Dubai’s economic boom is focusing Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) on future capacity after electricity demand shot up by a record 9.8% year-on-year in 2Q14. DEWA chief executive Sa’id al-Tayir says “power generation reached 10.692TWh in the second quarter, compared with 9.739TWh in the same period last year.” Mr Tayir says DEWA also set a new generation record in 2Q14, delivering a peak of 6.845GW compared with 6.340GW in 2013, a rise of 8.0%. “Also,” says Mr Tayir, “the recorded consumption peak in Dubai in 2014 has reached 7.233GW in comparison with 6.857GW in 2013, a growth rate of 5.5%. DEWA’s installed capacity is 9.656GW.”
DEWA has a $15bn budget to expand electricity generation and transmission and distribution during 2014-18 (MEES, 8 August). Current capacity is almost all gas-fired, but by 2030 DEWA aims to reduce the gas component to 71%, with 12% from nuclear (to be imported from Abu Dhabi), 12% from coal and 5% from renewables. (CONTINUED - 273 WORDS)
