"Emirates Water and Electricity"Khalifa University cooperates to develop advanced technologies in the fields of energy systems

Abu Dhabi, February 2, 2017 – Emirates Water and Electricity Company and Khalifa University of Science and Technology signed a joint cooperation agreement aimed at developing advanced technical systems in the areas of smart forecasting of energy supply and demand and analyzing their systems, which contributes to enhancing the stability and flexibility of the energy sector and keeping pace with the UAE’s trends regarding reducing carbon emissions.

To keep pace with the unprecedented development of the energy mix in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, Emirates Water and Electricity Company is working to implement a comprehensive strategy for the transition in the water and electricity sector, to achieve its main goals of producing almost emissions-free water by 2030, and meeting 60% of Abu Dhabi’s electricity needs through renewable and clean energy sources. This includes developing large-scale solar photovoltaic power plants, whose capacity is expected to exceed 30 gigawatts by 2035, supported by 8 GW of energy storage battery systems, and decoupling water production operations from electricity generation through the expansion of desalination using low-carbon reverse osmosis technology.

Given the importance of effective management of the stability of the electrical network in ensuring the provision of reliable and safe energy, and in line with the increasing integration of renewable energy sources throughout the country, Emirates Water and Electricity Company and Khalifa University will cooperate in developing smart software modules that enhance vital network functions.

The scope of cooperation includes the development of smart modules to support the integration of solar PV systems with storage systems into the electricity grid on a large scale.

These units include techniques and software to predict capacity change requirements in production stations with the aim of helping system operators maintain safe operational limits, in addition to developing tools based on machine learning techniques to estimate system inertia and predict frequency deviations, and provide recommendations that contribute to enhancing the stability of the network and raising its efficiency in absorbing higher percentages of renewable energy.

Ahmed Ali Al Shamsi, CEO of Emirates Water and Electricity Company, said: “This cooperation with Khalifa University directly supports our mission, and reflects the key role played by Emirates Water and Electricity Company in shaping the features of the energy future in the UAE, through strategic planning, the deployment of world-leading solar energy assets and storage battery systems, and the transition to low-carbon water production using reverse osmosis technology… By integrating advanced analytics, artificial intelligence-powered forecasts, and national research partnerships in our operations, we harness the capabilities that will prepare National cadres and their qualifications to lead the future of the water and electricity sector, and we are making tangible progress towards achieving the state’s strategic initiative for climate neutrality by 2050.”

For his part, Professor Ibrahim Al Hajri, President of Khalifa University, said: “Khalifa University is proud to cooperate with Emirates Water and Electricity Company in this vital project, which embodies the role of academic institutions in finding realistic solutions to energy challenges. Our cooperation with Emirates Water and Electricity Company represents a strategic investment in the future of energy in the UAE, and places Khalifa University at the heart of innovation and national strategy. By employing advanced deep learning techniques and smart modeling on a large scale, we will contribute to the development of flexible, data-driven energy systems capable of predicting demand levels. Improving supply efficiency and accelerating the transition towards low-carbon generation. At the same time, we support the mission of UAE Water and Electricity by building national capabilities and transferring advanced knowledge to the next generation of Emirati engineers and system operators, thus consolidating the UAE’s position in disseminating solutions and designing systems that reshape the energy system in the future.”

This partnership will support the UAE’s efforts in the field of energy security and decarbonization in the long term, by enhancing the process of making immediate operational decisions and achieving flexibility, in addition to developing local research capabilities in the country through a system dedicated to transferring knowledge, which includes technical documentation, training, and operational workshops.

This cooperation ensures the effective participation of citizens of the country in the project team, and the submission of monthly reports on the skills acquired and the results of preparing national cadres.

This initiative is in line with Emirates Water and Electricity Company’s long-term strategy to provide a smarter, cleaner and more resilient energy system that integrates advanced analytics with world-class infrastructure, to ensure stability and accelerate decarbonization and also prepare local competencies from the next generation of system operators and energy sector leaders.

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