The agreement will help install 62,904 solar panels at Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central—Al Maktoum International (DWC) airports.
In association with Etihad Clean Energy, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Dubai Electricity & Water Authority’s (DEWA) wholly-owned, Dubai airports have now announced to proclaim the globe’s first-of-its-kind largest rooftop solar panel installation at an airport. Two major business tycoons in the region’s aviation industry have taken the responsibility to achieve these massive sustainability goals.
The MoU was signed at the Dubai World Trade Centre during the World Green Economy Summit by Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, and Dr. Waleed Alnuaimi, CEO of Etihad ESCO. The project will be completed in phases and is expected to be completed by 2026. It has been reported that Dubai Airport and the world’s most premium airline, Emirates, will launch new solar projects to power their facilities.
With the help of billions of dollars of clean energy investments, Emirates is looking forward to powering all 37 per cent of its Engineering Centre operations. The agreement will help install 62,904 solar panels across Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) airports. The panels will generate 60,346 MW of energy every year without any doubt, claims Etihad Clean Energy officials.
These panels are expected to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 23,000 tonnes annually. To put this into perspective, that’s equivalent to removing 5,000 cars from the roads or providing power to 3,000 homes for a year. Moreover, the energy generated from these solar panels will fulfill 6.5% of DXB’s energy demands and 20% of DWC’s energy needs, reflecting Dubai Airports’ commitment to cleaner, more sustainable operations in the long term. This project highlights the organization’s broader vision of reducing their environmental footprint through smart and efficient energy solutions.
Saeed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), told the media, “While our roadmap outlines clear targets of achieving 25 per cent of the energy mix from clean energy sources by 2030, and 100 per cent by 2050, we are proactively accelerating our efforts. We anticipate surpassing these goals, potentially reaching 27 per cent clean energy capacity as early as 2030, which would enable us to achieve our 2050 vision ahead of schedule. Undoubtedly, innovation and cutting-edge technologies are instrumental in expediting our progress towards a greener future.”
