Day: April 8, 2022

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Dubai Chamber of Commerce examines energy, water efficiency in green buildings

DUBAI, Dubai Chamber of Commerce has recently organised a webinar that examined several case studies and best practices in maintaining energy and water efficiency in green buildings.

The webinar, hosted by the Dubai Chamber Sustainability Network Task Force on Green Buildings, was joined by 100 participants from the business community representing various economic sectors.

Sessions during the webinar addressed the status and investments in renewable energy globally and locally, while discussions shed light on a few examples of sustainable and green buildings in the UAE.

Jennifer Ifeanyi-Okoro, Programme Officer, Technical Advisory Services at International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), presented the sustainability measures at IRENA’s headquarters building at Abu Dhabi, which is one of the most sustainable buildings in the UAE. In her presentation, Jennifer discussed the current status of renewable energy globally and locally, as well as renewable energy investments.

Samuel Njoroge, Cluster Quality Assurance Manager at JA Resorts & Hotels, discussed the various energy and water efficiency measures that are currently implemented at the facilities of JA Resorts & Hotels. Samuel noted that JA Resorts & Hotels believes in the importance of reducing its carbon emissions as well as its energy and water consumption, and continuously aims to improve its current sustainability practices.

Saoud Al Dosari, Manager, Operations & Maintenance at Empower, explained the improvisation and operational approach implemented by Empower in its plants to ensure energy and water efficiency. Saoud highlighted the importance of adopting innovative measures in operating plants to ensure achieving the optimum reduction in energy and water consumption.

For his part, Dr. Belaid Rettab, Senior Director, Economic Research and Sustainable Business Development Sector, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, noted that the webinar raised awareness among businesses about the importance and benefits of enhancing energy and water efficiency in green buildings.

Dr. Rettab said that Dubai Chamber of Commerce is a leading example of an organisation that integrated sustainability into every feature and aspects of its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certified headquarters.

He also added that the webinar provided an ideal platform for the Chamber and members of the task force to share knowledge and experiences in this area and guide companies that are keen to adopt energy efficient systems and practices and make sustainability a key part of their corporate culture.

Source: Emirates News Agency

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DEWA CEO meets Managing Board Member of Siemens AG and CEO of Smart Infrastructure at Siemens

DUBAI, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), met Matthias Rebellius, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG and CEO of Smart Infrastructure at Siemens.

They discussed bilateral cooperation between DEWA and Siemens.

At the beginning of the meeting, Al Tayer welcomed the Siemens delegation and commended the cooperation between Siemens and DEWA in several energy projects. He noted that Siemens is one of DEWA’s strategic partners, primarily in power generation technologies and solutions.

“We work together to achieve the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the smartest city globally. We work on building strategic partnerships with local, regional, and global organisations to provide an excellent power infrastructure that meets the development needs of Dubai. This is part of our strategy and plans to provide electricity and water services according to the highest standards of availability, reliability, and efficiency,” Al Tayer stated.

“At DEWA, we have an integrated vision based on the latest international technologies in collaboration with strategic partners in Research and Development, capacity building, and the latest technologies in solar energy, energy storage, carbon capture, and increasing efficiency in the different stages of generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity and water, in addition to the security of energy supplies,” he added.

Al Tayer said that through the Smart Applications and Smart Meters initiatives, DEWA is building integrated smart grids that cover the entire value chain of generation, transmission, and distribution systems. The smart grid includes demand-side management, asset management, distribution automation, substation automation, system integration, and smart meters.

Source: Emirates News Agency

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Zayed University, AD Ports Group ink MoU for development of maritime sustainability solutions and education

ABU DHABI, Zayed University, one of Dubai’s leading public universities, has signed an MoU with AD Ports Group, the region’s premier facilitator of logistics, industry, and trade in Abu Dhabi, to spearhead several sustainable development goals across several key areas.

As part of the MoU, the two organisations will work closely together to advance the development of innovative oil spill detectors and monitoring systems and collaborate on research related to environmentally friendly bio-based materials to be utilised as sorbents for oil spill treatment.

Together, they will lead several endeavours dedicated to realising heightened levels of innovation and technology, education, research, training, development, and dissemination of knowledge.

Other avenues of cooperation under the MoU will also include providing academic and research services, exchanging experiences and information, adhering to business requirements, and maximising the potential and expertise available to both parties across areas of common interest.

Dr. Fares Al Howari, Dean of the College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, said, “This is a great opportunity for our students to gain practical educational training and workshop activities, to provide innovative technological solutions and scientifically based advice, and the support they need to accelerate the solutions and transition to a sustainable society.”

He further added, “There is an ongoing discussion on the internship programme for graduate students for collaborative or independent research based on the policies of both institutions. We will be sharing research papers, indices to theses, books, and magazines on relevant subjects and potential joint projects where possible and appropriate, while also participating in scholarly and technical meetings as well as national and international conferences.”

Captain Maktoum Al Houqani, Chief Corporate Authority Officer and Acting Head of Maritime Cluster, AD Ports Group, said, “From its founding, AD Ports Group has served as a leader in sustainability and a champion of environmental conservation.

“As part of our commitment to the environment, we have long supported research studies and the development of novel technologies aimed at realising new ways to protect the environment. Oil spills can have a tremendous negative impact on the surrounding ecosystem that continues to be felt many years after it has been contained. Through our work with Zayed University, we will lead the development of innovative oil spill detection and marine pollution control solutions, which will aid users in monitoring and responding faster to oil spills while also minimising the overall impact of an incident. We will also collaborate closely to create a new internship research programme.”

Source: Emirates News Agency