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Dubai to start work on Dh40b water and electricity complex
Dubai will soon start work on a Dh40 billion water and electricity complex in Jebel Ali to support the city's rapid economic growth and population increase.
- By Shakir Husain, Staff Reporter
- Published: 20:17 March 11, 2008
Dubai: Dubai will soon start work on a Dh40 billion water and electricity complex in Jebel Ali to support the city's rapid economic growth and population increase.
Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (Dewa) on Tuesday vowed planned investment will ensure that the emirate will "never have a shortage" of power and water.
The Hassyan Power and Desalination complex will be completed in three phases by 2020, Dewa managing director and chief executive officer Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer told reporters on the sidelines of the Wetex exhibition in Dubai.
It will provide 9,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity and 600 million gallons of water when fully completed.
The initial phase comprises 3,000 MW of power and 200 million gallon water capacity. "We will award the contract for the first phase in July," Al Tayer said.
Dewa has already awarded a Dh200 million contract for ground levelling work for the complex, which is being developed on an area of four square kilometres.
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Dubai has launched several projects to boost power generation and water desalination capacity as large-scale construction projects are creating new demand. The emirate's population is projected to grow from 1.6 million now to 4.1 million by 2015.
At the end of 2007, Dewa had a power generation capacity of 5,448 MW and water desalination capacity of 278 million gallons. Al Tayer said this was more than enough to meet the peak demand in summer.
Another 5,000 MW of power generation capacity is under construction. Dewa will bring one power station of 1,000 MW capacity onstream before summer.
Dubai is also investing Dh10 billion in the 'M Station' that will have a capacity of 2,000 MW of power and 140 million gallons of water. "By 2020, we will have around 20,000 MW of power and 1,000 million gallons of water capacity. That means Dewa will never have shortage," Al Tayer said.
Dubai has also signed a memorandum of understanding with three foreign companies to build its first independent power plant, which will use fuel from synthetic gas produced through the coal gasification process.
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