Expo City Dubai and DEWA signs agreement to fully power Expo City with renewable energy

A major step towards Expo City Dubai's goal of having net-zero emissions by 2050 was taken on Tuesday when the His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai witnessed the signing of an agreement between Expo City Dubai and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) to power Expo City entirely with renewable energy.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and the Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai was present at the signing event. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and Chairman of Expo City Dubai Authority; Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of International Cooperation and CEO of Expo City Dubai Authority; Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Special Envoy for Climate Change, and COP28 UAE President-Designate; and Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA were also present at the ceremony.

By using International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs) obtained from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, DEWA would permanently supply solar energy to the whole site, therefore increasing Expo City's present on-site renewable energy capacity. This project is in line with COP28's main objective.

Initially projected to provide more than 100,000 megawatt-hours of electricity based on the community's overall consumption in 2023, more I-RECs will be added later to meet the community's expanding energy demands. In the next years, Expo City also intends to autonomously expand its on-site capacity.

The change in energy source will benefit the increasing number of events hosted in Expo City, as well as the tenants and future residents. This is especially important as Expo City is getting ready to host the COP28 summit; it will help ensure that the meeting is carbon neutral and will support the conference's obvious focus on the worldwide switch to clean energy.

The agreement, which is in line with the UAE's Year of Sustainability, is another example of Dubai's aspirational approach to renewable energy, which is reflected in the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050. Additionally, it backs Expo City Dubai's position as a focal point of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which lays out a thorough strategy for Dubai's sustainable urban growth.