Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA meets with EDF to discuss cooperation

Dubai – MENA Herald: HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), met with Antoine Cahuzac, Chief Executive Officer, EDF EN, Marina Hashim Managing Director, EDF Middle East, EDF SA, Nicolas Couderc, Senior VP Strategy and M&A, EDF EN, Laurent Becerra, VP MENA, EDF EN, Carine de Boissezon, Senior VP – Finance Director & International Division, and Jean-Hugues Paris, Head of Development- Thermal Engineering department, during the second day of the World Government Summit. They discussed mutual relations and cooperation in clean coal projects, innovation, and development.
Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of Generation at DEWA, Hussain Lootah, Executive Vice President of Transmission Power at DEWA, Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Strategy & Business Development, and Khawla Al Mehairi, Vice President of Marketing & Corporate Communications at DEWA, also attended the meeting.
Al Tayer welcomed the delegation and stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between DEWA and French companies through various initiatives, projects and investment opportunities; calling for more French energy companies to take part in them. Al Tayer addressed mutual relations between the parties, in addition to highlighting different ways of enhancing cooperation between DEWA and French energy companies.
The two officials discussed ways developing their partnership and strategic cooperation with a focus on Research & Development (R&D). EDF has a strong record of achievements in electricity and R&D, and oversees some of the oldest electricity R&D centres in the world. The parties agreed to organise training programmes for DEWA employees, held within EDF’s R&D centres, in addition to discussing the international energy sector, energy efficiency and renewability, and solar energy production techniques.
Al Tayer outlined DEWA’s biggest current projects and latest green programmes and initiatives to support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. He briefed the delegation on the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, with a planned 1,000MW production capacity by 2020 and 3,000MW by 2030.
“The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park includes a Research and Development Centre. The Solar Park also has two test technologies for photovoltaic panels and for concentrated solar power. The first centre tests 30 types of photovoltaic panels from international manufacturers. The panels are studied, evaluated and tested for long-term reliability in local weather conditions. Researchers cooperate with international organisations, to study the impact of dust on photovoltaic equipment,” said Al Tayer.
Al Tayer highlighted DEWA’s efforts to establish Dubai Green Zone, which is dedicated to attracting research and development centres and emerging companies in the field of clean energy, in addition to the establishment of Dubai Green Fund worth of AED 100 billion which will contribute through its financial resources easy loans for investors in clean energy in the Emirate.
The delegation expressed their appreciation for DEWA’s efforts, and showed interest in taking part in DEWA’s projects, particularly those related to clean energy, in addition to exchanging knowledge, expertise, and technologies, as well as contributing to the sustainable development of Dubai.