Dewa plant enters Guinness World Records

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has commemorated another quantum leap by achieving the Guinness World Records title for the second time for holding and managing the leading single-site water desalination facility on the planet.

Jebel Ali Power Generation and Water Production Complex have a production capacity of 490 million imperial gallons of water in a day, which is tantamount to 2,227,587 cubic meters in a day.

This is Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s second world record:

In 2021, it was approved by Guinness World Records as the largest single-site natural gas power generation facility on the planet. The facility has a power generation capacity of 9,547megawatt (MW).

In line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Dewa is working to provide advanced and integrated infrastructure for electricity and water to provide their services according to the uppermost ideals of availability, reliability, effectiveness, and excellence. Dewa functions to achieve numerous ambitious expansion strategies to keep pace with the growing demand for electricity and water services and Dubai‘s striving urban and economic strategies.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority keeps on the journey of excellence in all fields and at all levels and moves steadily towards preparing for the next fifty years and building a sustainable future. This establishes the UAE Centennial 2071 objectives to make the UAE the World’s leading nation by its centennial in 2071, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.

Al Tayer accepted the certificate from delegates of the Guinness World Records during the 24th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) and Dubai Solar Show 2022, which the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority organized.

Al Tayer elucidated that Dewa adopts three pillars to sustain water production by expending clean solar energy to desalinate seawater using reverse osmosis technology, which consumes energy to a lesser extent than MSF plants and Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) project over which, additional desalinated water production is stored in underground basins, retrieved, and pumped back into the water network as required. This advanced holistic model conserves the environment and denotes a sustainable economic solution. It also emphasizes Dubai’s ability to foresee and outline the future.

On completion by 2025, this project will permit 6,000 million imperial gallons of water to be stored and retrieved when considered necessary, making it the largest emergency potable water storage in the world. This technology will offer a strategic reserve that will supply the Emirate with over 50 million imperial gallons of water in a day for 90 days in emergencies while maintaining the well-being of the stored water.

Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of the Generation Division in DEWA, stated the entry into the Guinness Book of World Records commemorates DEWA’s accomplishments during the last several decades in progressively establishing the largest desalination facility and distinguishes the technical capability and incredible efforts of their line-up that achieves such large industrial complex. At present, DEWA has 43 Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) water desalination units with a total production capacity of 427 million Imperial Gallons (MIGD) of water at the D-, E-, G-, K-, L, and M stations. Similarly, it has two SWRO plants with a production capacity of 63 MIGD. Dewa’s total production capacity of desalinated water is 490 million Imperial Gallons (MIGD) at the Jebel Ali Power Plant and Desalination Complex, the largest single-site natural gas power generation facility.

Waleed Bin Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at Dewa said that the team is honoured by this new global recognition, which is added to Dewa’s track record of esteemed worldwide accomplishments. It capitalizes on the newest technological knowhows of the fourth Industrial Revolution. Dewa adopts pioneering excellence, creativity, and innovation in its daily operations to consolidate Dewa’s position as one of the best utilities in all areas worldwide and embark on more advanced phases of excellence and leadership.

Dewa intends to increase its SWRO production capacity to 303 MIGD by 2030

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority intend to increase its SWRO production capacity to 303 MIGD by 2030 by achieving 42% instead of its existing share of 13%. In 2030, the desalinated water production capacity will achieve 730 MIGD. SWRO desalination plants need a lesser amount of energy than MSF plants. One of DEWA’s most recent projects using this technology is at the Jebel Ali K-Station, which has a production capacity of 40 MIGD and investments at the cost of AED 897 million.