Dubai Airports and Etihad Energy Services Company (Etihad ESCO) announced the installation of the largest solar energy system comprising 15,000 photovoltaic panels at Dubai International’s Terminal 2. The solar panels have a capacity of 5MW each, according to media reports.
Dubai Airports’ solar project is part of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s first smart initiative Shams Dubai to support the diversification of renewable energy. It will cut down the existing load on terminal 2 by nearly 29 percent and lower annual carbon emissions by 3,243 metric tonnes. Also, the project is anticipated to generate 7.483 million kWh energy annually for Dubai Airports. This in turn will save approximately Dh3.3 million.
Michael Ibbitson, executive vice president, infrastructure and technology at Dubai Airports, said: “Dubai Airports has undertaken a variety of green initiatives over the past several years to limit our carbon footprint and support Dubai’s goal for a 30% reduction in the city’s energy consumption by 2030.”
CEO of Etihad ESCO Ali Al Jassim said that the partnership will the company a huge opportunity to be a part of ‘Dubai Airports’ vision for energy efficiency and development’.
Maintenance services for Dubai Airports will be provided by Etihad ESCO over a seven year period from the time of completion. Al Jassim said that the partnership with Dubai Airports goes back to 2017 when they had signed an agreement to boost energy efficiency and reduce 20 percent of water and electricity consumption for Dubai Airport’s terminals 1, 2 and 3.
Etihad ESCO plans to retrofit nearly 30,000 buildings by 2030, Al Jassim added. The company is also looking to carry out projects worth Dh400 million which go beyond retrofit initiatives.