The CEO of DEWA, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, in a speech said that smart grids will play an important role in helping utilities in the region meet growing demands for energy and water and provide diverse and secure energy supply.
?Utilities in the region face three major challenges. Firstly, rising demands for energy and water. Secondly, the need to move towards a low-carbon, environmentally-friendly, diverse and secure energy supply mix. Finally, the utilities have to deal with volatile fuel prices," said Al Tayer.
Al Tayer stated: "that Implementing Smart Grids constitutes an effective response to addressing some of these challenges. The Smart Grid is a multidirectional grid that enables the flow of both electricity and data in order to realize real-time management of supply and demand."
DEWA knows about the advantages of Smart Grids for transmission networks, consumers, utilities and Government policy makers. We aim to improve reliability, efficiency, conservation and demand management, as well as more-efficient management of infrastructure investments and grid operations. "We are expediting the integration of renewable resources, new technologies and customer participation in developing Smart Grids,? said Al Tayer.
Al Tayer talked about the initiatives that DEWA are embarlking on in regards to smart grids. DEWA has implemented smarter solutions at most layer of the power sector, from the power generation and desalination end to the consumer end, thereby generating numerous benefits across each level of the value chain in the electricity sector.
For example, DEWA has executed an initial pilot project on Smart Metering between 2005 and 2008. Based on this experience, a Phase-1 Intelligent Metering System Project is underway.? The ultimate objectives of this project include up-grading and automation of DEWA?s Electricity and Water metering with interoperable communication systems, remote operation, tamper detection, multiple tariff options, maximum- demand control and monitoring and so forth. DEWA?s IMS installation is intended for future integration with other Smart Grid applications.?
?DEWA has already implemented a number of smart technology measures on its electricity networks, such as using the latest SCADA systems, intelligent asset monitoring, control and automation. DEWA has improved its distribution network efficiency by converting the 6.6 kV network to the more efficient 11kV network, resulting in significant reduction in electricity-network losses,? added Al Tayer.
