Dubai to focus more on green energy
Emirate plans 30% reduction in energy consumption by 2030, Dewa CEO says
Dubai is targeting a 30 per cent reduction in energy consumption by 2030 in accordance with the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 launched in 2015 during UAE Innovation Week, a top official said yesterday. The 2050 strategy aims to make Dubai a global clean energy and green economy hub.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), who was the guest speaker at a ‘Meet the CEO’ event organised by the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), said the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 will guide the development of the energy sector in Dubai over the next three decades.
Clean sources
According to the strategy, Dubai aims to generate 7 per cent of its energy from clean energy sources by 2020. This target will be raised to 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050, he said.
Answering a question about Dewa’s 2016 budget, Al Tayer said a total budget of Dh23.655 billion had been approved for 2016, compared to Dh22.873 billion in 2015.
In addition, Dewa has also launched strategic projects worth more than Dh27 billion that use the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model to leverage public-private partnerships to build new capacity in renewable energy and diversify the emirate’s energy mix over the long-term.
Budget
Al Tayer said the 2016 budget includes a number of key projects, including Dh2.957 billion worth of power generation projects, Dh3.416 billion of power transmission projects, Dh1.209 billion of power distribution projects and Dh1.042 billion of water and civil engineering projects, apart from Dh95 million allocated to various other projects.
Al Tayer said the assets of Dewa and its affiliated companies exceed Dh127 billion.
Speaking about Dewa’s partnership with the private sector, Al Tayer said this will have a positive impact on the sector, adding that IPPs will enhance energy production sector and reduce operational costs.