Luxury property developer Seven Tides International has partnered with Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) to become the first private sector company to install electric car chargers at two of its five-star hotels in the emirate.

The move is part of Seven Tides’ ongoing commitment to driving its sustainable agenda, and electric car owners will now have a choice of two handy recharging points, with docks located at the Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort on Palm Jumeirah and at the Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate, on the busy Sheikh Zayed Road.

“Dewa is pioneering the adoption of sustainable technology across its remit and has already installed a number of charging points across the emirate, but we have any chance of convincing residents of a hydrocarbon-centric economy that it is possible to consider a switch to a more ecologically-sound alternative,” said Abdullah bin Sulayem, CEO, Seven Tides International.

“Seven Tides is fully committed to supporting next generation initiatives and the sustainability of the planet as well as other ground-breaking programmes, and our hospitality portfolio is a great channel for spreading awareness amongst residents and visitors to the city,” he added.

The chargers are able to simultaneously charge two cars, with a full battery requiring four to six hours to charge. Once charged, vehicles can travel anywhere between 120 to 400 kilometres before needing to be recharged.

By the end of 2015, Dewa plans to have 100 electric vehicle charging stations fully up-and-running, up from its current tally of 16, as part of its long-term Electric Vehicle Initiative, which launched in April 2014.

The programme aims to reduce the emirate’s carbon footprint and boost the use of renewable energy alternatives and Dewa has partnered with key stakeholders including Dubai Airports, Dubai Municipality, the Roads & Transport Authority, as well as petrol stations, malls, hotels and car park operators.

Dewa has employed the latest photovoltaic technology to power the three different categories of charging station, which are designed to accommodate all kinds of electric vehicle. The stations will be located on main thoroughfares, at the airport, close to shopping malls and in the heart of community hotspots like Jumeirah Beach Residences.

To date, a total of 12 stations have been installed at Dewa customer service centres, with the capacity to simultaneously charge 24 vehicles. To gain access to a charging station, electric vehicle drivers need to obtain a green card charger, which can easily be done by registering with Dewa and setting up an account. There is also the option of having a charger installed at home.

The green charging locations currently open can be found at Dewa head office, the Sustainable Building in Al Quoz, Al Wasl, Al Hudaiba, Burj Nahar, Umm Ramool, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Jebel Ali.

Dewa’s schedule of charges is set at 29 fils per kilowatt per hour (kW/h) for the public charging stations and the standard residential tariff will apply for any home charging application.

Other Seven Tides green initiatives include replacing all light bulbs in its property portfolio with LED lights, with two buildings already fully converted; the development of solar power systems for future implementation; and an ongoing project to use building waste as fertiliser. – TradeArabia News Service