Sustainability is not hard to achieve for enterprises
dubai — Sustainability should not be considered as an exceptionally difficult challenge for companies across the UAE as there are several tried and tested technologies and methods that can be utilised to help conserve energy and reduce carbon footprint, experts said.
Speaking at the 20th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (Wetex 2018), experts highlighted that companies across the UAE in various sectors were taking small but steady steps towards becoming more eco-friendly.
“We are constantly looking towards innovation and launching new initiatives that highlight our vision of green energy. Solar energy is one of the biggest resources that is available to us in this region, and our decision to fit solar panels on the roof of our lubricants blending plant highlights our commitment to conserving energy and reducing our dependence on energy generated by traditional means,” said Zaid Alqufaidi, managing director of retail at Enoc.
Enoc Group recently converted its lubricants and grease manufacturing plant, located in Jebel Ali, to fully operate on solar energy. More than 300 photovoltaic solar panels have been installed on the roof of the 1,000 square metre warehouse, which will generate over 160,000 kwh/year of electricity — sufficient to meet the annual electricity consumption of the facility. Excess electricity will be transmitted back to the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) grid.
Alqufaidi noted that the launch of the fully solar-powered plant follows in the success of Enoc’s retail network, when the company launched its first solarpowered gas station. “Since then, we have realised that there are
several benefits, not just financial, to adopting more green technologies across our businesses. Conserving energy is one of our main priorities right now. Simply putting simple solutions such as indoor air conditioning temperature controls makes a big difference in energy consumption.”
Enoc’s initiatives complement the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to achieve seven per cent of Dubai’s energy needs from clean energy sources by 2020, 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050. Today, Enoc operates nine solar-powered service stations across Dubai and has previously announced its plans to power all future service stations by solar panels. Enoc estimates more than 23 GWh of solar energy will be generated to power the new stations by 2020, minimising the load on Dewa’s grid.
Ashish Chaturvedy, marketing manager at Ducab, said that around a decade ago, green energy and sustainability were not the buzzwords that they are in the industry today. “Today, sustainability is at the top of the agenda for companies across the UAE. We have evolved over the years with the demands of the industry in sight, and adopted a cradle-to-the-grave approach when it comes to green energy solutions. Whether it is solar energy, wind energy or nuclear energy, we are at the forefront of all these sectors to provide complete end-to-end solutions for cables, accessories, overhead conductors, as well as services.”
Chaturvedy noted that there was a growing movement towards solar energy and that companies were seeking full technical solutions which ensured that there was complete efficiency and minimal wastage once the power station was connected to the grid.
“We are among the first manufacturing companies to install a solar power plant at our factory in Jebel Ali that will allow us to use solar energy for our operations; this reduces the carbon footprint of our business and sends out a strong message to other companies as well,” he said. “In the future, we expect several more manufacturers to be interested in such systems that allow them to harness energy on site for their own consumption.”
Today, sustainability is at the top of the agenda for companies across the UAE
Ashish Chaturvedy, marketing manager at Ducab