Emirates Water and Electricity Company or EWEC has achieved a remarkable feat by increasing its clean, sustainable energy supply from 60% to 80% to Abu Dhabi and Northern Emirates. EWEC provided 8.6 GW from solar and nuclear sources at the end of the last year.
This success can be attributed to EWEC’s rapidly expanding portfolio of low-carbon and renewable energy-intensive projects that are transforming the UAE’s energy landscape.
The UAE’s Energy Transition is not just about achieving net zero by 2050 but also achieving a resilient, diverse energy mix that can meet future demands.
A combination of increased industrial activity and population increase is expected to drive the gross peak electricity demand in UAE up to 30% between 2022-2029.
Easa Alzarooni is the Executive Director for System Operations at EWEC. He explained that “EWEC has committed itself to a world-leading, major strategic energy project to ensure a secure and reliable supply of sustainable electricity and water.” EWEC, in addition to creating a sustainable future for Abu Dhabi and UAE, is also serving as an example globally of how water and electricity production that is low-carbon intensive can be achieved quickly.
Noor Abu Dhabi is the largest solar power plant on a single site in the world. It has produced enough renewable electricity for 90,000 people.
Al Dhafra Solar will be the largest solar power plant in the world when it is fully operational. It can power up to 160.000 homes, and reduce Abu Dhabi’s CO2 emission by over 2.4 million tonnes annually. This is the equivalent of removing more than 470,000 cars off the road.
“EWEC not only ensures the security of supply but also transforms the sustainability of the generation portfolio and the system operations.” “Our strategic actions will lead to a reduction of our CO2 emission from 40 million tons in 2020 to only 20 million tonnes by the year 2025. This is a 50% reduction,” said Alzarooni.
EWEC anticipates that its CO2 emissions from electricity production will fall from 0.33kg/kWh in 2019, to a projected 0.19kg/kWh, by 2029. The intensity of water production emissions is expected to drop from 11.5 kg/m3 down to an estimated 1.4kg/m3 during the same time period.
EWEC leads Abu Dhabi in its transition to low-carbon intensive water and electricity production. EWEC’s ability to meet 80% of total electricity demand with renewable and clean energy in the ‘Year of Sustainability,’ and the lead-up to COP28, is a testimony to its commitment to realising UAE wise leadership’s vision for a sustainable future.
