Two energy projects to boost electric power for Fujairah

Two huge energy projects, which are under way, will provide the emirate with more than sufficient electricity once they are completed, said a top official.

Mohammed Obeid bin Majid, Director of Fujairah Department of Industry and Economy, told Gulf News that the emirate, and indeed the whole country, "will be flooded with electricity" once the Fujairah Desalination and Power Plant project and the Fujairah Renewable Energy project, generated by setting up wind farms, are completed. Both projects are environmentally friendly and will produce clean energy.

"There will be mutual cooperation in organising the power produced by these two major projects," said bin Majid.

He pointed out that the electricity will be useful in the electrical linking of GCC countries – a project expected to be carried out in the next two years.

"The two huge projects will be very helpful for Fujairah, and the whole UAE, for the coming years as the demand for electricity is still high," said bin Majid, adding that extra electricity will be sold through the project to link GCC countries electrically. This will help improve the emirate's economy as well, he said.

While work is still in progress at the Fujairah Water Desalination and Power Plant in Qidfa, the Fujairah Department of Industry and Economy has completed the installation of six of seven towers to measure wind speed, as a preliminary step in the Fujairah Renewable Energy project, which envisages the setting up of four wind farms.

Bin Majid said data is being collected on wind speeds, strengths, duration and is being sent to the Spanish company supervising the project. This data is also being analysed at UAE University.

"In 18 to 24 months, an evaluation study will be carried out by the Spanish company to determine whether the project is economically feasible or not," he noted.

He said there have been initial discussions with the federal government, represented by the Ministry of Electricity and Water, and the newly-formed Union Water and Electricity Company, to sell them the electricity generated in Fujairah at encouraging prices, in order to link it with the UAE main electrical grid.