Dubai plans world's largest solar project

Dubai: The largest Concentrated Solar Power (CPS) project to be built on a single site in the world will begin power generation in Dubai within the next five years, officials announced on Thursday. The long view is that the new CPS site will generate 1,000 megawatts (MW) of power by 2030 as part of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy to generate 75 per cent of Dubai’s power from clean energy by 2050. Concentrated solar power is generated by circular rings of solar mirrors called heliostats that direct sunlight into a central collection tower where the sun’s rays power a steam turbine to generate electricity. The project will surpass the existing world’s largest CPS tower in Morocco that has a power generating capacity of 150MW, senior energy officials said. Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), announced the project at a press conference at Burj Khalifa, pledging a cleaner, self-sufficient future for Dubai through renewable energy..... Read more »

Posted on : 10/18/2016

LED smart lighting for Dubai Canal bridges

Dubai: More than 200 environmentally friendly smart LED lighting units have been installed on the Dubai Canal bridges, with more planned in Dubai in the future, RTA said on Sunday. Salem Al Rimawi, Roads, Lighting and Traffic Signal manager, said the smart LED lighting posts save at least 50 per cent more energy than normal lamp posts, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. “The lighting units have a remote control and monitoring system that reduces the cost of operations and maintenance,” Al Rimawi said at Gitex Technology Week, explaining that each unit sends data wirelessly to the control room, so there is no need to send teams to physically inspect the units, thereby reducing maintenance costs. “When there is an issue the system will alert us. We will send someone, but there is no need for routine visits,” he said. The units also allow the RTA to control the intensity of the light remotely if needed, which also helps in conserving energy..... Read more »

Posted on : 10/18/2016

Kuwait approves plan to set up its 'largest oil company'

Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI) has approved a request by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) to set up what would become the country’s largest oil company. The Kuwait Integrated Petrochemical Industries Company will have a capital of $6bn (KD1.8bn) of which 25 percent, $1.5bn (KD450mn), is paid, reported Kuwait News Agency KUNA. The new company will have a production capacity of around 615,000 barrels per day, according to Kuwait’s Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery deputy chief executive officer Ahmed Al-Jeemaz. Al-Jeemaz added 40 percent of its production will be devoted to low-sulfur fuel power stations. .... Read more »

Posted on : 10/18/2016

Dubai Lamp to replace 10m bulbs by 2021

Dubai: The world’s most energy-efficient and commercially available LED lamp has been launched in and named after Dubai, officials said on Wednesday. The emirate plans to replace 10 million conventional lamps in buildings here with the Dubai Lamp by 2021, reducing 90 per cent of energy used for lighting and 640,000 tonnes of carbon emission. The Dubai Lamp was unveiled at the ongoing Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (Wetex 2016) on Wednesday. A family of eight LED lamps, the Dubai Lamp is a joint initiative of Philips Lighting and Dubai Municipality. The product was unveiled by Hussain Nasser Lootah, director-general of Dubai Municipality, and Paolo Cervini, president, Philips Lighting Middle East and Turkey. Officials said the Dubai Lamp is the result of a research partnership between the two entities resulting in the development of the world’s first commercially available LED lamp which can produce 200 lumen per Watt. By replacing conventional bulbs with Dubai Lamp, households and enterprises can reduce energy used by up to 90 per cent, officials said. Besides raising light and energy efficiency to new levels, they said, Dubai Lamp is extremely durable with an average lifespan of up to 15 times longer than conventional lamps. Available in widely used shapes and colours, the lamps will be widely available in Dubai before the end of the year in four versions (see the box), both in cool daylight and warm white colours..... Read more »

Posted on : 10/18/2016

UAE's Masdar, MIT develop solar technology 'without sunlight'

A team of researchers from the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi and the US-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a low-cost solar thermal energy conversion system that can easily generate steam from sunlight. The solar conversion system can help make technologies that rely on steam, like seawater desalination, wastewater treatment, residential water heating, medical tool sterilization and power generation, more efficient and affordable, news agency WAM reported. The new receiver device floats on water, converting 20 percent of incoming solar energy into steam at 100 degrees Celsius without expensive optical concentration devices and is made of cheap, commercially available materials, including bubble wrap and a polystyrene (plastic) foam, it added. "This project is an excellent demonstration of how international collaboration and use-inspired research can yield cutting-edge scientific findings that have direct applications to the sectors that are at the core of the UAE’s continued evolution toward an innovation and knowledge-based economy," said Dr Steve Griffiths, vice president for Research and Associate Provost at the Masdar Institute..... Read more »

Posted on : 10/18/2016

Saudi ACWA Power aims to build 340 MW wind plant in Turkey

Saudi Arabia-based power and water project developer ACWA Power is aiming to build a 340 megawatt (MW) wind power plant in Turkey, the head of its Turkish has said, as Riyadh and Ankara seek to deepen their energy ties. ACWA is a new entrant to the burgeoning Turkish electricity market, where demand is growing 4-5 percent annually. It is already building a 950 MW gas power plant near the capital Ankara, due to be operational in the second quarter next year. Abid Hussain Malik, head of ACWA Power's Turkish unit, said in an interview late on Wednesday that the company wants to diversify into renewables in Turkey. "(Provided) that the licence is awarded this year as we project, we want to invest in a 340 MW capacity wind power plant," he said..... Read more »

Posted on : 10/18/2016

Abu Dhabi receives six bids to build 350MW solar plant

Abu Dhabi has received six bids to build a 350 megawatt solar plant in the emirate, one of which was cited by the Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA) as equating to the lowest cost for solar power generation by a commercial project. The proposed Sweihan plant east of Abu Dhabi is part of efforts by the UAE capital to diversify its energy base into renewables as it seeks to generate 7 percent of its power from green methods by 2020. Of the six Sweihan bids, the lowest equated to 2.42 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), state-owned ADWEA said in a statement carried by official news agency WAM. "It represents one of the most competitive prices seen to date in the global solar photovoltaic industry," the statement said..... Read more »

Posted on : 10/18/2016

Hero Motorcycles launched in the UAE

Hero MotoCorp Ltd (HMCL), the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer based out of India, appoints Al Futtaim as its official distributor for the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) region. With its first of many showrooms located at the Airport Road in Deira, and its service center in Rashidiya, Hero is at a position to capitalize on the growing demand for two-wheelers and expand within the region. Mr. Colin Cordery of Al-Futtaim said: “Al-Futtaim’s portfolio comprises some of the world’s most-recognised and widely respected automotive brands, and it is only fitting that we partner with Hero MotoCorp - the world's largest manufacturer of two–wheelers. Our partnership with Hero MotoCorp further cements our position as the preferred automotive partner in this fast growing region.” While the UAE is a new market for the well-established marque, it has sold over 6.63 million two-wheelers in its last financial year, and over 70 million motorcycles and scooters in cumulative sales – a figure that is bound to increase. With a strong presence in 33 countries, aided by five manufacturing plants scattered across India and Columbia, Hero is set to dominate the streets of the UAE..... Read more »

Posted on : 10/17/2016

Free WiFi on all Dubai Taxi limousines

Free WiFi has been introduced on board the Dubai Taxi limousine fleet. The service will gradually be broadened to cover all Dubai taxicabs. Dr Yousef Mohammed Al Ali, CEO of Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC), said: “Limousines of the DTC offer a great and unique service tailor-made to the needs of our clients in the tourist sector such as hotels, airline companies and other related public or private entities. “The DTC has signed an agreement with a specialist provider of WiFi services in limos such that clients could avail of free WiFi on board our 113 limousines during transit.” The service is available from Dubai to all other Emirates 24/7..... Read more »

Posted on : 10/15/2016

Arabtec to construct hotel in Dubai Media City

Abu Dhabi: Arabtec Holding, the Dubai-listed construction company, confirmed on Tuesday it has been awarded a contract for the execution of a five-star hotel at Dubai Media City, worth Dh340 million. In a statement posted on Tuesday to the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), where Arabtec is listed, the company provided no further details on who awarded the contract, when it was awarded, or a timeline for the development. The contract is the latest in a series of awards for Arabtec, which has been seeking more contract awards this year in an effort to increase its revenues and turn around financial performance. In August, Arabtec reported around Dh233 million in losses attributable to owners for the first half of 2016, an improvement from the Dh998 million in losses in the first half of 2015..... Read more »

Posted on : 10/15/2016