Rapid economic and demographic growth over the past decade pushed the UAE's electricity grid to its limits. Installed fossil fuel generating capacity, which accounts for nearly all of the UAE's capacity continues to rise, reaching more than 27 gigawatts (GW) in 2013, according to Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority. State-led entities manage the domestic electricity grid in each of the seven emirates, but the UAE is making progress toward integrating the emirates into a more efficient national grid.
The Emirates National Grid project aims to interconnect the following four authorities that are responsible for supplying power throughout the emirates:
One of the main advantages of the ENG project is the financial savings as a result of the reduction in installed reserve capacity on each of the individual utility systems. It also enables the commercial transfer of electricity between the power authorities.
The ENG interconnected system also provides a stronger capacity to withstand major or sudden disturbances, such as the loss of production units and failure of grid elements, whether due to outages or natural catastrophes, as well as several types of crises.
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The 'Electricity Market' project is a national project to provide electrical energy efficiently and effectively at more competitive prices in the country. It helps promote the export of electrical energy to Gulf, Arab and regional borders, which will contribute to the added value of the electricity sector in the country’s gross product. Read more about the 'Electricity Market' project (PDF, 253 KB).
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