The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) – official sustainable energy partner of Expo 2020 – has granted Dh4.26 billion to provide the world-class event with electricity and water along with supporting its electricity and water infrastructure projects by the means of the latest smart systems.
Dewa will supply Expo 2020 with clean energy from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world using the Independent Power Producer(IPP) model. The solar park will provide Expo 2020 advantages of about 464 MW of clean energy. Dewa is building a smart grid to be the first network in the world to provide the whole value chain of generation, transmission, and distribution systems to the Expo.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director, and chief executive officer of Dewa, underlined Dewa’s commitment to Expo 2020 themes, which comprises advancing sustainability and innovation.
Dewa has successfully finished several mega projects and achievements, as part of hosting the Expo 2020 Dubai and these involved providing three 132/11 kilovolt (kV) substations with 45 kilometers of high-voltage (132kV) cables.
The substations are named Sustainability, Mobility, and Opportunity on three sub-themes of Expo 2020 Dubai, and the expenditure costs around Dh420 million.
Dewa is also constructing water-transmission networks with pipelines that are 600 and 1,200 mm in diameter, with pumping and distribution stations. With an outlined budget of Dh515 million, these plans will raise water-flow rates and provide sufficient water supply to meet the rising demands.
Dewa set building Mobility, the first 132/11 kV main substation, at Expo 2020 Dubai, with a conversion capacity of 150 MVA, in July 2015. The station’s total cost is around Dh173 million, comprising Dh80 million for the plant and Dh 93.6 million for the 132kV cables.
In September 2015, Dewa began building durability, the second 132/11 kV main substation at Expo 2020 Dubai.It has a conversion capacity of 150 MVA. The total cost of the project is Dh103 million, including Dh83 million for the plant and Dh20 million for the 132kV cables.
In September 2015, Dewa started building chances, the third 132/11 kV main substation at Expo 2020 Dubai. The substation will also have a conversion capacity of 150 MVA. The total cost of the project is around Dh142 million, comprising Dh83 million for the plant, and Dh59.7 million for the 132kV cables.
Green hydrogen project
Dewa is active on the Green Hydrogen project in alliance with Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens. It will be constructed at Dewa’s outdoor testing facilities in Research and Development (R&D) Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The project is the first and foremost in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) to generate hydrogen from clean energy. It will provide Sustainability, which is among the themes of Expo 2020. The project will also encourage the green economy in the UAE and support Dewa’s efforts to host the most sustainable World Expo.
Green charger stations
As being one of its efforts to make Expo 2020 Dubai sustainable, Dewa is recently working on installing 17 Green Charger stations for electric vehicles at the offices of Expo Dubai, the Opportunity, Sustainability, and Mobility pavilions for electric vehicle owners who will attend the Expo Dubai.
Smart control and distribution substation automation project
The project focuses on providing state-of-the-art infrastructure for electricity distribution networks at Expo 2020 Dubai, under the guidance of the Smart Grids. This is by automation and smart control of electricity distribution networks, rapidly and correctly on time. This project is part of 250 substations connected to the distribution control center. This secures speed response to reconnect the service, improve operations and add on to the efficiency and reliability of electricity distribution networks at Expo Dubai. Which results in the welfare and happiness of customers and visitors of the Expo.
Shams Dubai
Dewa is also helping Expo 2020 through the Smart Dubai initiative, with Shams Dubai providing power from solar arrays built at Expo 2020. Dewa has gained more than 25 installation requests at Expo 2020 Dubai till date. This number is calculated to be doubled as the launch date approaches.