UAE Had 'Zero Disruption To Power Supply' During Conflict, Says Energy Undersecretary

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The UAE had zero disruptions to its power and water supply during the regional conflict thanks to its resilient foundations, said an official at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.

Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the ministry, said the UAE's ability to maintain uninterrupted supplies during the crisis highlighted the strength of its energy infrastructure and the investments made to ensure the resilience of its networks.

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“We had zero disruption to power supply, water supply, supply chains. This just proves the resiliency of the network in the UAE. So obviously we are doing something right.” he told Khaleej Times in an interview on the sidelines of Middle East Energy.

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Dewa chief Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer said earlier that Dubai's electricity and water networks continued to operat without interruption even while several countries across the region experienced disruptions. He added that the emirate's power network remained one the most reliable in the world, with less than one minute of electricity outages per customer annually.

Al Olama said he believes the geopolitical crisis gave confidence to other countries' views on joining the Global Energy Efficiency Alliance (GEEA), an initiative the ministry launched during COP29, in Baku. GEAA has more than 40 member states, with an additional 30+ showing interest in joining.

“I think the crisis actually has promoted GEEA big time. Because you can imagine the amount of pressure and attacks that we have faced over the crisis.

Work in progress

The Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail Al Mazrouei, on Tuesday revised the country's clean energy targets to 35 per cent of the total energy mix. The UAE exceeded all targets it set two years ago, the Ministry's Undersecretary clarified, with a total clean energy installed capacity of 28 kilowatts expected to hit by 2031.

Al Olama estimates that around Dh150 – Dh200 billion will be poured into investments in energy infrastructure and development by the year 2031. He said that it's a worthwhile investment as it“will give us the energy systems that we are looking for that are based on clean energy supply, flexible systems, very efficient and very competitive.”

Independent power grids

During the interview, Al Olama mentioned that the UAE is in the process of implementing a microgrids, which are small-scale power grids that operate independently from main power lines during blackouts.

“In case there is a disruption to the grid, the national grid or the respective grid supplying these islands, they can actually continue to operate and function for a long period of time,” he said.

Al Olama added that the ministry successfully tested these microgrids in Sharjah, and are looking to develop them into hospitals and schools for the first phase, and slowly expand to commercial towers and residential areas.

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