DEWA briefs high-level German delegation of its efforts to enhance energy and water sustainability

The Research and Development (R&D) Centre of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) received a high-level German delegation headed by Marco Loritz, First Secretary for Economy and Culture at the German Consulate in Dubai. The visiting delegation included Karin Zangerl, Director of the Abu Dhabi Office of the German Emirati Joint Council for Industry & Commerce, along with representatives of a number of leading German companies specialising in hydrogen and renewable energy.

DEWA officials briefed the delegation about the most prominent research papers published by the R&D Centre at international scientific conferences and in journals and peer-reviewed international periodicals, as well as the centre’s portfolio of significant patents registered in areas such as solar energy, smart grid integration, energy efficiency, and water technologies. The delegation also learnt about the advanced uses of electricity and water networks developed by the centre’s researchers under DEWA’s Space-D programme.

DEWA officials provided a detailed explanation about DEWA’s Green Hydrogen project, the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa to use solar power to produce hydrogen. The project consolidates the competitiveness of the UAE and Dubai. The UAE ranks first in green hydrogen competitiveness, according to the Green Hydrogen Report 2024 by Alvarez & Marsal. The delegation also explored the project’s innovative approaches to producing green energy and powering hydrogen-fuelled vehicles, all while reducing carbon emissions. In addition, they reviewed the green hydrogen plant, which was designed and built to accommodate future hydrogen applications across the energy, transport and industrial sectors.

The delegation visited DEWA’s Sustainability and Innovation Centre, which is considered a global incubator for the latest innovation and technologies in clean and renewable energy. Using metaverse technology, officials took the delegation on a virtual tour across the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the independent power producer model.

The visiting German delegation commended DEWA’s initiatives to foster innovation and investment aimed at advancing the energy transition and achieving net zero. They emphasised the significant impact of strategic partnerships and collaborative projects – particularly in the area of hydrogen, which is widely regarded as the fuel of the future and a promising alternative to conventional energy sources – in supporting the security and sustainability of energy and water resources for all.