(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM))
ABU DHABI, 13th March, 2018 (WAM) -- Emirates CMS Power Company, ECPC, an independent power producer and a subsidiary of the Department of Energy in Abu Dhabi, has launched a first-of-its-kind initiative in the industry aimed at managing and operating Taweelah A2 combined cycle power and desalination plant in Abu Dhabi by UAE nationals for one month.
The initiative comes in line with the wise leadership's directives towards enhancing the role of Emiratis and honing their capabilities to assume leading positions in the future. It complements Emirates CMS' initial experiment where qualified Emirati personnel operated the plant for 24 hours without any external support or assistance.
Abdulla Ali Al Sheryani, Chairman of Emirates CMS Power, emphasised that the programme was inspired by the vision of the country's wise leadership that puts human development at the forefront of its strategic priorities. He explained that the initiative is a step towards enabling UAE nationals in achieving leadership in the global energy sector, which is strategically important as a key component of economic diversification and a cornerstone of national progress.
"Abu Dhabi has made significant achievements in terms of engaging UAE national personnel in promoting a comprehensive and sustainable development, in line with the ‘Emiratisation' initiative launched by the federal government to increase UAE nationals' employment in the labour market. We have also received strong support and co-operation from the private sector to create an attractive environment that stimulates entrepreneurship, creativity, excellence and leadership for promising Emirati citizens. The Taweelah A2 plant project reflects the success of our relentless efforts aimed at increasing Emiratisation in IPP companies, as it employs highly qualified Emirati talents keen on taking leadership roles in the water and electricity sector in the emirate," he said.
Al Sheryani further explained that the Department of Energy is committed to implementing the privatisation programme to increase the production capacity of water and electricity to meet development needs in partnership with the private sector. This will help the Abu Dhabi government in achieving its goal of creating sustainable water and electricity that ensures optimum utilisation of resources.
He also pointed out that the Taweelah A2 plant is a success story as one of the plants under the privatisation programme for the utility sector has succeeded in attracting leading international companies and forging alliances with them. We look to establish partnership agreements with private companies that take interest in adopting the latest technological innovations and international best practices.
"The unprecedented success in privatising Abu Dhabi's water and electricity sector has become a model of development in the UAE and the region, achieving outstanding results in terms of localising new technology and creating jobs for Emirati citizens, as well as increasing production efficiency and reducing operating and maintenance costs. The programme also helped in developing services, increasing government revenues and enhancing the rate of Emiratisation in private companies, in line with the government's efforts to double the number of UAE nationals working in the private sector by 2021," he added.
Ahmed Bin Abbood Al Adawi, Executive Managing Director of ECPC, said, "This initiative is a major step towards the Emiratisation of the energy sector, which is among the strategic priorities of our wise leadership confident in Emiratis' capabilities in advancing one of the most vital sectors of the economy that promote the inclusive and sustainable development process in Abu Dhabi. Qualified Emiratis working with Emirates CMS Power Company have significantly increased by 50 percent, particularly in the technical section. This shows the efficiency of the Emiratis and their ability to play a key role in exploring and shaping the future of energy, based on the strong foundations of innovation, sustainability and excellence."
"The new initiative is driven by the company's success in having qualified nationals, who have succeeded in managing and operating the Taweelah A2 plant for 24 hours. The company has become one of the first IPP companies to successfully undertake such an initiative, which prompted us to replicate the experience on a wider scale in order to open new horizons for the development of young UAE nationals and capitalise on their unique skills in operating and managing the plant and the management of energy operations and water desalination."
Al Adawi lauded the success of the privatisation programme in enhancing the role of national competencies in the sector, as the programme gave them the chance to learn from international experiences used in the production stations, paving the way for a new generation of citizens capable of leading the sector in line with efforts to accelerate changes locally, regionally and internationally.
The work at Taweelah A2 plant will be implemented in two shifts with the participation of 50 Emirati employees in the operation, maintenance and supporting fields for a full month without any external help.
WAM/MOHD AAMIR
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