Etihad Esco signs MoU with DAFZA
Etihad Esco has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai Airport Free zone Authority (DAFZA) to retrofit DAFZAs buildings and facilities.
This is in response to directive number 1 of 2015, issued by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, to monitor electricity and water use in Dubai government buildings.
The MoU signing was attended by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), and HE Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Director General of Dubai Airport Free zone, Waleed Salman, EVP-Strategy and Business Development of DEWA, and Khawla Al Mehairi Vice President Marketing & Corporate Communications at DEWA
The MoU was signed by Stephane le Gentil, CEO of Etihad ESCO and Adel Ghafan Al Basti, Executive Director of the Free Zone's Technical Division.
The MoU also supports the Dubai Plan 2021 and the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, which seeks to reduce demand for energy by 30% by 2030. The main objective of Etihad ESCO is to create a standalone market for energy efficiency in the UAE and the region with a strategic plan to retrofit at least 30,000 existing buildings in Dubai. This will help further establish the Emirate as a leading example in financing energy efficiency projects in regionally and globally. The MoU was signed to emphasise the important role of Etihad ESCO in helping government organisations reduce their energy and water consumption and will support our effort to implement the energy performance contracting model in the Emirate, said Al Tayer.
The Supreme Council of Energy has always played a vital role in supporting the Emirates growth strategies for the energy sector. The Council launched the Demand Side Management Strategy to manage 8 programmes for energy demand. The key elements of the strategy include green building regulations, retrofitting of existing buildings, district cooling, wastewater reuse, laws and standards to raise efficiency, and energy-efficient street lighting. The present costs for this strategic project are approximately AED 30 billion, with returns of AED 82 billion and a net present profit of AED 52 billion, added Al Tayer.
The signing of this new strategic partnership with Etihad Energy Services reflects our continuous commitment to energy conservation and the important role it plays in attaining total sustainability. As the whole world constantly tries to find ways to reduce energy costs, DAFZA and Etihad Energy Services have chosen to work together to develop energy-efficient based initiatives and projects that will be environmentally sustainable across all DAFZAs facilities, said Dr. Al Zarooni.
