Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) has been appointed Expo 2020 Dubai’s official integrated energy partner with plans to set up a ‘service station of the future’ at the next World Expo.

In line with its commitment to support the socio-economic growth of Dubai and the UAE, Enoc Group believes that Expo 2020, which has a core theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, is an ideal platform to facilitate discussion over the future of integrated energy, said a statement.

Part of Enoc’s focus as Integrated Energy Partner will include setting up a fully functioning, futuristic service station during the six months of Expo 2020 – from October 20, 2020, to April 10, 2021 – using multiple sources of energy, from solar to hydrogen as well as traditional hydrocarbon sources, it said.

The signing of the contract by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, and Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, vice chairman of Enoc and managing director and chief executive officer of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) took place at Expo 2020’s Dubai South offices.
 
Also present were Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and director general of Expo 2020 Dubai; Saif Humaid Al Falasi, group CEO of Enoc; Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Shaibani, vice chairman of the Expo Dubai 2020 Higher Committee, director general of HH The Ruler’s Court of Dubai and executive director and CEO of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD); Saif Humaid Al Falasi, chairman of Enoc; Zaid Al Qufaidi, managing director of Enoc Retail; and Moadh Bukhash, head of group communications of Enoc.

Enoc becomes the latest Expo 2020 official partner, following the appointments of Dewa as official sustainable energy partner and UPS as official logistics partner, said a statement.

Sheikh Ahmed said: “The burgeoning global population continues to put pressure on our dwindling natural resources, so finding optimum ways to source and deliver energy is critical to our future. Sustainability is one of Expo 2020 Dubai’s three key subthemes, and it is also a core focus area for the UAE.”

“We look forward to working with Enoc and other Expo 2020 Dubai partners to explore innovative solutions to see what is possible – or even yet to be imagined in this crucial area,” he added.

With the help of partners such as Enoc, Expo 2020 intends to help educate and empower people to make a change in their lives and their communities with sustainable practices that cumulatively can help safeguard the future of the planet.

Expo 2020 will also showcase cutting-edge examples of sustainability with its own structures and operations, such as the Sustainability Pavilion, which will supply much of its own energy requirements.

Al Tayer said: “Expo 2020 Dubai is a project of national significance to the UAE, as the first ever World Expo to be staged in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (Measa) region in 167 years of the event. We are proud to be part of this growing family of leading corporate partners of Expo 2020.”

“This shows our nation’s continued commitment to the highest standards of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. It also shows our alignment with the objectives of the UAE Vision 2021 National Agenda, to achieve a sustainable environment and an increased use of clean energy and green development, and the Dubai Plan 2021, to make the Emirate a smart and sustainable city,” he said.

Al Tayer added: “The prospect of ‘Connecting Minds’ in this way is very exciting and will offer Enoc added impetus as we explore alternative ways of maximising existing and future sources of energy for the benefit of our people and also our planet.”

Al Falasi said: “The UAE’s economy has witnessed an exponential growth, and will continue to grow gradually, which places a responsibility on national oil companies to invest in projects that will contribute to the development of the country’s energy sector.”

“We are proud to be part of Dubai’s success story and our appointment as the Expo 2020 Dubai Integrated Energy Partner will offer us a platform to demonstrate our commitment to the nation, as we continue to invest in infrastructure projects that will fulfil the energy needs of Dubai and the UAE,” he added.

Enoc was formed by the Government of Dubai in 1993. It has since made important contributions to the national drive towards economic diversification and sustainable development. As part of its growth strategy, Enoc is committed to invest in fulfilling the energy needs of Dubai through the expansion of its refinery and service station network.

As part of its plans to help promote the World Expo, which is expected to attract 25 million visits of which 70 per cent come from outside the UAE, Enoc’s convenience store chain, Zoom, will operate a number of outlets on the 4.38 sq km Expo 2020 site in Dubai South.

Zoom is the largest home-grown convenience store chain in the UAE after forming 26 years ago. It has more than 200 stores with ambitious growth plans and has won several awards for its modernistic design and excellence in service.

Expo 2020 Dubai’s focus on integrated energy solutions dovetails with the wider national policy, the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy, which aims to provide the country with 25 per cent clean energy by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service