Dubai: The 23rd Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) and Dubai Solar Show (DSS) was a resounding success, with visitors at the three-day event surpassing pre-pandemic levels, a senior official from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said here on Thursday.
The event inaugurated on Tuesday by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, attracted more than 1,200 companies from 55 countries. In terms of footfall, 45,506 visitors from around the world attended the event, noted Jassim Ali Abdulla Rajab, Dewa Financial Controller and Head of Finance and Visitors Committee of Wetex 2021.
“This (number of visitors) has surpassed our 2019 edition,” Rajab told Gulf News, adding: “This is a record for a specialised exhibition, a proof that Dubai and the UAE have already come out of the pandemic that has affected the world for almost two years.”
The main objective of WETEX, held under the theme, ‘At the Forefront of Sustainability’, was to bring together experts and specialists as well as companies to discuss market requirements and trends to accelerate global transition to renewable and clean energy.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Dewa managing director and CEO and the Founder and Chairman of WETEX and Dubai Solar Show, earlier said: “WETEX and Dubai Solar Show are important for organisations and investors in the water, environment, oil, gas, conventional and renewable energy, green development and relevant sectors from the region and the world to showcase their solutions and products, make deals, build partnerships, and promote green technologies. Held in conjunction with Expo 2020 Dubai, this also provided an opportunity to showcase Dewa’s leading global achievements to visitors. It provided an ideal platform to enhance collaborations with Dewa and help develop its business in the Mena [Middle East and North Africa] region,” he added.
Dewa showcased the following projects and initiatives:
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park: The largest single-site solar park in the world with a planned capacity of 5,000 megawatts (MW) in 2030. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, recently inaugurated the first stage of the Solar Park’s fifth phase, increasing Dewa’s total capacity from clean energy to 1,310MW and the clean energy share in Dubai’s energy mix to 10 per cent. Dewa’s electricity generation capacity has reached 13,200MW and 490 million gallons of water per day (MIGD).
Dewa’s Space D-Programme: This features a ground station at the solar park as well as IoT (internet of things) and AI (artificial intelligence) technologies to support ground communication transmission stations in electricity and water networks. By deploying this infrastructure, Dewa seeks to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its planning and operations and enhance preventive maintenance at its production, transmission, distribution divisions as well as its smart grids and electric vehicle charging stations.
Green Hydrogen project: A pioneering project implemented in collaboration between Dewa, Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens Energy at the outdoor testing facilities of the Solar Park. It is the first project of its kind in the Mena region to produce hydrogen from solar power.
Pioneering projects in Hatta: These include the hydroelectric power plant, the first of its kind in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to generate electricity using stored water in the Hatta Dam. The station’s production capacity will reach 250MW. It will have a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours. Dewa’s projects in Hatta also include Dubai Summit, and Hatta Sustainable Waterfalls (the water used in the waterfall will be collected at the end of the stream, recycled, and pumped back to the top of the dam).
Net Zero-Energy Buildings: These include Dewa’s Sustainable Building, the first sustainable government building in the UAE and the largest government building in the world certified by LEED; Al-Shera’a (Arabic for sail) Building, Dewa’s new headquarters, which will be the tallest, largest, and smartest Zero-Energy government building in the world; the Innovation Centre; R&D Centre; Smart Grids Station (SGS); Moro Hub (Data Hub Integrated Solutions LLC ) in Jebel Ali; and the Distribution Power Division Complex in Al Ruwayyah.
Solar Decathlon Middle East: Dewa is organising the second Solar Decathlon Middle East (SDME) to design solar-powered buildings in conjunction with Expo 2020 Dubai under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, as part of a partnership between Dewa, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), and the US Department of Energy.
Smart Grid Strategy: Dewa’s Smart Grid Strategy 2021-2035 includes six main themes: Foundational Capabilities; Grid Automation; Smart Energy Solutions and Green Mobility; Smart Water; Artificial Intelligence; and Innovative Value-Added Services. The Smart Grid Strategy themes comprise 19 smart grid capabilities.
Shams Dubai: This initiative aims to encourage building owners to install solar photovoltaic panels to produce clean energy and connect it to Dewa’s grid.
Duroob smart app: The mobile Geographical Information System (GIS) application developed specifically for field staff to use data in their mobile devices to view, navigate, analyse, edit and capture the data from the site.
Smart Living initiative: This helps customers adopt a sustainable lifestyle, digitally and proactively monitor their water and electricity usage, and resolve any issues causing excessive waste without contacting Dewa.
EV (electric vehicle) Green Charger: This initiative has provided the first public infrastructure for EV chargers in the region. Customers can access Dewa’s green charger stations, which have reached more than 300 stations across Dubai, through Dewa’s website or mobile app.
Storing desalinated water in a subterranean basin: Dewa is building a subterranean water basin to store 6,000 million gallons of water that can be retrieved when needed. This will provide the emirate with a strategic reserve of over 50 million gallons of water per day in emergencies, while ensuring the quality of the stored water remains unaffected by external factors.
Smart and innovative applications: Dewa is showcasing its key smart applications, including the smart field app it uses to guide field staff to view, navigate, analyse, and collect information from the field about over-ground and under-ground network assets, with 3D, offline and crew tracking capabilities. Dewa also has GIS Tools & Dashboards for Analysis and Decision Making, a portfolio of advanced GIS tools and dashboards that help in decision making and advanced analytics.
Shams station at the Solar Park: Dewa’s 400/132 kV substation ‘Shams’ at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park uses the latest digital technologies. It has a conversion capacity of 2020 megavolt-amperes (MVA) with 223 kilometres of 400kV overhead lines to connect with Dewa’s network.
Sandblasting Robotic Arm: The sand jet robotic arm cleans distribution equipment, such as transformers and low volt switchboards, removing wear, dust and rust, and prepares it for painting and repair. The arm is environmentally friendly, easy to use and very precise, in addition to its role in reducing human time and risks.
