Know the green credentials of Expo 2020: Dubai's sustainability drive

SUSTAINABILITY DRIVE: Dubai’s journey towards sustainability will be showcased at the Expo 2020, which opens Friday. October 1. With sustainability fast becoming one of the most commonly used words in recent years, Dubai is ramping up its environmental efforts.

RENEWABLE ENERGY POWERS EXPO SITE: Sustainability is an key theme of Expo 2020 Dubai. The 438-hectare (1,080 acres) Expo site itself is generating a total of 5.5 megawatts of clean energy. How? All of the permanent buildings at the site is fitted with photovoltaic panels. The Expo site also actively encourages recycling, as it aims to inspire the world to commit to the environment and protecting the planet for future generations.

120 NET-ZERO STRUCTURES AT DUBAI EXPO: Want to see what a net-zero energy building looks like? Check out the Terra - The Sustainability Pavilion, which has 12,000 sqm of photovoltaic panels across its roof and energy trees. The site is also on track to receive LEED certification for more than 120 of the permanent buildings, 95 of which are targeting LEED Gold, while four are targeting LEED Platinum.

CHARGE YOUR ELECTRIC VEHICLE AT EXPO 2020 DUBAI FOR FREE. Dubai has installed more than 300 EV chargers; with 30 of those at the Expo 2020 Dubai site alone. There are also two extra EV charging stations at the Expo office. The public charging stations — available at the Opportunity, Sustainability and Mobility pavilions — will serve expo visitors using electric vehicles. EV juice is free at public charging stations for non-commercial EV owners registered in the Green Charger service until December 31, 2021, according to Dewa.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE: Dubai is showcasing autonomous transport. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) started the trial run of autonomous vehicles at the Expo 2020 Dubai site in March 2020. The vehicle is used to commute individuals on a dedicated path from the main entrance to staff offices. The RTA has also embarked on the Phase 4 of the Driverless Vehicles Project within Sustainable City at Dubailand, off Al-Qudra Road.

WORLD’S LARGEST SINGLE-SITE SOLAR POWER FACILITY: Dubai's drive towards sustainability is unstoppable. The world’s largest single-site solar power facility will also supply clean power to the Expo 2020 Dubai site. Dubai’s 5-gigawatt Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, opened its Phase 3 in December 2020, adding 800 megawatts to its capacity, enough to power 240,000 households. The ambitious solar park has already reached 1GW (1,013MW) of installed solar generation capacity.

EXPANSION: Ongoing expansions at MBR Solar City will increase capacity by five times that size by 2030. Additional capacity of 1,850MW using solar panels and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) are underway. By 2030, the Dubai solar park will have a 5,000MW-capacity — enough to power 3.25 million homes, with total investment of Dh50 billion.

DUBAI SUSTAINABLE CITY: On Dubai's southern outskirts, a housing development called Sustainable City recycles its water and waste and produces more energy than it consumes. The 46-hectare project situated off Al Qudra Road, and is the first net-zero energy development in the emirate. It is Dubai’s first operational “Net Zero Energy city”, and a showcase for sustainable living, work, education, and recreation.

GROWING OWN FOOD: It’s a working model of what the future could look like. The Sustainable City has a dedicated greenhouse — created as an urban environment with produce varying from fruits, vegetables, herbs. Phil Dunn, a resident of The Sustainable City in Dubai, has resolved to sustain himself fully on food sourced inside the City for a full year. Photo shows a Canadian expat living in Dubai, who has set a challenging New Year resolution for himself, is on track so far. Phil Dunn, a resident of The Sustainable City in Dubai, has resolved to sustain himself fully on food sourced inside the City for a full year.

PUMPED HYDRO-ELECTRIC: Construction is ongoing to build Dubai's pumped-storage hydro-electric power plant, the first of its kind in the Gulf region. The existing Saad Hatta Al Awwal Dam will be used as the lower reservoir, while the upper reservoir will be about 150 meters higher. Both reservoirs will be connected by a 1.2-km long pressure tunnel. The hydro power station will have a storage capacity of 1,500 MWh.

HIGH-EFFICIENCY, RENEWABLE ENERGY: Located about 140 km southeast of Dubai city, the Hatta Dam pumped hydro plant in the Hajar Mountains is a unique green energy project. The idea is quite simple: when demand for electricity is low, the turbines powered by renewable energy (solar) spin backward — and pump the water back 150 metres up into the upper reservoir, to make it available to generate electricity when it's needed. The plant is designed to have a life span of 80 years, with investments totalling around Dh1.421 billion ($386.87 million).

TESLA BATTERY PACK IN DUBAI: A Tesla battery energy storage system (BESS) project has gone into service in Dubai. This pilot project utilises 1.21MW / 8.61MWh of Tesla’s Powerpack product. Powerpack is the US-based company’s battery storage aimed at the commercial, industrial and light utility-scale markets (between the residential Powerwall and utility-scale Megapack). A project of this nature could only increase. Dubai seeks to provide 75% of power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050. It also aims to make the UAE city a “global hub

RAS AL KHOR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY: The $27 million Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary development project seeks to enhance the sanctuary’s ecosystem and biodiversity. The project will increase wetlands in the sanctuary by 200,000 sqm and expand green cover by planting mangrove trees in a 1,000,000 sqm area, while service facilities and entertainment amenities will also be built as part of the project.

GREEN PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Launched in 2009, this rapid urban transit rail network in Dubai launched in 2009. With a daily ridership of 353,244, for the Red and Green Lines, this is expected to increase with the Route 2020 (a branch of the Red Line that now serves Expo 2020.

DUBAI METRO ROUTE 2020: Dubai’s driverless train network, which spans a total of 89.6 km (55.7 mi), is one of the most advanced and modern urban rail systems in the world. There are seven stations on the Route 2020 — Jebel Ali Station; The Gardens Station; Discovery Gardens Station; Al Furjan Station; Jumeirah Golf Estates Station; Dubai Investments Park Station; and the iconic Expo Station.

WASTE-TO-ENERGY: Dubai has also launched its ambitious waste-to-energy project at Warsan area. The Dh2.5-billion project aims to treat 1.82-million tonnes of solid waste annually, with a total capacity to generate 185 MW of electricity. When completed, this will be the world’s largest waste-to-energy plant operating at one site, capable of providing power to 120,000 homes, equivalent to 2,000 skyscrapers the size of Burj Khalifa.

DUBAI SAFARI PARK: This zoo, which re-opened on Monday (September 27, 2021) in Dubai's Warqa 5 district off the Dubai-Hatta Road sits on a former landfill. It has been greened, developed and converted into a refreshing outdoor option, giving tourists and residents yet another avenue to explore. It is currently home to more than 2,600 animals from different species.

DUBAI MIRACLE GARDEN: Millions of flowers in the desert? Go check it for yourself at Dubailand, Dubai, UAE. The garden was launched on Valentine's Day in 2013. It occupies over 72,000 square metres, making it the world's largest natural flower garden, featuring over 50 million flowers and some 250 million plants.