Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has completed the electrical connections and installation of smart metres at four projects, an electric vehicle charging station, and a ‘Manarati’ smart pole at the Al Marmoom Reserve.

The completion of the work supports Dubai’s efforts to preserve the environment and promote sustainable development. The Al Marmoom Reserve, which provides a natural reserve for plants, animals, and local and migratory birds, aims to become the UAE’s largest environmental tourist destination, attracting one million visitors annually. It features over 20 projects being implemented by nine government organisations.

Dewa is participating in the development of the Al Marmoom Reserve through six projects. The first will supply clean energy from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to help protect the environment and promote sustainable development. The second project involves the installation of solar panels on the rooftops of the Reserve’s facilities and connecting them to Dewa’s grid as part of the Shams Dubai initiative.

The third is the installation of electric vehicle charging stations as part of the Green Charger initiative to promote an uptake of electric vehicles. Another project provides state-of-the-art smart meters with advanced features that contribute to a smart and eco-friendly lifestyle.

The fifth project involves the installation of Manarati smart poles with innovative applications including charging electric vehicles, interactive screens, smart environmental sensors, and Internet access. The final project involves the development of an advanced water infrastructure at the Al Marmoom Reserve that meets the highest global standards, to ensure the readiness of Dewa’s network to provide water for all the projects in the Reserve.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dewa highlighted that the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, located within Al Marmoom Reserve, is the largest single-site solar project in the world with a total planned capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030. The Park is part of a three-dimensional approach towards achieving economic, social and environmental sustainability.

“The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will contribute to enhancing the efficiency of our natural resources and reducing the environmental footprint through the reduction of over 6.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year upon completion. The Solar Park also demonstrates Dewa’s absolute commitment to governance, work ethics, social responsibility and providing work opportunities for citizens and residents,” he explained.

“The Solar Park is likely to create 1,100 ‘green jobs’ by 2020. Companies established by Dewa and private sector partners will focus on employing and educating Emirati youth, to directly benefit the community.

“Dewa signed several agreements with different local and international bodies, institutions, and companies in research and development to establish the latest developments in energy, water and environment. These institutions include the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the US Department of Energy, the Spanish National Renewable Energy Center (CENER), Kipco Korea, the United Arab Emirates University and Khalifa University,” said Al Tayer. – TradeArabia News Service