Dubai Electricity and Water Authority set a new precedent by entering the Guinness Book of Records for the largest desalination facility in one location in the world, with a production capacity of 490 million gallons of desalinated water per day, equivalent to 2,227,587 cubic meters per day. This is the second world record set by the authority for the complex of Jebel Ali power and water desalination plants. The authority previously entered the Guinness Book of Records in 2021 for the complex for the largest power production facility using natural gas in one location with a capacity of 9,547 megawatts of electricity.
His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, said: “In line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, we are working to provide an advanced and integrated infrastructure for electricity and water. To provide our services in accordance with the highest standards of availability, reliability, efficiency and quality, in addition to securing the various needs of ambitious development plans to keep pace with the increasing demand for energy and water services and Dubai’s ambitious urban and economic plans. A sustainable future, in order to achieve the goals of the UAE Centennial 2071 to make the UAE the best country in the world by its centenary in the year 2071.”
His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer received the certificate from representatives of the Guinness Book of Records, during the activities of the 24th edition of the Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) and Dubai Solar Energy 2022, organized by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.
His Excellency Al Tayer explained that DEWA relies on three axes to sustain water production based on making use of clean solar energy to desalinate sea water using reverse osmosis technology, which is characterized by lower energy consumption compared to multi-stage flash distillation technology, then storing the excess production in groundwater basins and retrieval And re-pumped to the water network when needed. This innovative holistic model is characterized by preserving the environment and represents a sustainable economic solution and confirms Dubai’s ability to anticipate and manufacture the future. When completed by 2025, this project will allow 6,000 million gallons of water to be stored and retrieved when needed, making it the largest of its kind in the world for emergency potable water storage. This technology will provide a strategic stockpile that will supply the emirate with more than 50 million gallons of water per day for 90 days in emergency situations, while ensuring the safety of the stored water from external influences.
Eng. Nasser Lootah, Executive Vice President of the Production Sector at the authority, indicated that the authority’s entry into the Guinness Book of Records is an appreciation for the authority’s efforts during the previous years in working to build the largest water desalination complex in the world, and it is also evidence of the technical capabilities and tremendous efforts made by him. Our team manages such a huge complex, explaining that the authority owns 43 water desalination units using multi-stage flash (MSF) distillation technology, with a production capacity of 427 million gallons of desalinated water per day distributed among 6 stations (D, E, G, K, L, M) in addition to two units with reverse osmosis technology for seawater desalination (SWRO) with a production capacity of 63 million gallons of water per day, thus bringing the total water production capacity in the Authority to 490 million gallons per day from the complex of Jebel Ali plants for power production and water desalination.
For his part, Eng. Walid bin Salman, Executive Vice President of the Business Development and Excellence Sector at the authority, said: “We are proud of this new global recognition, which is added to the authority’s record of prestigious global achievements. We are working in the authority to invest the latest technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and harness excellence and leadership. Creativity and innovation in our daily work to consolidate the authority’s position as one of the most prominent service institutions around the world and the most distinguished in all fields, and to move towards advanced stages of excellence and leadership.”
DEWA aims to increase the production capacity of desalinated water using reverse osmosis technology, which consumes less energy compared to multi-stage flash distillation technology, to 303 million gallons per day by 2030, to reach 42% compared to 13% of the total production capacity currently, taking into account Consider that the production capacity of desalinated water will increase in 2030 to reach 730 million gallons per day. Among the most important projects recently implemented by the authority using reverse osmosis technology is the seawater desalination project at Station K) in the Jebel Ali plant complex, with a production capacity of 40 million gallons per day and a total investment of 897 million dirhams.
