Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) marked another breakthrough by securing the Guinness World Records title for the second time for owning and operating the largest single-site water desalination facility in the world with a capacity of producing 490 million imperial gallons of water per day, which is equivalent to 2,227,587 cubic meters per day. This is the second world record for the Jebel Ali Power Generation & Water Production Complex. In 2021, the complex was confirmed by Guinness World Records as the largest single-site natural gas power generation facility in the world. The complex has a power generation capacity of 9,547 MW.
“In line with the vision and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, we are working to provide state-of-the-art and integrated infrastructure for electricity and water in order to provide our services according to the highest standards of availability, reliability, efficiency and quality. We are also working on various ambitious development plans to keep pace with the growing demand for electricity services and of water and Dubai’s ambitious urban and economic plans.
We are pursuing the path of excellence in all areas and at all levels and moving forward resolutely towards preparing for the next fifty years and building a sustainable future. This supports the UAE 2071 Centenary goals of making the UAE the world’s leading nation by its centenary in 2071,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA.
Al Tayer received the Guinness World Records Representatives Certificate at the 24th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment (WETEX) Exhibition and Dubai Solar Show 2022, organized by DEWA.
Al Tayer explained that DEWA adopts three pillars to support water production by using clean solar energy to desalinate seawater using reverse osmosis technology, which uses less energy than MSF plants and the Aquifier Storage and Recovery (ASR) project through which excess production of desalinated water is stored. in underground basins, recovered and reinjected into the water network as needed. This innovative holistic model preserves the environment and represents a sustainable economic solution. It also highlights Dubai’s ability to anticipate and shape the future. When completed by 2025, this project will store and retrieve 6,000 million imperial gallons of water when needed, making it the largest emergency drinking water reservoir in the world. This technology will provide a strategic reserve that will supply the emirate with more than 50 million imperial gallons of water per day for 90 days in case of emergency, while ensuring the safety of the stored water.
Nasser Lootah, executive vice president of DEWA’s Generation Division, said the Guinness Books of World Records entry celebrates DEWA’s achievements over the past decades in building the world’s largest desalination plant step by step. and also recognizes the technical capacity and considerable efforts of our team that manages such a large industrial complex. DEWA currently has 43 Multi-Stage Flash (MSF) water desalination units with a total production capacity of 427 MIGD of water at stations D-, E-, G-, K-, L and M. It has also 2 SWRO plants with a production capacity of 63 MIGD. DEWA’s total desalinated water production capacity is 490 MIGD at the Jebel Ali Power Plant and Desalination Complex.
“We are proud of this new global recognition, which adds to DEWA’s list of prestigious global achievements. We invest in the latest technologies of the fourth industrial revolution. We embrace pioneering excellence, creativity and innovation in our day-to-day operations to solidify DEWA’s position as one of the best utilities in all areas of the world, and engage in more advanced phases of excellence and leadership,” said Waleed Bin Salman, executive vice president of business development. and excellence at DEWA.
DEWA aims to increase its SWRO production capacity to 303 MIGD by 2030; reaching 42% instead of its current share of 13%. Desalinated water production capacity will reach 730 MIGD in 2030. SWRO desalination plants require less energy than MSF plants. One of DEWA’s latest projects using this technology is Jebel Ali Station K, which has a production capacity of 40 MIGD and investments worth AED 897 million.