A land of endless possibilities is how the UAE likes being described and why not, as in a very short span the country has achieved global recognition for excellence in hospitality, logistics, airport management and now, clean energy, writes Frank Duggan, president, Asia, Middle East and Africa, ABB.

The leaders of this country have not stopped looking to the future. The world’s seventh largest reserves of oil and gas are situated in this country, and we all know these will continue to be important for decades to come. Even so, there are concrete plans for a future beyond oil.

The UAE is investing in some of the world’s largest solar power plants and is at the forefront of innovation in technologies such as high-efficiency solar-powered desalination.

Further, as the hosts of the International Renewable Energy Agency and World Future Energy Summit, they are promoting best practices in policy, technology, and financing of renewable energy around the world.

Work is progressing swiftly at the Mohammed bin Rashid (MBR) Solar Park, which will be the largest single-site solar park in the world when it opens later this year. It’s expected to produce 5,000 megawatts of energy by 2030. The ABB substation at the solar park will be the first 400kV station in the UAE connected to integrate solar energy, facilitating reliable and efficient transmission of clean power.
Dubai is also installing 100 electric vehicle charging stations across the city and building a new Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) headquarters, which promises to be an energy efficient prototype for smart buildings.

Masdar, in Abu Dhabi, apart from developing renewable projects in the country is also investing in high-profile, utility-scale renewable energy projects internationally. These include Torresol Energy, a joint venture in Spain with SENER that operates 120 megawatts of concentrated solar power plants, and the London Array, a 650-megawatt offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary.

ABB is pleased to share this vision to build a future that’s smart, clean and sustainable. Here in the Middle East – where we have been established since 1926  – we are technology partners for landmark projects like the Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park, Burj Khalifa, Office of the Future, Dubai Metro to name a few.

We look forward to witnessing the next wave of innovations at the WFES 2017 in Abu Dhabi, where ABB, as a global leader in connected devices, will also showcase products and technologies like our dual armed robot, YuMi, that reflect our pioneering technology spirit and expertise in the Internet of Things. Our IoT specialists will also discuss developments in this trend at a business breakfast session on January 17.

One of the highlights at our exhibition stand will be a display of our electric vehicle (EV) charger. ABB is at the forefront of Internet-based charging infrastructure, supporting all EV charging standards. ABB’s Internet-connected chargers enable fast global service and pro-active maintenance.

The UAE is embracing sustainable transport by removing fuel subsidies and encouraging the use of electric and hybrid vehicles. The emirates of Ajman, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi have announced free parking for electric and eco-friendly cars, and Dubai has agreed to provide toll-free travel and special parking for electric cars. Dubai has also set a target for 10 per cent of its civic vehicle fleet to be electric by 2020.

We hope to walk hand-in-hand with the UAE in transforming the country further into a modern yet sustainable economy.