UTILITY LEADER INSIGHT

WATER-ENERGY NEXUS IN ABU DHABI: AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACCELERATE THE TRANSITION TO A GREEN ECONOMY

By HE Eng. Mohammad Juma bin Jarsh Al Falasi, Undersecretary of Abu Dhabi Department of Energy

Abu Dhabi is committed to pioneering the paradigm shift towards renewable and clean forms of energy - this was one of the key factors in the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE). With a mandate to drive change towards new forms of clean and renewable energy and to provide a comprehensive regulatory framework to implement integrated water resource management and ensure economic, social, and environmental efficiencies, DoE is instrumental in transforming Abu Dhabi’s energy and water sectors. Today, as we rebuild from the Covid-19 pandemic, we recognize more than ever the need to decarbonize our energy and water infrastructures, to promote sustainable consumption and production of essential resources, and to enhance our resilience to climate change.

We’ve launched our energy diversification drive propped up by a number of key projects and policies that accelerate the shift to clean and renewable sources of energy in line with the UAE Energy Strategy 2050. We are aiming for clean energy to cater to 50% of the UAE’s energy needs, which will have 44% from renewable energy and the remaining 6% from nuclear sources.

The emirate’s nuclear programme for instance was part of this drive. The delivery of the first unit of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant marks the beginning of a new era in Abu Dhabi’s energy history.

The Barakah Nuclear Power Plant is expected to bring 5.6 GW of clean energy to the Abu Dhabi power mix and offset more than 21 million tons of greenhouse emissions per year when fully operational.

In parallel with these renewable and nuclear energy developments, there are key developments in our water sector driven by a need to ensure water security and by the energy-water nexus.

We have government-led initiatives to reduce per capita water usage and rationalize water demand through wastewater re-use, reduction of consumption, minimization of losses in public supply and improving water use efficiency in the irrigation networks.

The water stress challenge in the UAE is intensified by its nexus with energy. As we all know, energy is required across the water value chain. We use energy for water abstraction, desalination, transportation, utilization, and disposal.

The water stress challenge in the UAE is intensified by its nexus with energy. As we all know, energy is required across the water value chain. We use energy for water abstraction, desalination, transportation, utilization, and disposal. As the climate debate intensifies, and the urgency for decarbonization grows, the delivery of the Barakah project is very timely. Abu Dhabi’s flagship Noor Abu Dhabi Solar PV Plant is one of the world’s largest solar PV plants at 1,177 MW installed capacity that alone delivers about 5.6% of the emirate’s energy requirements. In addition, the 2-GW Al Dhafra Solar PV project – the biggest single-site solar PV plant in the world set to be completed by 2022 - will bring the total solar power generation capacity in the emirate to 3.2GW.

With our limited natural water resources, desalination remains one of the few long-term sources of potable water to meet the demand from our growing population and economic activity.

The irrigation sector accounts for the largest part of water consumption and withdrawals; and desalination is a highly energy-intensive process.

We have nine desalination plants with a total capacity of up to 960 million imperial gallons per day. Over 85% of the water in Abu Dhabi is produced via thermal desalination in gas fired co-generation plants, that are also energy-intensive and depend on traditional fuels.

Four of our current desalination plants in Abu Dhabi utilize Reverse Osmosis technology and represent around 15% of the emirate’s desalinated water production. This share is

expected to grow to 30% by 2022 when the new Dh2bn RO desalination facility at the Al Taweelah Power Complex comes online. It will deliver a capacity of 200 million imperial gallons a day and it is important to note that 41MW of Solar PV will supply the project with electricity.

Al Taweelah Power Complex is an example of how we are using the connection between water and energy as an opportunity to drive sustainability. We recognize the environmental impact of desalination and, therefore, we capitalize on continued innovation in desalination technologies, brine reduction techniques, and new water demand management strategies. By integrating renewable energy in the production management of the water sector we will improve security and accelerate the transition to a green economy.

About the Author

His Excellency Eng. Mohammad Juma Bin Jarsh Al Falasi is Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE), a government body mandated to enable the UAE capital’s energy transition towards a more sustainable future. Considered by industry peers as a foremost authority in the power and water sectors, he has been instrumental in driving the DoE’s mandate and rolling out its vision to power Abu Dhabi’s economy, sustain its people and protect its environment.

He has more than 24 years’ experience incorporating leadership positions at TRANSCO, Emirates Water & ElectricityCompany, Abu Dhabi Distribution Company and DEWA. He also serves on several boards such as the GCC Interconnection Authority, and the Water Treatment Committee of the Abu Dhabi Government.

Al Falasi holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering sciences from the University of Colorado, Denver, USA with the distinction of being the first UAE electrical engineer considered an expert in managing electrical networks technically and economically.