HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), has said that the 132/11kilovolt (kV) substation, which will have a conversion capacity of 150 megavolt amperes (MVA), is 80% complete, and is expected to be operational by the end of August. Mobility is one of the three substations implemented by DEWA within the Expo 2020 Dubai Park. Construction began on 1 July 2015, at a total cost of AED 173 million, comprising AED 80 million for the plant and AED 93.6 million for 132kV cables.
DEWA is building 3 major 132/11kV substations, with 45 kilometres (km) of high-voltage 132kV cables, at an estimated total cost of about AED 420 million. The substations are named Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity after the three subthemes of Expo 2020, whose main theme is, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.’ The Sustainability station is due to be operational in October 2017, and the Opportunity station in December 2017. In addition, DEWA is working on a project to extend major water transport networks, using 600- and 1,200mm-diameter pipes, as well as pumping stations and distribution networks, at an estimated total cost of approximately AED 515 million, to raise water flow and ensure the continuity of adequate supplies to meet the increasing demand for water.
“In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to host the best Expo that the world has ever seen in Dubai, and to emphasise its commitment to sustainability, which is one of the subthemes of World Expo 2020, DEWA has also assigned AED 3 billion to clean-energy-related projects to support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to provide 7% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2020, 25% by 2030, and 75% by 2050. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will provide 400MW of clean energy to Expo 2020 Dubai,” said Al Tayer.
“DEWA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Expo 2020 Dubai, to become its Official Sustainable Energy Partner. DEWA and Expo 2020 Dubai are working together on projects related to renewable energy, electricity, and water, and launched a wide variety of initiatives that will be implemented according to the highest international standards. This supports the Smart Dubai initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world. DEWA’s smart initiatives are making a difference to all the facilities and services of Expo 2020. Shams Dubai will contribute power from solar arrays installed on Expo 2020’s buildings, and three different types of electric vehicle charging stations will be provided from the Green Charger initiative. Through the Smart Applications through Smart Meters and Grids initiative, DEWA is also building a smart grid. This will be the first network in the world to cover generation, transmission, and distribution systems. The smart grid includes demand side management, asset management, distribution automation, substation automation, system integration, and smart meters,” added Al Tayer.