Double-digit growth in demand for power is expected this year in Dubai, which will need 10% more water, according to a top official at the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).
Demand last year grew 10% for power and 9% for water, which confirmed a pattern of growth in consumption in seven years as Dubai expanded its industrial base and the population increased.
DEWA had an installed capacity of 3,000 MW of power at the end of 2003 and 188 million imperial gallons per day of water. Additional capacities are being added with the prestigious K and L stations, which will come on board in phases.
DEWA has also signed a US$ 71.3-million contract with Emirates Electrical Engineering, an Al Rostamani Group company, to construct three 132 kV substations, lay 80 km of 132-kV cables and 12 km of fibre-optic cables as part of its Network Master Plan. It has thirty-three 132 kV substations.
"The Network Master Plan has been developed to support the emirate's ambitious development plans and meet its growing requirements for stable and continuous electricity and water supplies," said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, general manager of DEWA. He said most gas turbine units at the K station and the desalination part have gone on stream. The project can generate 850 MW of power and 70 million gallons of water.
