The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy has reaffirmed its commitment to strive for low carbon emissions and green energy, as well as to push for reducing the emirate’s energy needs.
“We expect to achieve 8-10% savings in energy demand by 2020,” Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Energy, said at a recent meeting of the Dubai government body.
The Executive Committee of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy held its 10th meeting, chaired by Al Muhairbi, at the Council’s headquarters.
The meeting was attended by representatives of key government and private stakeholders, including Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and vice chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Abdullah Rafi, assistant general manager for Electricity and Water Planning at Dubai Municipality, Faisal Ali Rashid, Director of Demand Side Management at the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Shamma Al Rahmah, manager of business planning and performance management at Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), and Basil Saad, a representative of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
“In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to enhance sustainable development in Dubai, and in accordance with the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to make Dubai a global hub for clean energy and a green economy, The Executive Committee of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy is committed to enabling Dubai to achieve the lowest carbon footprint in the world,” Al Tayer said at the meeting.
“The Committee discussed the progress in collecting data from 100 buildings in Dubai in cooperation with many stakeholders. Through this initiative, we are analysing the combined use of electricity and water to formulate a roadmap for energy use in Dubai,” Al Tayer explained.
During the meeting, the Council decided to form ‘The Green Purchase Committee’ during Q1 2016 as well organise the purchasing processes for products related to electricity and water for all member companies.
“We also discussed the progress of innovative policy development to speed up the process of the Demand Side Management Strategy,” Al Tayer said.
The Demand Side Management Strategy was launched by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy in June 2013. The Executive Committee of the Council is responsible for implementing it and supporting its member companies.
The energy demand-side management strategy uses enabling mechanisms in line with international best practices and similar programmes implemented globally. These include organisations, capacity-building, public awareness and appropriate policy and regulatory frameworks, information systems and measurement, and suitable funding mechanisms for Dubai.
“The Demand Side Management Strategy is the first of its kind in the region. It provides new job opportunities for different energy service companies, and other businesses interested in sustainability and efficiency,” Al Tayer said.
“The strategy has nine programmes to manage energy demand. These include green building regulations, retrofitting existing buildings, district cooling, wastewater reuse, laws and standards to raise efficiency, energy-efficient street-lighting, and Shams Dubai initiative to regulate the generation of solar energy in buildings,” he added.
