DUBAI- H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, has chaired the Council’s 66th meeting, which was conducted online. HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, also took part.
Other attendees included Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Dawood Al Hajiri, Director General of Dubai Municipality; Abdulla bin Kalban, Managing Director of Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA); Saif Humaid Al Falasi, CEO of Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC); Frederick Chemin, General Manager of Dubai Petroleum; and Nasser Abu Shehab, CEO of the Strategy & Corporate Governance Sector at the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA).
The meeting covered several topics including the commissioning of the first stage of the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, with a capacity of 300MW, while the phase with all stages will reach 900-megawatt (MW) capacity with investments of AED 2.058 billion.
The meeting also discussed activities of the Association of District Cooling Operators, which is the first of its kind in the region and aims to enhance the efficiency of district cooling operations and optimise water and energy resources.
The meeting also discussed the impact of COVID-19, which contributed to reducing 4.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in Dubai in 2020, compared to 2019.
"In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to promote sustainable development, we have a clear strategy and specific targets in Dubai to increase the share of renewable and clean energy in Dubai’s energy mix. One of our key projects to achieve this is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world with a planned capacity of 5,000MW by 2030," said Al Tayer.
"To achieve the directives of the wise leadership and support the UAE’s efforts in combating the effects of global warming and climate change, we discussed the work progress in the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to provide 75 percent of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050; the Dubai Carbon Abatement Strategy to reduce 16 percent of carbon emissions by 2021; and the Demand Side Management Strategy to reduce the electricity and water demand by 30 percent by 2030," added Al Tayer.
"The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy was eager to document the ideas and efforts by inviting the Association of District Cooling Operators to share their suggestions and initiatives that will have a significant impact on improving the efficiency of operations and increasing the happiness of users in Dubai," said Al Muhairbi.
"In line with the Dubai Demand Side Management Strategy 2030 and the fourth programme related to the efficiency of central cooling, the Association of District Cooling Operators aims to achieve a balance in central cooling operations through the optimal use of district cooling and adopting efficiency in central cooling operations, in coordination with the concerned authorities. We also work to raise awareness among building owners and end-users in order to achieve the objectives of the Demand Side Management Strategy in Dubai," said Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO of Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) and President of the District Cooling Operators Association.
© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2021.
