Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) | Dubai Municipality, DEWA sign Power Purchase Agreement to buy electricity from Dubai Waste Management Centre

In the presence of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), and HE Abdullah Al Basti, Secretary General of Dubai Executive Council, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of DSCE, and MD&CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and HE Dawoud Al Hajri, Director General of Dubai Municipality, signed a 35-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPP) from Dubai Waste Management Centre (DWMC), the world’s largest and most efficient waste-to-energy centre. The new agreement between DEWA and Dubai Municipality aims to support Dubai Government's directions in the field of clean and sustainable energy, serve sustainability and the circular economy, as well as enhance cooperation between the two sides. The agreement was signed during the World Government Summit 2023 in Dubai. A number of officials from DEWA and Dubai Municipality were also present on the occasion.

HE Al Tayer said, “This agreement is in line with the announcement by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, declaring 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’ in the UAE. This also supports the announcement by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, declaring ‘Environment and its Sustainability’ among 5 government priorities for 2023. DEWA has undertaken a vital role in developing the power purchase agreement as per the best practices and to benefit from the expertise gained through the successful Independent Power Producer (IPP) model.”

HE Al Tayer added, "This agreement is part of our efforts to promote green economy and achieve the goals of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to provide 25% of Dubai's energy from clean sources by 2030, and 100% by 2050. DSCE and DEWA work with Dubai Municipality, to develop this unique project,  which is a key milestone in waste treatment and integrating waste-to-energy technologies, in line with the UAE’s sustainable development goals.”

HE Al Hajri said, “We are pleased to cooperate with DEWA, to sell the energy produced from the DWMC, which reflects the efforts of the Emirate of Dubai to promote sustainability and protect the environment, by recycling waste and converting it into products and energy, that can be used in materializing the model of the circular economy, as an embodiment of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai one of the most sustainable cities in the world.”

HE Al Hajri added, “Dubai Municipality is keen to develop its strategic relationships and partnerships with various entities and partners, in a way that contributes to enhancing the level of its services, which meet the current and future aspirations and needs of the emirate of Dubai, especially in the field of clean energy.”

Dubai Municipality endeavors to contribute to making Dubai one of the first cities in the world in reducing the carbon footprint, by developing strategies and implementing the necessary initiatives to transform its assets into sustainable ones, in order to embody the Municipality's commitment to achieving sustainable development goals, and the importance of supporting COP28, in conjunction with the declaration by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, declaring 2023 as the ‘Year of Sustainability’ in the UAE.

The agreement provides for strengthening cooperation between the Municipality and DEWA to sell the energy produced from the DWMC, and to provide strategic and vital support for the project, in addition to purchasing all the electrical energy produced, and supplied and reached to the 132 Kv Warsan substation, on an ongoing basis.

The production unit of the project will also be added to the list of the main production units of DEWA, in order to ensure maximum utilization of its production capabilities that are always available to supply the electricity grid.

The agreement contributes to supporting the project and achieving the sustainability of the assets, as the generated energy will be used to operate the DWMC and the Warsan Wastewater Treatment Plant, in addition to developing plans to manage the operations of the wastewater treatment plants so that they are a sustainable plant, by increasing the efficiency of treatment operations and reducing their costs by 50%, and reduced operating costs of the plant by 30%.

The initiatives to convert sewage treatment plants into sustainable and self-sufficient plants are among the most important supportive initiatives in this field, as the Warsan Wastewater Treatment Plant will be the first of its kind in this field in the UAE.