Sharjah:Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) has unveiled a series of strategic projects valued at over AED 5.2 billion, aimed at bolstering the energy and water sectors. These projects were announced during the second "Sharjah Future Station" forum, which recently concluded at the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK). The forum was themed "From Lab to Market."
According to Wam, Eng. Faisal Al Sarkal, Director of the Water Department at SEWA, detailed the authority's plans during the forum's panel discussions. These plans align with the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, which aims to reduce water resource demand by 21 percent and increase water productivity to US$110 per cubic metre. It also targets lowering the water scarcity index by three points and raising the reuse of treated water to 95 percent, among other goals.
The projects include the construction of Sharjah's first independent reverse osmosis desalination plant, expected to produce 410,000 cubic metres of water per day by the fourth quarter of 2028, enough to supply 1.4 million people. Additional efforts involve upgrading infrastructure, such as transmission networks, pumping stations, and reservoirs, to add 270 million gallons of storage capacity. A strategic underground water storage project and advanced monitoring networks using artificial intelligence and geographic information systems are also planned to minimize water losses.
Hamad Al Tunaiji, Director of the Power Transmission Department at SEWA, highlighted the authority's deployment of advanced technologies to integrate clean energy into electricity networks. This includes innovative solutions for reactive power management and the operation of smart high-voltage networks and substations. These measures have successfully reduced grid losses by 25 percent and faults by 40 percent, enhancing efficiency without manual intervention. Further initiatives involve converting high-voltage networks to a meshed configuration for improved connectivity and safety, and implementing smart substation systems to streamline electricity transmission and distribution.