The adoption of clean and renewable energy is driven by low cost, as well as the global fight to combat climate change and reduce the impact of global warming.

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is at the forefront of adopting clean energy technologies. In addition to its energy storage projects that are completed or in progress, DEWA plans to establish a wide-range energy storage system using electric batteries supplied with photovoltaic energy at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

“Energy storage is a vital aspect in ensuring energy sustainability and increasing the reliance on clean and renewable energy sources,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD CEO of DEWA.

Al Tayer added that DEWA also has a roadmap and strategy for green hydrogen that will be implemented in phases, aligning with the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050.

In December 2023, the 950MW fourth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park was inaugurated, which aims to supply approximately 320,000 residences with clean energy via three hybrid technologies: a 600MW from a parabolic basin complex, a 100MW from the solar power tower, and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. It will also reduce carbon emissions by about 1.6 million tonnes annually. 

Moreover, the authority is developing a pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant in Hatta designed to utilize water from the Hatta Dam and a newly constructed upper reservoir in the mountains. The first of its kind in the GCC region and planned for completion in Q1 2025, the 250MW station will have a storage capacity of 1,500 MWh and a lifespan of 80 years.

DEWA has also piloted its Green Hydrogen Project at the solar park, a first of its kind in the MENA region, which produces green hydrogen using solar energy, storing it, and converting it back into electrical energy

ENOC Group’s first green hydrogen station was also opened within the Service Station of the Future at Expo City Dubai in collaboration with DEWA. The station utilizes green hydrogen produced by DEWA at its pilot plant at the solar park. 

DEWA is also experimenting with systems to store energy using batteries, with their R&D center filing a patent for a new method to improve the performance of electrodes in lithium-ion batteries, sodium–sulfur batteries, and electrolyte distribution batteries.

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