Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is participating as the Sustainability Partner in the 16th Arab Media Forum (AMF), held under the theme ‘Civil Dialogue’ at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, and will continue until Tuesday, 2 May 2017. DEWA is highlighting its efforts, projects, and initiatives in sustainability, clean energy and environmental protection at the Forum’s exhibition. DEWA is also highlighting its achievements in smart transformation to support the Smart Dubai initiative to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world.
“In line with DEWA’s vision to become a sustainable innovative world-class utility, we participate in the AMF as Sustainability Partner. Sustainability has become a global issue affecting social, economic, humanitarian, and environmental development. DEWA has over AED 65 million in investments in pioneering projects that define a sustainable future. Future generations will be the basis for this process. In the future, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is expected to create 1,100 green jobs by 2020, while DEWA’s projects in Hatta will provide 2,500 jobs during and after the projects’ implementation,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
Al Tayer pointed out that DEWA’s participation in the AMF comes with the slogan ‘Global leadership for reviving a sustainable civilisation for generations to come.’ He pointed out the important role of the media in supporting a culture of sustainability and consolidating its foundations. He also stated that DEWA is keen to ensure that its achievements and strategic initiatives are the basis for a civil dialogue with all society.
At AMF, DEWA is showing the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which represents the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) of economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The solar park is the largest single-site solar power project in the world based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. It has a total investment of AED 50 billion, and will produce 1,000 MW by 2020 and 5,000 MW by 2030. Upon completion, the solar park will reduce over 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually. It will contribute to achieving the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to transform the city into a global hub for clean energy and green economy by 2050, making Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world.
DEWA is also highlighting its smart initiatives, including Shams Dubai, which encourages building owners to install photovoltaic panels to generate electricity and connect the systems to DEWA’s grid. Generated energy is used locally and the surplus is exported to DEWA’s grid. DEWA is also showing the Green Charger initiative to establish the infrastructure and build electric vehicle charging stations in Dubai, to encourage the public to use electric vehicles. This will contribute to protecting the environment. DEWA has completed the installation of 100 green chargers, and began the installation of another 100 stations across Dubai.
DEWA presented its new headquarters currently under construction, and is named Al-Sheraa (Sail in Arabic), which will be the tallest, largest, and smartest net Zero Energy Government Building (ZEB) in the world. DEWA is also highlighting its strategic projects in Hatta. These include the construction of a hydroelectric power station that will generate electricity by making use of the existing water stored in the Hatta Dam, in addition to other projects. The project will be the first of its kind in the GCC, with a total capacity of 250MW, and is expected to last between 60 to 80 years.
DEWA also showed the Solar Decathlon Middle East (SDME), which was created through an agreement between the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and DEWA, and the United States Department of Energy. Dubai will host the first two rounds of the Solar Decathlon, which is held for the first time in the Middle East, in 2018 and again in 2020 to coincide with World Expo in Dubai, whose theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ fits well with this distinguished international competition.
DEWA is also highlighting its efforts in sustainability, enhancing environmental awareness, protecting natural resources and reducing carbon footprint. DEWA sends many of its employees each year to explore the effects of global warming and climate change. These included a trip to Antarctica as part of the 2041 International Antarctica Expedition in March 2015 for two weeks, and an expedition to Peru’s Amazonian Forests in May 2016, for 12 days. DEWA will send five of its staff on an expedition to Tanzania in July this year, in cooperation with National Geographic, to learn about the impact of climate change on communities, wildlife, and the environment in Africa, in general, and in Tanzania in particular.
DEWA supports the 16th Arab Media Forum this year as Sustainability Partner, based on the close ties it has with Dubai Press Club, the Forum’s organiser, and in recognition of the role of the media in spreading awareness to the public on various issues and topics that affect their daily lives, especially in energy and water conservation.
المصدر : https://wp.me/p70vFa-jv8
