Advancing towards clean energy utilisation

Ashish Chaturvedy, Head of Marketing explains the country’s resilience, rebranding, growth, expansion plans and agenda for the show. Excerpts from the interview:

How has the UAE’s energy vision shifted in the past 10 years? What has caused this shift, and how has Ducab supported it?

The UAE launched the National Energy Strategy 2050 in 2017, intending to increase the contribution of clean energy sources in the total capacity mix to 50 per cent by 2050. This goes hand in hand with UAE’s Vision 2021 strategic plan to generate 27 per cent of its energy requirements from clean sources. Additionally, the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 aims to provide 75 per cent of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy sources by 2050.

Ducab Group is proud to contribute to this ecosystem as a key supplier of cable solutions and materials for the UAE’s energy industry. We have a well-established and growing portfolio of offerings tailored for solar, nuclear, and wind segments. We are actively creating energy for change, an example of this would include the UAE’s flagship project the Barak Nuclear Energy Plant and Korea Hydro Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) for the Shin Hanul 1 and 2 nuclear power plant.

How is Ducab stay in line with the UAE’s sustainability vision?

We look at sustainability from two positions. One is being a key supplier of cables and solutions to the UAE’s alternative energy projects. In addition, Ducab Group is advancing clean energy utilisation within our manufacturing process and supply chains. For instance, we officially launched a solar plant in 2020 to power our operations. Located in Jebel Ali, it was developed in partnership with Etihad ESCO, and can produce enough energy to meet the needs of 500 homes, or sufficient to run the Ducab PVC plant on site. Ducab also supplied more than 35km of custom 22 kV standard IEC 60502-2 MV cables to Dhofar Wind Power project in Oman, as well as supplying Galloper Wind Farm project in the UK.

How did Ducab support the UAE during Covid-19?

Ducab remained has fully operational throughout the pandemic, contributing to the national economy whilst carefully implementing all recommended safety and precautionary protocols. The group maintained overall profitability throughout the period — with a 36 per cent profit increase year-on-year in 2020.

Moreover, Ducab is committed to promoting the “Made in the Emirates” brand. Buying locally made products delivers greater sustainability benefits for projects, including lower transportations costs, reduced emissions, and more. Buying local products also creates in-country value, injecting money into the UAE’s economy that would otherwise go overseas. Ducab works with leading partners across the entire UAE industrial value chain such as EGA, KIZAD, Borouge, and others. Additionally, Ducab continues to strengthen the participation of Emirati youth in the industrial sector.

How is Ducab evolving to meet its customer demands?

Ducab continuously invests in R&D and seeks ways to develop and diversify its business. Ducab HV has upgraded its laboratory facilities into an extra high voltage development facility, with a vision to support local science and innovation efforts. Ducab is a recipient of several globally recognised standards and certifications, including ISO 9000, ISO 14001:2004, OHSAS 18001:2007, and others.

What can visitors look forward to seeing from Ducab during WETEX 2021?

We are showcasing a full range of Ducab custom-made solutions to suit the needs of wind, solar and nuclear energy sectors, in addition to the existing utilities sector. Our people are also presenting various use cases of how these solutions have been applied within flagship projects in the UAE and globally. Moreover, we recently underwent a corporate rebranding for Ducab Group. We are excited for WETEX participants to see our new visual identity, vision, and values for this next chapter of our growth. We’re also excited to showcase our world-class products and solutions including our copper and aluminium wire products, cables and overhead conductors.