WETEX 2013 attracted more than 54 sponsors and over 1,300 government organisations and participating companies.

Unlike the past editions, no new major project announcements were made during the 2013 edition of Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment exhibition (WETEX). However, the Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) entered into by the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) at the event pointed towards the utility's priorities for this year.

MoU with BSH, a compa ny specialised in the provision of home products and appliances:

BSH Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances will promote environment friendly products and sustainable solutions and raise awareness of issues of sustainability among its customers in Dubai. DEWA, in turn, shall provide support for promotional campaigns carried out by BSH in green products.

MoU with OSRAM Middle East to enhance 'green' lighting solutions:

Waleed Salman, EVP-Strategy and Business Development, DEWA, said: "Energy loss in lighting is diminishing in Dubai as a large segment of consumers recognise the importance of adopting rationalising methods in homes and workplaces. We are going to increase this awareness through public campaigns and continual communication with consumers and businesses. We will work with OSRAM Middle East to achieve the objectives of this agreement for a whole year."

MoU with Sharaf DG to raise public awareness on energy conservation: Under the MoU, dedicated Eco-Zones will be created within Sharaf DG main outlets to house eco-friendly home appliances. The company will assist in the dissemination of energy efficiency and water conservation messages under DEWA's Home Appliances Campaign and collaborate in training sessions organised by DEWA for its employees on eco-friendly home appliances.

MoU with LG Electronics:

The MoU sets out the general framework for promoting the concept of sustainability through environment-friendly electronic products and raising awareness of issues of sustainability among all segments of society in Dubai. LG Electronics will organise programmes for DEWA's staff on environment friendly products and solutions.

MoU with Unilever:

As per the memorandum, DEWA will train Unilever promoters on the instructions to rationalise the use of water and energy and provide promotional materials on energy saving devices to be used at the points of sale as well as campaign management promotion of energy-saving devices. The agreement included a commitment from Unilever to activate water conservation, activate energy-saving devices, promote water conservation packages and encourage the campaigns directed for schools and the residential-oriented sectors. Arijit Ghose, Managing Director, Unilever Gulf, said: "Unilever intends to fulfill its commitment to reduce ecological footprint through the full life cycle of their products and this is part of Unilever plan for sustainable living. There is only five per cent of the environmental footprint caused by manufacturers like our company while 68% of which is produced for the consumer.

Hence, we take our responsibility to the partnership with non-governmental organisations and government agencies, as Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, to help educate consumers and thus ensure the best use of our natural resources."

Elsewhere, as part of its strategy to encourage customers to conserve electricity and water consumption, DEWA honoured the winners of the ninth 'Best Consumer Award' during an awards ceremony held at SmarTech Forum which was organised as a part of WETEX. The winners succeeded in saving 9.15 million KW/h of electricity, 49.35 million gallons of water, 5,491 tons of carbon emissions, and AED 5.25million.

Amal Koshak, Senior Manager of Marketing Communications at DEWA said: "DEWA consistently raises awareness about conservation and rational use for electricity and water among the residents of Dubai through launching awareness campaigns throughout the year including 'Earth Hour', 'Eco-friendly Home Appliances' under the theme of 'Do Good to Planet Earth', 'Water Conservation', 'Neighbourhood', 'Peak Load', and 'Power Factor' in addition to many other campaigns. Our initiatives are well received by the residents and have achieved positive results in reducing electricity and water consumption. Launching such campaigns helps in conserving natural resources and saving huge amounts of money."

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of the Emirates Group, unveiled Empower's newest district cooling plant in Business Bay, during the opening ceremony of WETEX. The new cooling plant, which is the first district cooling plant to implement the Dubai Executive Council's guidelines on environmental sustainability, will provide residential and commercial towers with 50,000 refrigeration tonnes (RT) of cooling, with an output of 10,000 RT through thermal storage.

Ahmed Bin Shafar, Empower's CEO, highlighted the unveiling of the new plant's design as a reflection of the company's focus on environmental sustainability. He said: "Empower seeks to accelerate the pace of replacing traditional systems with new environmentally friendly technology, which will conserve precious water resources and decrease our carbon footprint. By utilising reverse osmosis technology, we are treating waste water that is provided to us by Dubai Municipality. This technology allows Empower to provide district cooling solutions that are in line with Dubai Government's long-term strategy to conserve water and reduce consumption of desalinated water."

At WETEX 2013, Wilo, one of the world's leading manufacturers of pumps and pump systems for heating, air-conditioning and cooling as well as for water supply and sewage disposal, presented new milestones. "While customers have the opportunity to get extensive information about the multifarious range of Wilo products, Wilo ME has pressed into service a multidisciplinary team of experts in order to provide up-to-date information about the latest pioneering systems offered," said Hesham Koura, Managing Director.

Dubai Aluminium (Dubal) highlighted its energy-saving successes achieved through implementing a combination of the initiatives mandated by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy in terms of Dubai's 2030 energy conservation strategy and Dubal's own innovations in this area. Borouge showcased at WETEX its portfolio of differentiated range of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) innovative solutions that contribute to enhancing sustainable infrastructural development, addressing global challenges and ensuring an improved environmental footprint.

"The event is an ideal platform for Borouge to highlight our commitment to sustainability by demonstrating our innovative solutions that ensure durability and reliability of infrastructure applications including pipelines and wires and cables," said Hussain Sultan Lootah, Senior Vice President Middle East Africa, Borouge.

Cavotec presented the group's power delivery solutions and Aura long-life lighting solutions that use environmentfriendly fluorescent technology, in line with WETEX 2013's theme of Green Economy for Sustainable Development. Aura's Eco Saver lamps use up to 12% less energy than a standard fluorescent lamp, and have of a life span of up to some 60,000 hours or approximately 13 years in a normal office environment. Offering cost savings for customers amounting to an estimated AED21,000 over its lifetime for every 1,000 Aura Eco Saver lamps, the technology also reduces carbon emissions by two-thirds or up to 52,000 kilogrammes.

Nearly 34 specialised workshops and seminars were also held on the sidelines of the exhibition attracting a huge turnout.

© Power & Water Middle East 2013