The 20th Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX 2018), and the 3rd Dubai Solar Show attracted over 33,000 visitors over three days. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) organised both events, under the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of DEWA. The two events were part of the 5th Green Week with the theme ‘At the forefront of sustainability,’ from 23-25 October at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC). The exhibitions covered 78,413 square metres with over 2,100 exhibitors from 53 countries and were held in conjunction with the 5th World Green Economy Summit.
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum inaugurated the events, accompanied by HE Matar Humaid Al Tayer, Chairman of DEWA, along with a number of senior officials, director general, ambassadors and consular officials, DEWA EVPs, senior officials of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, and the media. HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Humaid Al Tayer, and other VIPs, toured the exhibition and were briefed about various innovations, solutions and new products such as energy and water desalination, green technologies, clean and renewable energy, environmental sustainability, and oil & gas. During the tour of the exhibition area, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum visited the DEWA stand, and many other national and international pavilions and stands.
François Hollande, former President of France, accompanied by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, and Founder and Chairman of WETEX, toured the exhibition and visited many participating stands including the EDF stand. HE Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Mehairi, Minister of State for Future Food Security, also visited the events. HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, received a high-level Danish delegation led by Mette Hoberg Tønnesen, Commercial Attaché at the Royal Danish Consulate General. The delegation included representatives of the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark, along with a number of Danish companies specialising in water. The visit included round table meetings with DEWA’s different divisions to discuss the latest developments and technological solutions in water and environment.
Several events and activities
WETEX focused on a variety of events related to energy and water conservation, environment protection, waste management, green building, carbon reduction, highlighting the latest technology and the most successful innovations in conserving natural resources, enhancing environmental security and stimulating innovation and scientific creativity in energy.
“WETEX has become a much-awaited annual event for organisations, entities, and companies specialising in energy, water and environment from the region and around the world to show their solutions and green products and to identify the typical investment opportunities in these important and vital areas. WETEX also provides a unique opportunity for investors to build business relationships and enhance business opportunities by networking with representatives of major companies and decision-makers from around the world under one roof. Meanwhile, the Dubai Solar Show spurs international efforts to develop the solar power sector, which is a cornerstone of sustainability. The event highlights the most important energy initiatives in Dubai that are main pillars in implementing the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, and Founder and Chairman of WETEX.
Green Week promotes sustainability in society
Green Week was based on a clear vision of spreading a culture of sustainability among all groups and communities, especially school and university students. The focus of Green Week was on educating students as the mainstay of development and as future builders, through a series of workshops and educational events, to instil a culture of creativity and innovation in the next generation. The wise leadership considers this to be the nation’s real wealth to anticipate and make the future. Green Week also focused on the development of young talented Emiratis who are helping to create a sustainable future energy system that supports the national trend towards establishing Dubai and the UAE’s leadership in the Green Revolution.
Innovation Hall highlight innovations in energy, water, environment and sustainability
The Innovation Hall focused on key innovations in energy, renewable and clean energy, mobility, technology, education, health, water and space science. By providing electronic kiosks for university students, DEWA offered new specialised educational materials, to share experiences and challenges, and honoured Emiratis and other talented innovators from around the world. The Innovation Hall encouraged knowledge sharing to build and enhance national capacity and promoted the talents and skills of people of determination as well as their innovations and ideas. The five Innovation Zones in the Hall this year were the Youth Zone; People of Determination Zone; DEWA Supplier Relationship Workshop Zone; Innovation Workshop and Seminars Zone; and the Activities & Events Zone.
“We had a full-fledged Innovation Hall during WETEX 2018 as part of our ongoing efforts to promote and contribute actively to enhance R&D and to keep pace with rapid technological advancements, in view of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and 3D printing. Through the Innovation Hall, we motivate inventors and innovators to deliver innovations from the UAE, and around the world, through smart platforms, and to promote practical and engineering research to develop new and innovative solutions in energy, water, environment and sustainability,” said Al Tayer.
WETEX seminars focused on sustainability, digitalisation, disruptive technologies, smart grids and cities and the future of energy around the word
During WETEX 2018, DEWA organised a series of seminars and panel discussions in collaboration with experts from leading global companies in energy, water, technology, sustainability and environment.
The seminars at the Al Multaqua Ballroom in the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre took place over the three days of the exhibition from 10 am to 5.30 pm included many sessions. These sessions discussed vital topics such as the future of energy sector, smart cities and networks, digital power stations, and disruptive technologies such as AI, energy storage technologies, sustainability and innovation. The audience comprised many people from the general public, professionals and students of universities, schools and DEWA Academy.
First Day
The first day of seminars at WETEX 2018 featured Norman Gilsdorf, from Honeywell as a speaker. He explained how data makes a significant difference in the functioning of service organisations; while Dr Johan Pensar, from ABB, spoke on the importance of cooperation and synergy in the success of smart city projects. Kuldeep Tickoo, from Siemens, discussed the role of digital switching stations in the development and automation of energy infrastructure. Adel Al Tamimi, Director of AI at DEWA reviewed the role of AI and blockchain technology in enhancing operations.
Javier Lopez Carvajal, from ACWA Power, elaborated on the role of energy storage in the transformation of the sector, while Hugo Domingues, from AMT, discussed the future of solar water heaters. Ammad Ali from SEL presented a seminar on improving the efficiency of internet networks in switching stations. The day ended with the session ‘Lucy Group Smart Cities Value Chain’ by Lucy Electric Group’s Mark Allen.
Second Day
During the second day of WETEX 2018 seminars, Jon Blackburn and Saulius Adomaitis, from EY, spoke about emerging technologies and innovation in service organisations, and the role of these technologies in shaping the future of the energy sector. Ulrich Rueth from Siemens discussed the relevance of polymer electrolyte membrane technology, which is a revolutionary technique in large scale manufacturing. A seminar presented by Willi Vaassen, from TÜV Rheinland, highlighted the importance of solar power plants, and risk mitigation through supply chain and system rehabilitation.
Abdurrahman Khalidi, from GE, delivered a presentation titled ‘The Future of Energy,’ on the latest developments and sustainable solutions in the global energy sector aimed at creating a sustainable future, while Thomas Altmann, from ACWA Power, elaborated on emerging technologies in low-carbon desalination processes. Yousif Al-Ali from Masdar presented a seminar titled ‘Energising the World,’ focusing on energy efficiency solutions and the use of advanced technologies to reduce costs and carbon emissions associated with energy production.
Aitor Amezua, from Al Fanar, presented an overview of integrated monitoring of medium- and low-voltage distribution networks. A session on innovative trends from engineering, procurement and construction perspectives to address low solar energy prices was led by Kaustav Sen, from KEC International. Yet another highlight of day two was a presentation on high performance steam turbines, flexibility and efficiency in a pilot solar power project by Mohamed Bou-Zeid from Siemens. Dr Branimir Cucic, from Koncar, spoke about advanced power distribution transformers, while Krishna Murthy, from Environmental Solutions Consultancy, concluded with a talk on ESC’s role in UAE’s innovative energy map.
Third Day
The last day of seminars at WETEX 2018 also had discussions on many important topics. These included a session by Ehtesham Raja and P Radhakrishnan, from ENOC, on the solar project at Dubai Lubricant Processing Plant; a presentation titled ‘Oxford Flow: An Example of How Universities Can Drive Innovation’ by Professor Thomas Povey, from Oxford Flow; a seminar on the importance of flexible and clean infrastructure for energy production and distribution by Martin L. Perry, from Bloom Energy; and a session on the world’s largest CSP project by Jose Jimenez, from ACWA Power.
In addition, Ahmed Alhamadi, from the Public Services Department of Ras Al Khaimah, spoke about innovative technologies for water and waste management, their roles in preserving the environment and natural resources and the creation of a sustainable future. Subramanian, from Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), delivered a presentation on DSO’s sustainability journey, while Akash Pinjarkar and Manoj Medithi, from Ducab, elaborated on fire-resistant cables for various applications. The last day of seminars also witnessed a session by Hassan Darwich, from Gulf Eternit Industries, on GRE valve chambers for water transmission and distribution networks, in addition to a presentation on ‘intelligent project infrastructure management by SAHAB application’ by Khaled Ahmed, from Bin Omairah. Thomas Shaw-Dunn, from Tractebel, spoke about enhancing the performance of current energy production assets in the Middle East. The symposiums concluded with a panel discussion on compact photovoltaic substations, led by Jiliang Yi, from Sunten.
Dubai Solar Show Seminars
First Day
The first day included 6 seminars and panel sessions on several critical topics, including the shift towards a greener economy; reform policies in renewable energy and its further spread in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region; the expansion of the CSP market in the region; the role of policymakers in reducing carbon emissions; and sustainable energy storage solutions. The experts also discussed the 700 MW 4th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is the largest CSP project in the world. The first day of the seminar included a discussion session on the renewable energy programme in Saudi Arabia and another on the growth of the renewable energy sector in Jordan.
Second Day
The second day seminars were devoted to the discussion of the most prominent issues of renewable and clean energy in the MENA region. The seminars included discussion sessions on the development of the energy sector in the region; assessment of the potential opportunities and challenges of this vital industry; as well as a discussion on the importance of the Dubai Green Fund; ways of transforming climate action ideas into financing proposals; and the role of public-private partnerships in raising capital for green projects, and the creation of financial instruments that increase the diffusion of active renewable energy technologies. The sessions also included discussion on green buildings, ways to promote power efficiency and increasing reliance on renewable energy in construction sector, in addition to enhancing energy storage techniques, and the contribution of renewable energies to enhance confidence in the future power system.
Third Day
The third and final day seminars covered development of human capital, the growth of jobs in the renewable energy sector, the role of government policy in the growth of the labour market, and investment in recruitment to support the MENA region’s preparedness for a greener economy. Discussion sessions were held on building smart cities, empowering cities with digital technologies to adapt to accelerating global developments and achieving prosperity and leveraging block chain technology to enable energy-sector transactions across parties, leading to a surge in energy diffusion and accelerate their recruitment, by facilitating participation in green investment finance, and contributing to a secure future.
Topics included in the seminars on the third day of the Dubai Solar Show 2018 included electric vehicles (EVs) and the future of green transportation in the region, the Dubai Green Mobility Initiative, Incentive scheme and government support, the global outlook for EVs and their potential growth, in addition to Norway’s success in the use of electric vehicles. The sessions also addressed the Green Hydrogen Economy in the GCC, the ambitions of green hydrogen, necessary conditions to achieve them and budding pilot projects.