Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa)’s 13MW first phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park has received International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-REC) issued in 2017.

The move supports Dewa’s commitment to the environment and its adherence to the vision of the wise leadership to increase the share of clean energy in the energy mix. It also underlines Dewa’s efforts to encourage the use of clean energy and promote environmental sustainability and green economy.

The I-RECs, which were issued by the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence (Dubai Carbon), are equivalent to 25,000 megawatt hours of annual net electricity supplied to the grid from the 13MW power plant.

This makes Dewa the first organisation in the Arabian Gulf to adopt the I-REC system, which is a voluntary system for international trade in renewable-energy certificates. The system was created to encourage utilities around the world to increase the amount of renewable or clean energy in their supply mix.

Dewa is the first utility in the region to sell I-REC certificates. It has signed an agreement to sell its 2017 certificates to Philips Lighting, through Norway’s ECOHZ. The agreement affirms Philips' commitment to completely depend on renewable energy for its operations, by 2020.

“At Dewa, we work to achieve the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into a global hub for green economy and renewable energy,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dewa.

“We also support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which was launched by His Highness. The strategy maps out Dubai’s energy sector over the next three decades by establishing a sustainable model in energy conservation that supports economic growth without damaging the environment or natural resources. This will help Dubai to attain the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050. We are also working to achieve the Demand Side Management Strategy, which was launched by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, to reduce energy and water demand by 30 per cent by 2030,” he added.

"We are glad to cooperate with Philips Lighting, one of the leading organisations committed to instilling a culture of sustainability, to use the clean energy produced by Dewa from the first phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The park is the largest single-site solar project in the world with a planned capacity of 5,000MW by 2030.

Dewa has consistently supported Dubai’s efforts to raise awareness on various environmental issues by adopting and launching several relevant initiatives and projects. Our aim is to increase awareness on the importance of conserving and preserving our natural resources. Carbon reduction and impact mitigation form part of our environmental strategy,” concluded Al Tayer. – TradeArabia News Service