Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) unveiled the strategic action plan as part of a government commitment to cut carbon emissions by 16 % by 2020.
DEWA’s strategy covers five aspects: infrastructure, legislation, funding, building capacities and skills, and developing an environmentally friendly energy mix.
Infrastructure projects include the AED50 billion (US $13.6 billion) Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park.
DEWA is also building a research and development (R&D) center dedicated to renewable energy. It is under construction and scheduled to complete by 2020.
The infrastructure strand also includes the establishment of a new free zone called Dubai Green Zone
Under the legislative part of the strategy, DEWA said it plans to establish a regulatory structure to support clean energy policies through the ‘Shams Dubai’ initiative .Meanwhile the planned AED100 billion (US $27.2 billion) Dubai Green Fund aims to provide financing solutions for investment in R&D on clean energy and its applications.
DEWA is also working to boost employees’ skills through training programs on clean energy and finally to create an environment-friendly energy mix with solar energy generating 25%, nuclear power 7%, clean coal 7% , and gas 61% by 2030.
Dareen El Mokadem
