Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has organised a two-day workshop on Energy Storage in cooperation with the Spanish National Renewable Energy Centre (CENER). The workshop supports DEWA’s role as a platform for sharing knowledge and expertise and its efforts to keep its staff and partners up-to-date with the latest technologies and developments. Over 150 DEWA staff, partners, and stakeholders participated in the workshop at Raffles hotel, Dubai. The workshop highlighted the latest advances and best practices in energy storage, and elaborated on areas of research needed to develop larger scale energy storage integration.
Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at DEWA, delivered the keynote speech on behalf of HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA.
“Organising this workshop in cooperation with the National Renewable Energy Centre in Spain, which is one of the leading countries in using renewable and clean energy, supports DEWA’s role as a platform for sharing knowledge and best practices. The workshop also supports DEWA’s efforts to enhance knowledge among its staff, partners, and stakeholders and keep them up-to-date with the latest technologies and developments. The significant development of solar photovoltaic technologies, combined with a large drop in cost over the past few years, have made it a popular option in various parts of the world, particularly in Dubai and the UAE. DEWA supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which was launched one year ago today by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. This will diversify Dubai’s energy mix, increasing clean energy to 7% by 2020, 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050. This strategy reflects the vision of the wise leadership to be ready to bid farewell to the last drop of oil, and provides a practical solution for addressing the environmental challenges the world is facing. This will be done by establishing a sustainable model for energy conservation, which supports economic growth without damaging the environment or its natural resources,” said Al Tayer.
“The development of energy storage technologies has helped to increase the share of renewable and clean energy, especially solar energy, which is the most popular source of clean energy in the region. In the UAE, the sun is a divine blessing all year round, as the country is located within the Sunbelt. In Dubai, Global Horizontal Irradiation (GHI) is 2,200 Kilowatt hour per square metre per year, while Direct Normal Irradiation (DNI) is 1,900 Kilowatt hour per square metre per year that can be used for power generation using photovoltaic technology and concentrated solar power technology. Such features further promote the use of solar energy in Dubai, the UAE, and the region. One of DEWA’s major renewable energy projects is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is the largest single-site renewable energy project in the world and uses the Independent Power Producer model. The Solar Park will produce 1,000MW by 2020 and 5,000MW by 2030. In adherence with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, DEWA is implementing a new phase in the Solar Park using Concentrated Solar Power, building on the remarkable success Dubai has achieved in photovoltaic solar energy. The 200MW first project of the CSP plant will be operational by April 2021. DEWA will generate 1,000MW using this technology by 2030. An important advantage of CSP is that thermal heat, which is used to produce electricity, can be stored easily, which makes it possible to produce electricity after sunset. The project will use thermal storage for 8-12 hours daily,” added Al Tayer.
In addition to this, the Solar Park includes an R&D Centre to develop the next generation of clean energy technologies, including solar energy, smart grid integration, energy storage solutions, water- and energy- efficiency technologies, and solar-powered desalination.
“We adopt a holistic approach based on the latest global technologies. We collaborate with our strategic partners in research and development, building capabilities, the latest solar technologies, energy storage, increasing efficiency in the production, transmission, and distribution of electricity and water, and energy security. DEWA cooperates with international organisations in scientific research, including water desalination using solar energy. This supports the efforts of the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia) to provide potable water to the needy in undeveloped countries. Increasing energy storage penetration will widely support these projects as well. We will continue our efforts to find the best energy-storage solutions and technologies both for large power stations such as the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, and for home-based projects within the Shams Dubai initiative. DEWA has launched Shams Dubai to connect distributed solar energy systems in buildings to DEWA’s grid. Improvements and knowledge about energy storage systems will encourage more people to benefit from this leading initiative,” added Al Tayer.
“At DEWA, we do not rest on our laurels, but we will continue to research, develop, and innovate, to achieve our vision to become a sustainable innovative world-class utility. We are inspired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who once observed that, ‘Success is not a destination, but a journey. Each time that you reach a summit on this journey, you must look ahead to the next one.’ I am confident that this workshop will benefit you all, and highlight the latest international developments and technologies in energy storage,” concluded Al Tayer.