed a delegation from the German Wilo Group, member of the German Water Partnership. The Ambassador was accompanied by Oliver Hermes, CEO of Wilo SE; Peter Stamm, Board Member in the German Water Partnership; Svenja Ahlburg, Global Affairs in Wilo SE, and Bishara Khalil, MD of Wilo Middle East FZE. This supports DEWA’s efforts to enhance cooperation within diplomatic and council missions.
The meeting discussed strengthening cooperation and enhancing the contribution of German companies in water and energy projects in Dubai, and the UAE. Al Tayer welcomed the delegation, and highlighted the importance of strategic cooperation between DEWA and German companies and organisations, in the field of energy and water. The visit aimed to enhance cooperation and benefit from the best international experiences of both parties.
Al Tayer presented DEWA’s most important development projects and strategic initiatives in Dubai, which supports the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. DEWA’s projects support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, launched by His Highness to transform Dubai into a global centre for clean energy and green economy.
Al Tayer explained that DEWA has achieved very competitive results in its global benchmarking, surpassing the private sector and major European and American utilities in efficiency and reliability. It has been able to raise the efficiency of energy production by reducing losses from electricity transmission and distribution networks to 3.3% compared to 6-7% in the US and Europe. DEWA also achieved the lowest customer minutes lost per year (CML) in the world of 2.68 CML compared to 15 minutes in Europe. DEWA managed to decrease water network losses from 42% in 1988 to 7.1% in 2017, compared to 15% in North America, which is one of the best results in the world. DEWA continues its efforts to replace Dubai’s entire water network by replacing old connections with new ones, replacing water meters, and developing new transmission and distribution networks that conform to the highest international standards. Stopping leaks in faulty systems eliminated much water loss. DEWA has adopted Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) to survey the water network and identify and remotely-manage potential leaks in the system. DEWA has also adopted modern technology to scan the transmission and distribution networks to prevent cracks from causing leaks in the system. During the meeting, Al Tayer reviewed the Smart Meters and Grids. Smart Grid supports efficiency and allows consumers to optimise consumption of energy and water. DEWA has installed 200,000 smart meters for electricity and water, and plans to install over 1,200,000 smart meters in Dubai by 2020.
Al Tayer also highlighted DEWA’s efforts in supporting the Smart Dubai initiative to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world. DEWA has also launched Digital DEWA, DEWA’s Digital arm. DEWA has adopted a pioneering model of service organisations based on innovation in renewable energy, energy storage, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and digital services.
The German delegation expressed interest in participating in DEWA’s projects in the field of clean and renewable energy and water. The German ambassador praised DEWA’s efforts in achieving sustainable development in Dubai, and reducing Dubai’s carbon footprint to create a better future for future generations. Dubai has all the elements to reach top positions globally and has become a leading global hub for competiveness, green economy and sustainability.