Dubai Energy and Water Authority wants Indian companies to help change its energy dependence from natural gas to a more sustainable mode.
The current power generation, using natural gas, is 8,000 MW. Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy-2030 envisages the total generation mix to be 71 per cent from natural gas, 12 per cent each from clean coal and nuclear power and the balance five per cent from renewable energy.
The requirement is expected to grow over six per cent each year or an incremental 500 MW annually to touch about 18,000 MW in the year 2030.
“Our annual growth rate till 2008 was 12-14 per cent. Now, it has reduced, it is still at about six per cent per annum,” said A.S.A. Hameed, Senior Manager- Contracts, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).
Major companies
Ten major companies such as Nagarjuna, Jyothi Structures, Pratibha Industries and HCL Info Systems have been awarded contracts worth over two billion dirhams ($545 million) since 2008. Besides this, others supplying cables, transformers and conductors also received another two billion dirhams ($545 million) worth of orders, he said.
Post-2008, the government is also open to independent power producers setting up generation facilities either on build-operate-transfer or build-own-operate-transfer mode, he said.
Recently, the first IPP proposal for a 1,200 MW natural gas-based project at Hassyan has been deferred, following the 2030 guidance.
1000 MW SOLAR
Dubai plans to have 1,000 MW of solar power in its energy portfolio, which is solely dependent on natural gas.
The UAE government has earmarked about 120 sq km, near the city, for setting up of a 1,000 MW solar park.
shanker.s@thehindu.co.in