DEWA commissions 17 new substations in 2022

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has inaugurated 17 new substations in 2022, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, said on Sunday.

They include 15 132kV stations with a conversion capacity of 2,280 megavolt amperes (MVA) and two 400kV substations with a conversion capacity of 4,000 MVA, in Al Qusais Industrial Area 5 and Jebel Ali First.

DEWA installed five km of 400kV overhead transmission lines and 247 km of 132 kV ground cables to connect the substations to the main transmission network. This is part of DEWA’s continuous efforts to keep pace with the prosperity of Dubai, he said.

The new 132kV main transmission stations supply Al Barsha South, Jebel Ali, Al Furjan, Al Merkadh, Business Bay, Umm Hurair, Wadi Al Safa, Oud Al Muteena, Al Rigga, Al Wasl, Me’aisem, Umm Al Ramool, Al Aweer, and Ghadeer Barashy. The total cost of these stations and projects was around $870 million.

He said: “At DEWA, our strategies and action plans are inspired by the vision of H H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to provide a strong and advanced electricity and water infrastructure that ensures the continued provision of electricity and water services according to the highest standards of availability, reliability, and efficiency.”

“This supports the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and contributes to making Dubai the preferred place to live, work and visit. DEWA’s investments in electricity transmission projects between 2021 and 2024 are AED 10 billion. This includes AED 2 billion for 400 kV transmission projects and AED 8 billion for 132 kV projects,” he said.

Investments

Al Tayer explained that the total value of DEWA’s investments in existing and completed electricity transmission projects in 2022 reached $2.21 billion. This included $217.81 million for 400 kV transmission projects and $1.99 billion for 132 kV transmission projects, he added.

Hussain Lootah, Executive Vice President of Transmission (Power) at DEWA, said that completing the 17 stations required more than 33 million working hours, using the latest internationally approved technologies while ensuring the highest security and safety standards.

Lootah noted that by the end of 2022, the total of 132 kV transmission substations in Dubai had reached 334, in addition to 29 stations under construction.

Fibre Optic Ducts

DEWA has also completed the extension of over 350 km of Fibre Optic (FO) ducts in 2022 across different areas in the Emirate. This increases the total length of these cable ducts between 2015 and until 31 December 2022 to 3,634 km.

This is part of DEWA’s ongoing efforts to support its smart infrastructure and accelerate its digital transformation. The external FO ducts protect and direct all Fibre Optic (FO) cables in communication, data transfer and remote operations.

This enhances DEWA’s infrastructure of FO and its smart grid. It also ensures the seamlessness and availability of round-the-clock integrated and connected services, according to the highest standards of availability, reliability, accountability, and sustainability.