(MEBG) – Since the privatization of the former Water and Electricity Department in the late 1998, Abu Dhabi has experienced a steady increase in demand for water and electricity, as reported by the Regulation and Supervision Bureau.
Electricity demand increased by 8.3 percent over the previous year, while desalinated water production was up by 6.2 percent.
Bureau Chairman Zaal Mohammed Zaal Al Hameeri said that although the water and power systems barely suffered from supply problems last year, two significant incidents occurred in Abu Dhabi city and in the Western Region. The first was the loss of 350 megawatts of load as a result of improper operation of the transmission system in Adu Dhabi city, which caused for partial loss of electrical supply for several hours. The second incident caused for the loss of supply to the entire Western Region following the tripping of generation units.
The report noted, however, that the electrical supply has been significantly improved with the achievement of an overhead line linking western and central transmission networks. Moreover, following the newly developed set of regulations by the bureau ensuring water quality, the city’s potable water is considered satisfactory.
The Federal Ministry of Electricity and Water has launched an initiative to interconnect the electrical systems both within the different regions of the UAE, as well as between the countries of the GCC.
