Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) |56 seminars and panel discussions at WETEX and DSS 2021

The 23rd Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) and Dubai Solar Show (DSS), organised by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), witnessed 56 sessions and seminars, with the participation of many experts and professionals from around the world.

DEWA organised WETEX and DSS 2021 under the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) from 5 to 7 October 2021 at Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The seminars discussed a sustainable future, limiting carbon emissions, the green economy, smart cities, innovation, sustainable development, and benefitting from successful experiences in the energy and water sectors.

In a panel discussion entitled “Post Covid-19 Innovation Outlook” Shukri Eid, Managing Director, Gulf Region – Cisco, said the world went through three stages during the pandemic.

The first stage demonstrated the continuity of work during the lockdown; the second stage was the experience of customers, and the need to develop digital security. During that period, and in the third stage, it became clear to the world that the new normal may continue, so it is vital to ensure the continuity of work and maintain the highest levels of information security.

Eid added that technology has reshaped the world, and Expo 2020 Dubai plays a key role in giving a glimpse into the future and providing opportunities for joint work among individuals and companies, and this is reflected in its theme slogan ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.’

Gavin Van Tonder, the head of Water Sector at Neom presented a session entitled “Changing the Future of Water” in which he explained how Neom is pushing the agenda for more innovative solutions in the water sector. He explained that Neom’s water plans come at a critical juncture for the planet and its relationship with this precious resource, water. The world is consuming water faster than it can be replenished due to population growth. The quality of water is also a growing issue.

Van Tonder listed a number of areas that need to be addressed in order to achieve a real breakthrough in the water issue, such as: regulations, proper use of data, engaging technology providers, and desalination, among others.

Mohammad Bin Sulaiman - Chief Executive Officer – Moro Hub, said that technology reduces costs for companies, and accordingly, the company launched cloud services that reduces costs and converts consumer expenditure into operating expenses. He noted that the company is working with several government and private agencies to provide technical services collectively to raise efficiency and reduce costs.

Walid Yehia, Senior Director Pre-Sales, Dell Middle East, Russia, Africa and Turkey, said that the technology sector has witnessed significant growth in light of the pandemic. Yehia noted that Dell figures show that about 80% of companies worldwide have embarked on digital transformation, while in the UAE, nearly 90% of companies were advanced in this field. Yehia added that the biggest challenge was the continuity of the work of electronic and technical systems with high efficiency,  according to the highest levels of digital security.

Fayez Ibbini - Owner - Alpha Data, said that the pandemic reduced considerable expenses that were intended for travel, meetings and conferences. He added that this saving should be reflected on the employee, as they proved to be the main element of any business.

Aymen Lazreg, Sales Director in the Middle East, Siemens Energy, focused in the session: “Decarbonization in the Future Energy Sector: Hydrogen Capabilities Retrofit”, on worldwide decarbonisation and its direct link to reducing global warming in an attempt to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Lazreg explained, “Globally, we have not yet put the correct procedures in place to achieve the Paris Agreement goals, so we have resorted to hydrogen as a viable solution, and this, in turn, has its own challenges that we are currently addressing.”

Lazreg shared a case study from Germany, which is the Leipzig Süd region powering project through a carbon-free hydrogen production plant. He explained that the main challenges of the project are the development of a new power plant to replace the existing heat supply from the nearby combustion plant and to ensure successive conversion from natural gas to running hydrogen, stressing that the plant is expected to operate on 30 to 50 percent of green hydrogen after only a few years of commercial operation. The long-term goal is to run the facility on 100% green hydrogen. Benefits of the project are high electrical efficiency for the entire plant with reduced emissions, increased fuel consumption flexibility, and competitive life cycle costs.

Dr Bart Bosmans of ACWA Power, keynote speaker at the session: “Disrupting / Emerging / Innovative Technologies in Energy, Water and Environment,” explained how the past few years have seen great strides in developing solutions to raise energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, thanks to increased research and development and enhanced collaboration between various sectors. He stressed that cooperation is the driver of innovation and that technological needs of the future can be summarised in energy efficiency. Bosmans also highlighted that the next generation of energy would be solar photovoltaic and wind turbines, in addition to flexible solutions for the integration of renewable energy sources.

Muammar Al Kathiri, from Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) spoke in the session “Sustainable Initiatives for a Smart City” about the pilot project being implemented in Dubai Silicon Oasis to establish a smart city. The attendees were briefed on a number of implemented initiatives that cover the six dimensions of any smart city: smart environment, smart mobility, smart life, smart people, smart economy, and smart governance. He noted that the vision of this project is to make Dubai Silicon Oasis a pioneering smart community by developing an integrated, sustainable and happy society through cooperation, innovation and technology. Al Kathiri highlighted the various existing projects to achieve this vision, such as: smart waste management, smart poles, autonomous vehicles, and smart irrigation system.

In the session “Sharjah Waste-to-Energy Station - A Success Story”, Alia Al Naqbi from Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) spoke about the experience of converting Sharjah waste to energy, a widely recognised technology that can help mitigate climate change. Al Naqbi explained how the region is one of the fastest-growing regions globally in terms of waste production, with continued urban expansion expected. She noted that the project ensures the conversion of waste to energy at the waste-to-energy plant in Sharjah with the continued economic feasibility of the project, as the power supply is round the clock.

At the ENOC eLink session, Saeed Amiri, Chief Business Officer at ENOC spoke about the importance of corporate resilience, as flexibility is the key to business continuity and ensuring that it keeps pace with changing and accelerating needs. “We live in a world where products go to customers, not the other way around,” said Amiri.

Amiri highlighted the experience of ENOC Link, the comprehensive digital platform for providing vehicle fuel delivery services to companies in the UAE and those affiliated to the ENOC Group, explaining the advantages offered by the service in terms of redefining the refueling experience, and providing many advantages such as access to areas with limited space, entering new markets, enhancing the comfort and well-being of communities, reducing capital expenditures, increasing market share, and more.

Fathma Saleh delivered a session entitled “Enoc Service Station of the Future” with a thorough overview of the world’s first LEED Platinum service station which was inaugurated at Expo 2020 Dubai. 

The station was built to provide an exceptional customer experience. Its design was inspired by the Ghaf tree, the UAE’s tree symbol. The vision behind building this station was to create a symbol of the future, while rooted into the foundation of the UAE’s past, by using next-generation technologies that contribute to Expo 2020 subthemes: Mobility and Sustainability.  The canopy of the station is a sturdy carbon fibre that is powered by solar panels and wind turbine systems and is beautifully lit by energy-saving LED lights. Every single aspect of the station is a testament to sustainability, with many energy-saving technologies embedded in its design.

Finally, Mohamad El Chmouri from Riyadh Cables Group led a session on environment-friendly lead sheath alternatives for 132 kV cables. He explained how the Group managed to address a critical issue and think outside the box to provide an alternative that is more cost-effective, durable, and has enhanced electrical and physical properties.