Mena’s clean energy investment to grow
Dewa connects emirate’s solar rooftops to the national grid
With the UAE aiming for 10 per cent of power generated by renewables by 2030, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) is expanding the UAE’s solar sector through the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the world’s largest single-site solar project.
“Dubai Clean Energy Strategy aims to provide 7 per cent of Dubai’s energy from clean energy sources by 2020, 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050,” said Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa.
“The shift towards using clean and renewable energy sources has many benefits for the environment, economy, and natural resources. For example, the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will help achieve a reduction of over 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions, and support the green initiatives and programmes implemented by the Government of Dubai to reduce carbon emissions.”
He said Dewa also launched Shams Dubai to install PV panels on rooftops of buildings and connect them to the grid.
The Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region is set to see renewable energy investment of $35 billion (Dh128.5 billion) per year by 2020, according to the International Renewable Energy Authority (Irena), with increasingly lower-cost solar photovoltaic modules helping countries to diversify their energy mix.
Dewa is showcasing its plans to make 30,000 buildings energy efficient by 2030 and install 1 million smart metres by 2020, as well as deploying electric vehicle charging stations
Solar rooftops
As a result, the GCC’s solar capacity is expected to reach 10 gigawatts, with solar rooftops in the UAE reaching 2.5 gigawatts and a $3 billion opportunity, a report by Frost & Sullivan said.
At the World Future Energy Summit, Dewa is showcasing its plans to make 30,000 buildings energy efficient by 2030 and install 1 million smart metres by 2020, as well as deploying electric vehicle charging stations throughout Dubai with its Green Charger programme.