DEWA and Shell explore co-operation to advance clean energy and green economy goals

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD&CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), welcomed a high-level delegation from Shell, led by Fakher Bader, Country Chair for Iraq and the UAE. The delegation included Geraldine Wessing, Chief Political Analyst – Strategy Insights & Scenarios; and  Hessa Abdulla, MENA Media Lead.

The meeting centered on Shell’s latest report, The 2025 Energy Security Scenarios: Energy and Artificial Intelligence, which explores how AI could reshape global energy systems through three distinct pathways: Archipelagos, Horizon, and Surge. These scenarios are vital tools for strategic decision-making, helping stakeholders anticipate future challenges, assess risks, and identify opportunities in a rapidly evolving energy landscape. Discussions also highlighted opportunities for synergy in advancing a circular and green economy.Al Tayer shared DEWA’s pioneering projects in clean energy, particularly the ongoing development of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the world’s largest single-site solar park based on the independent power producer (IPP) model. Its current capacity is 3,860 megawatts (MW), with a planned capacity of 7,260MW by 2030 (the original plan was 5,000 megawatts).

The 1,800MW sixth phase of the solar park uses the latest bifacial solar photovoltaic technologies with single-axis tracking. This phase, developed under the IPP model, will provide clean energy for approximately 540,000 residences and reduce around 2.36 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

The seventh phase of the solar park will have a capacity of 1,600MW. This phase, which is expandable to 2,000MW, will utilise photovoltaic solar panels and a battery energy storage system with a capacity of 1,000MW for six hours, providing a total storage capacity of 6,000 megawatt-hours. This will make it one of the world’s largest solar-plus-storage projects. Forty-seven international companies have expressed interest in developing the seventh phase, which is based on the IPP model, reflecting global confidence in Dubai’s clean energy roadmap.

Al Tayer also highlighted the Al Shera’a building, DEWA’s new headquarters, which will be the tallest and largest net-positive energy government building in the world. Al Shera’a is designed to achieve platinum certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and silver certification in the WELL Building Standard. The building will leverage advanced technologies including the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics and AI, alongside modern renewable energy solutions that ensure outstanding efficiency.

He also underlined DEWA’s remarkable achievements in adopting AI technologies. DEWA has launched a strategic roadmap to become the world’s first AI-native utility, integrating artificial intelligence across all core operations. This supports DEWA’s global leadership, ranking first worldwide in 12 key performance indicators in its areas of work. In 2024, DEWA recorded the world’s lowest electricity transmission and distribution network losses at 2%, compared to 6% to 7% in Europe and the USA. Water transmission and distribution losses were also the lowest globally, at 4.5%. Additionally, DEWA set a world record for the lowest customer minutes lost (CML), achieving 0.94 minutes per year, compared to an average of 15 minutes in the European Union.

Fakher Bader affirmed Shell’s commitment to supporting the UAE’s clean energy transition. He added: Shell is pleased to share insights from our 2025 Energy Security Scenarios with DEWA. These scenarios are designed to spark dialogue and offer perspectives on how emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, can accelerate the energy transition. AI has the potential to optimize energy systems, enhance resilience, and unlock new efficiencies. By engaging in these forward-looking conversations, we aim to support the UAE’s ambitions for a smarter, more sustainable energy future. As outlined in Shell’s 2025 Energy Security Scenarios, artificial intelligence is a powerful enabler, accelerating decarbonization, optimizing energy systems, and unlocking new efficiencies.