Dubai: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has approved a total budget of Dh22.873 billion for 2015, compared to Dh20.560 billion in 2014, aimed at ensuring a reliable supply of electricity and water to meet Dubai’s development plans.
Dewa says the budget will enable it to adopt the best and latest technologies across all its operations to maintain its leading position on a national and international level by providing electricity and water at the highest levels of reliability, efficiency, safety, and sustainability.
As detailed by Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, Managing director and chief executive officer of Dewa, Dh8.28 billion is assigned for capital purchases and projects, compared with Dh7.057 billion in 2014. The 2015 budget includes a number of key projects, the most prominent of which is increasing production capacity of the electricity generation and water desalination plant at K-Station in Jebel Ali by adding two gas turbines to generate 500MW.
The production capacity of the electricity and water generation plant at M-Station in Jebel Ali will also be increased by 700MW. Other projects include building 12 new 132kV substations, extending 272 kilometres of 132kV cables, other power transmission and distribution projects, and smart communication networks.
District meter system
Al Tayer noted that Dh590 million are allocated to water network projects including water reservoirs and transmission networks. Dh175 million are dedicated to developing the water network. This includes extending new networks and introducing a district meter system to monitor leakage and reduce water losses. Dewa’s operational budget for 2015 is Dh13.465 billion, compared to Dh13.151 billion in 2014. The administrative capital budget has been increased to Dh1.380 billion in 2015 from Dh352 million in 2014. Dewa’s current installed capacity is 9,656MW of electricity and 470 MIGD of desalinated water. Peak demand for electricity reached 7233MW in 2014, compared to 6857MW in 2013, which means there is a reserve margin of approximately 2423MW.
Water peak demand in 2014 reached 316 Million Imperial Gallons per Day (MIGD), compared to 296 MIGD in 2013, with a reserve margin of 154 MIGD. Electricity and water reserves contribute to meeting the requirements of Dubai’s large ambitious projects including the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City and other economic and developmental projects.
“This important strategic reserve will significantly contribute to meeting the electricity and water requirements of the economic, commercial, industrial, urban and tourism development projects, reaffirming Dewa’s ability to deliver the Emirate’s water and electricity needs according to the highest standards of efficiency and reliability,” he added.
