Environment

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has visited the construction site of the transformer maintenance workshop DEWA is building at Al Ruwayyah, in Dubai. The workshop is the largest environmentally-friendly green workshop in the region. It has been designed according to the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) criteria of the US Green Building Council Institute, at an estimated cost of AED 27 million. Al Tayer was accompanied by Dr. Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources, Abdullah Obaidullah, Executive Vice President of Water and Civil, and Mohammed Al Shamsi, Vice President of Civil Projects Engineering & Water Maintenance.

Al Tayer reviewed the construction progress of the workshop facilities and installation of machinery and equipment that will be used to maintain 28,000 11kV and 110 33kV transformers owned by DEWA that operate across Dubai.

The workshop will be an important addition to DEWAs operations. In addition to maintenance of transformers, it will be used for maintenance and calibration of electronics as per international standards. It will be used to implement pilot projects developed by DEWA engineers, in addition to manufacturing certain spare parts. The workshop will be used for crash-testing using simulation models and for investigating electrical accidents, and setting development policies, said Al Tayer.

Al Tayer noted that maintenance of transformers is carried out according to a set schedule in order to maintain the equipment and enhance reliability and availability of the distribution network.

DEWA is keen to set up the workshop according to green-building standards. DEWA places great importance on the environment in all its projects, whether to produce electricity and water, or in its day-to-day operations. This supports our commitment to the Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to achieve the sustainable development of Dubai and establish the Emirate as a global hub for trade, finance, tourism, and green economy. It also supports DEWAs vision to become a sustainable world-class utility, added Al Tayer.

The eco-friendly workshop is DEWAs second green building. The first is DEWAs Sustainable Building in Al Quoz, which is the first sustainable government building in the UAE and the largest government building in the world with a Platinum rating for green buildings. This supports our strategy to achieve the sustainable development of Dubai and achieve a better future, for generations to come, concluded Al Tayer.

The total area of the workshop is 81,656 square feet and is developed at a cost of AED 27 million. The workshop includes a section for maintenance of electrical transformers, training halls, storage areas for transformers and batteries, and management offices. It contributes to reducing DEWAs operating costs for retrofitting of infrastructure transformers in future projects. It will evaluate transformers and equipment for repairs or removal from service. It will be used to test oils used in transformers, filter oils and check their density, retrofit the outside structure of transformers, as well as inspect circuit breakers.

The workshop uses the latest technologies to reduce electricity and water use in both building techniques and materials and on the equipment used. Around 75% of the project has been carried out and will be completed by the end of March 2015.

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