Green economy

The UAE Energy Plan 2050 was launched in January 2017 as a blueprint for an energy-efficient and low-carbon future. It aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 70 percent, increase clean energy use to 50 percent, and improve energy efficiency by 40 percent. The plan projects total savings of US $190 billion.

The national strategy follows the Emirate of Dubai’s announcement that it seeks to have clean energy account for 75 percent of its portfolio by 2050. As the key energy infrastructure partner to the Dubai Government, ENOC has made significant progress to support both the UAE Energy Plan 2050 and the Dubai Plan 2021 to become a smart and sustainable city.

Sustainability can only be achieved by transforming the way businesses think and operate. ENOC is evolving in line with the philosophy, especially in changing the perception that ‘green equals expensive’.

ENOC experience shows this is far from reality, as demonstrated by the financial impact of ‘quick win’ efforts. An investment of AED 60 million since 2014 has already yielded ongoing savings of more than AED 40 million.

Plans are now being implemented to invest AED 55 million in further energy efficiency and resource management projects to achieve even greater savings. The savings already made follow years of hard work, and reflect ENOC’s unique ecosystem that facilitates free-flowing and innovative ideas from the top down and from the bottom up. Finding solutions from both ends of the chain of command accelerates progress.

Three highly active entities inspire the ENOC sustainability message across the chain of command: the Sustainability Leadership Group, the Energy and Resource Management Steering Committee, and the Energy and Resource Management Technical Committee. On the other side of the chain, employees are encouraged to propose ideas to line managers and through the Innovate suggestion programme.

A number of projects illustrate ENOC’s commitment to sustainable practices. The first solar-powered service station in the UAE – now the model for all future ENOC stations – can produce 120 kWh on an ideal day, 30 percent more than needed to run the station. Excess power is transmitted back to DEWA’s main grid through a solar meter the tracks input. ENOC estimates that more than 23 GWh of solar energy will be produced to power these stations, minimising the load on DEWA’s grid and power-generation capacity.

ENOC has also installed vapour recovery systems in service stations that enable close to 100 percent recovery of gasoline vapour and other emissions. The system recovers vapour released from the petrol dispensers and storage tanks, condensing it back into fuel form, and is expected to convert up to 5,000 litres of fuel, per month.

Other new technologies include variable refrigerant flow that adjusts the volume of refrigerant to air-conditioning systems according to prevailing temperatures, saving 35 percent of energy used by conventional AC systems – equating to reduction in electricity bills of about AED 22,000 per service station, per year.

Compressed natural gas for vehicles has proven its commercial viability and is considered one of the cleanest and safest fuel types, with the lowest carbon emissions. Dubai’s long-term strategic plan to provide 75 percent of the Emirate’s energy through clean sources by 2050 provides ample opportunity to drive the use of CNG.

ENOC introduced the CNG Mother Station and Mobile Refuelling Units to cater for small-fleet customers. Such stations now serve more than 500 vehicles a day, with plans to increase the number of vehicles running on CNG to 5,000 over the next few years.

The launch of ‘Biodiesel5’ to the UAE market is another significant green initiative by ENOC. The new product is a clean fuel produced from vegetable oil and waste cooking oil. As biodiesel is derived from renewable resources, this is an opportunity to reduce the domestic consumption of fossil fuels and contribute towards the region’s responsibility for environmental protection and sustainability. The launch aligns with the UAE Energy Plan 2050, which targets an energy mix that combines renewable, nuclear and clean energy sources to meet the country’s economic requirements and environmental goals.

As consumers become increasingly environmentally conscious, national oil companies that embrace a low-carbon path will gain more favour in a competitive market. ENOC will continue to adapt to these changes and lead the way in ensuring that an efficient and diversified fuel mix supports Dubai’s goals, now and in the future.