Department of Energy Chairman H.E. Awaidha Al Marar delivers keynote address at WGES

Dubai: His Excellency Eng. Awaidha Al Marar, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) delivered a key note speech to delegates attending the opening ceremony of the World Green Energy Summit (WGES), today.

The full speech is as follows:

Year-after-year, the World Green Economy Summit has reaffirmed its position as a leading global forum on the green economy, successfully cementing its role in establishing the principles of cooperation and partnership among all stakeholders around the world as we strive towards the creation of a green future.

We are partners united by a shared goal - which is to continue to support the green economy... and to strengthen the contribution of the energy, water, environment and sustainability sectors in this regard…

In the midst of rapid urban development, population growth and economic diversification, the UAE has recognized that combatting environmental problems and preserving natural resources are key constituents in the process of achieving sustainable growth and ensuring prosperity for all….This has inspired the government to work tirelessly to maintain the highest sustainability and green economy standards across all sectors and stages of planning and developmental projects’ implementation.

At Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, we are proud to participate in these efforts and to contribute to the success of local and global efforts to protect the environment and sustain natural resources by setting policies, systems and strategies that aim to leverage the energy sector’s strengths to build a green economy.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our country has been blessed with oil wealth... and our leadership has committed to safeguarding this blessing and managing it to achieve prosperity now and in the future….

This commitment has enabled us to lead a successful and eventful journey of social and economic development that recently led us to the International Space Station.

To continue this success and ensure the sustainability of future generations, it has been necessary to focus on the energy sector as a key driver in advancing the development journey by reformulating its strategies to meet the requirements of the next period, for which the green economy is paramount.

To this end, limiting oil and gas usage has become a strategic priority for Abu Dhabi. ADNOC has succeeded in significantly reducing gas consumption, which at times reached as low as 0% as in the Zakum fields.

Efforts in Abu Dhabi have also included the implementation of the carbon capture and storage plan, enabling the reuse of captured carbon, which helps reduces the acceleration of climate change and lowers the demand for petroleum.

Additionally, the emirate has made major strides towards the transition to clean and renewable energy and supporting environmental sustainability by investing in solar and nuclear energy projects.

This is exactly what the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 outlines.  It aims to increase the contribution of clean and renewable energy in UAE to 50% and reduce the carbon footprint through power generation by 70% by 2050.

Our efforts in Abu Dhabi are fully in line with the objectives of the UAE Federal Strategy.

In fact, we have already begun to put our plans in place with the opening of Masdar City in 2006 ...

We have continued with this single-minded focus to diversify our energy sources.

Recently we announced the operation of Noor Abu Dhabi plant, which will provide 2.6% of the electric power in the UAE in 2020.

We have also announced a solar power plant with double capacity of up to 2GW in Al Dhafra in Abu Dhabi.

In addition, we have invested a huge amount in nuclear power projects, which are expected to contribute 6% of the total energy in the UAE by 2050 ...  We expect the four reactors in Barakah to reduce carbon emission by an equivalent of taking 3,2 million cars off the roads.

And we have projects on battery energy storage systems for which we opened, earlier this year, the first central control center in the world to store energy with a capacity of 108 MWh.

These projects speak volumes about our dedication to investing in developing solar, PV and nuclear energy sources, which will significantly accelerate the realization of green economy goals.

Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Abu Dhabi Department of Energy was established in 2018 as part of the process of restructuring the sector and supporting the strategy of economic diversification in the emirate... 

Our focus is not only on diversifying the sources of electrical energy and enhancing its efficiency, but also improving the efficiency of the water sector, especially maintaining water resources and enhancing water security, which are vital to creating a sustainable future.

The capacity to meet rising water demand is a key pillar of economic growth. Preserving water resources according to the highest environmental standards is one of the requisites of achieving a sustainable economy.

In this context, we have strived to utilize technology and innovation to boost efficiency across the water sector by expanding our application of reserve osmosis distillation technology over conventional methods.

We have launched a new desalination plant in Taweelah power and water complex with a capacity of 200 million imperial gallons per day... a qualitative and quantitative addition... this technology will increase the desalination capacity in the Emirate from 13% currently to 30% by the end of 2022.

On the regulatory side of our business... we have worked on laying down policies and systems that align with green economy efforts. We launched the Recycled Water Policy this year, which will conserve natural resources and groundwater... as well as support Abu Dhabi's efforts to increase the use of recycled water to 100% by 2030.

We recently launched the Abu Dhabi Demand Side Management and Energy Rationalisation Strategy 2030, which consists of 9 major programs that aim to reduce electricity consumption by 22% and water by 32% by 2030… It also contributes to reducing carbon emissions and increasing the reliance on clean energy sources in Abu Dhabi.

The strategy is mainly built around encouraging conservation practices among consumers by intensifying awareness campaigns on the importance of water and electricity rationalization for the environment. Such campaigns aim to strengthen the sense of responsibility among community members to ensure future generations the right to these resources.

Aligned with the DoE’s objectives to bolster efficiency and environmental sustainability, the programs featured in the strategy were carefully developed. These include a scheme that provides for the renovation of government buildings in Abu Dhabi by boosting the efficiency of cooling, lighting and water systems to help limit their carbon footprint, yield significant savings, and reduce expenses by over 30%.

The strategy also included the Building Regulation program and the application the ‘Estidama’ Pearl Rating System, requiring new buildings to maintain a 1-pearl rating and government-owned buildings to maintain a 2-pearl rating.

To complement these efforts, we launched the Energy Efficiency Policy regulating government entities, which aims at establishing a framework to enable Abu Dhabi government entities to take effective steps that help reduce water and electricity consumption and achieve water and energy efficiency.

That’s not everything. We have also issued regulations on the district cooling sector ... which will contribute to reduced electricity consumption by up to 40% compared to the best traditional cooling devices and thus reduce the levels of carbon dioxide emission in electrical energy plants.

To increase the pace of our journey into the future, we have provided new sustainable transport means, in line with our endeavours to secure a pollution-free environment and to meet green economy targets.

An example is our efforts to plan the future of electric vehicles – EVs- and achieve a 40% rate of electric vehicles in the emirate by 2035 … our first ventures include a government programme to increase the use of EVs in government-owned fleets, supported by existing infrastructure of over 100 charging stations across 50 locations as a first phase.

Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The strategies, programs and initiatives we have adopted in Abu Dhabi and the UAE are a clear testament to our commitment and belief in the need to develop and update the energy sector.

They reiterate our keenness to benefit from advanced solutions, research and technologies driven by innovation and sustainability.

At the Department of Energy, we believe in the importance of working and cooperating to exchange experiences, coordinate efforts and use all resources to find effective solutions to achieve the desired transformation in the energy sector ... and thus enhance its contribution to the development of a green economy …

Let me therefore invite you all to mark the World Green Economy Summit as the start of a new phase of cooperation that will serve our mutual interests and common goals…

Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I invite you all to find shared ground and pass on knowledge and experiences that will help us find solutions to our common challenges ...

The energy sector is the lifeblood and the driving force of development … 

By working together as a team, all energy sector stakeholders can ensure a better future for our current and next generations.

Thank you for your attention – I wish you all every success at this summit.

May God bless you!

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© Press Release 2019