HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), has received Jean-Bernard Levy, Chairman and CEO of Électricité de France (EDF) Group. Officials from both organisations were present. The two sides discussed enhancing further cooperation and facilitating the exchange of expertise and best practices in areas of mutual interest.
During the meeting, Al Tayer emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation with French companies for electricity and water projects in Dubai and the UAE as well as their strategic partnership, especially in generation, transmission, distribution, renewable energy, energy efficiency, digital transformation, and automation.
Al Tayer highlighted DEWA’s key projects, initiatives, and programmes to achieve the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to promote the sustainable development of Dubai, while protecting natural resources to ensure a brighter future for generations to come. DEWA’s strategy is aligned with the UAE Centennial 2071, the UAE Vision 2021, and the Dubai Plan 2021 to ensure a sustainable, happy future and support the UAE to be number one in all areas.
“At DEWA, we work to promote the shift towards renewable energy to support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to diversify Dubai’s energy mix, increasing clean energy to 75% by 2050. One of our key projects to achieve this goal is 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 and will reduce 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually,” said Al Tayer.
Al Tayer emphasised DEWA’s commitment to enhancing its strategic partnerships with leading organisations such as EDF, which has a proven track record of achievements in research and development in the energy sector. He noted that EDF is taking part in implementing the 800MW 3rd phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. DEWA is building the third phase of the solar park using photovoltaic technology in partnership with a consortium led by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and EDF Group, through its subsidiary EDF Énergies Nouvelles. This solar plant is the first of its kind in the MENA region, with an advanced solar tracking system to increase generation efficiency by 20-30% when compared to fixed installations.
EDF Group has also been appointed the consultant of the AED 1.437 billion pumped-storage hydroelectric power station at Hatta. This is part of the Comprehensive Development Plan for Hatta, launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The project is the first of its kind in the Arabian Gulf and will generate 250 MW and is expected to last up to 80 years.
“It is a great honour for the EDF Group to contribute to the Emirate of Dubai’s energy transition. I am delighted with the trusting relationship we have forged with our partner DEWA, to develop carbon-free energy in the region and beyond. The projects we are developing together illustrate the complementarity of our know-how and are a solid base for future cooperation, whilst contributing to the ambitions of the Group’s CAP 2030 strategy: doubling its renewable capacities and tripling its international business outside of Europe by 2030,” said Levy.
In 2017, DEWA and EDF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together in research and development in energy system integration, energy storage, renewable energy, distributed energy resources, demand response, energy resilience, disaster recovery, electric-vehicle charging stations, and laboratory infrastructure development.