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Dubai to power ahead on peaceful N-energy

Dubai plans a long-term strategy to focus on peaceful nuclear energy and clean coal to meet the emirate’s future power demand, a senior official of the emirate’s top energy planning body said.

Dubai will meet 20 per cent of energy needs from nuclear energy and another 20 per cent from clean coal, Saeed Al Tayer, Vice-Chairman of the Supreme Energy Council, said on Wednesday at the launch of Dubai Global Energy Forum 2011. The Government of Dubai said in June it aimed to diversify power-generation sources and improve efficiency to ensure an adequate energy supply through 2030.

Nuclear energy could account for about 20 per cent of Dubai’s needs with coal plants generating another 20 per cent, Al Tayer, who is also chief executive officer of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, or Dewa, said.

“Clean coal is more efficient and cleaner and we can’t just rely on gas. Dubai wants to now invest in clean coal; initially we need one project for an extra 1,000-2,000 megawatts,” Al Tayer said.

The Dewa aims to issue a tender in the first quarter of next year for the construction of a new gas-fired power plant, Al Tayer said.

The state-owned utility is seeking international investors to build a 1,500-megawatt power plant and water desalination facility at Hassyan on the border with Abu Dhabi.

The Dewa has also tendered for a consulting contract for a three-month study to look at clean coal-fired power generation technology, Al Tayer said. The tender, to be awarded next month, would seek to determine which coal technologies that limit emissions of carbon dioxide gasses would suit the emirate.

“The Supreme Council of Energy pays great attention to the important issues of the energy sector, such as power generation and water desalination according to the goal of enhancing Dubai’s production capacity to keep pace with the growing demand for power in the emirate,” he said.

abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com

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