Abu Dhabi, UAE– Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has signed an agreement to supply natural gas to Dubai, which will be used instead of clean coal for generating electricity, as part of the country’s initiatives aimed at reducing emissions.
The natural gas will be used to generate electricity at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)’s Independent Power Producer Hassyan Power Complex, the oil giant said in a statement.
The agreement was signed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Director-General of Dubai Supply Authority (DUSUP), and Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO.
ADNOC said domestically produced natural gas is more commercially competitive compared to imported coal or gas and it will support economic growth while lowering emissions when used as a substitute for coal in power generation.
The Hassyan Power Complex was initially built as a dual-fuel plant with the ability to operate full-time at full load on both natural gas or clean coal but has been transformed to run only on natural gas.
The current net electricity generation capacity of Hassyan Power Complex is 1,200 megawatts (MW). A further 600 MW (net) is scheduled to be added in Q4 of 2022 and an additional 600 MW (net) will be added by Q3 of 2023.
Dr. Al Jaber said, “Working in close collaboration with our customers and partners, ADNOC will continue to expand our natural gas capacity to deliver against our strategic objectives of decarbonizing our energy and power systems, ensuring UAE gas self-sufficiency and driving long-term and sustainable growth for the UAE.”