Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced that it has allocated $1.15 billion to supply Expo 2020 Dubai with electricity and water as well as support its electricity and water infrastructure projects using the latest smart systems.
According to WAM, DEWA will provide Expo 2020 with about 464 MW of clean energy from the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park (MBR Solar Park). The utility firm is also building a smart grid to become the first network in the world to provide the entire value chain of generation, transmission, and distribution systems to the Expo.
Additionally, it has been reported that DEWA has completed several mega projects as part of being the official sustainability partner for the Expo, including constructing three 132/11 kilovolt substations with 45 kilometres of high-voltage (132kV) cables. The substations are named Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity after the three sub-themes of Expo 2020 Dubai and cost around $114 million.
WAM stated that the firm is also building water-transmission networks with pumping and distribution stations. With a planned budget of $140 million, these projects will increase water-flow rates and ensure an adequate water supply to meet the increasing demands of the Expo.
DEWA is also working on a Green Hydrogen project in collaboration with Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens, which will be built at DEWA’s outdoor testing facilities in the Research and Development Centre at the MBR Solar Park. It has been noted that this project is the first of its kind in the MENA region to produce hydrogen from clean energy, and will promote green economy in the UAE, as well as support DEWA’s efforts to host the most sustainable World Expo.
Meanwhile, DEWA is installing 17 Green Charger stations for electric vehicles at the offices of Expo Dubai, as well as the Opportunity, Sustainability and Mobility pavilions, as part of its efforts to make Expo 2020 Dubai sustainable.
DEWA has also stated that its smart control and distribution substation automation project will aim to provide state-of-the-art infrastructure for electricity distribution networks at the Expo, under Smart Grids. The project is part of the 250 substations connected to the distribution control centre, and will ensure speedy response to reconnect services, improve operations, and enhance the efficiency and reliability of electricity distribution networks at Expo Dubai.
DEWA is also supporting Expo 2020 through the Smart Dubai initiative, with Shams Dubai contributing power from solar arrays installed at Expo 2020. DEWA has received more than 25 installation requests at Expo 2020 Dubai so far, and it noted that this number is expected to double as the launch date approaches.