(Sharjah) – Dr. Eng. Rashid Al Leem, Chairman of the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority, SEWA, affirmed that SEWA is implementing a comprehensive plan to reduce carbon emissions in electricity production and water desalination, as part of its environmental strategy and vital role in providing a clean environment where environmental pollution and carbon emissions are one of the biggest challenges facing the energy sector due to the unprecedented economic growth rates.
Reliance on renewable energy, including the use of hydrogen energy to meet the increasing demand is among the basic criteria that will push towards achieving sustainable development without harming the world, he pointed out.
This was said during a meeting Al Leem had with a Dutch delegation from Proton Ventures, a company specialising in renewable energy, headed by Bob Weehuizen, Business Developer, to discuss ways of cooperation to benefit from the possibilities and advantages offered by hydrogen energy in the framework of the search for alternatives to provide renewable energy sources and reduce environmental pollution rates.
Al Leem stressed that hydrogen energy can be one of the tributaries of achieving sustainable development, as it can be produced from available and traditional sources such as oil and gas or renewable sources such as solar energy, wind energy and thermal energy. He added that hydrogen energy also has the advantage of being a clean energy source, storable, transportable, and sustainable, and contributes to reducing the environmental impacts of conventional energy production.
SEWA is keen to acquire expertise and carry out studies in the fields of renewable energy, especially hydrogen energy, to benefit from its advantages in the generation of clean electric power, he added.
He pointed out that SEWA is looking to implement several new projects in the field of alternative and renewable energy from wind and solar energy. It has begun preparing feasibility studies in cooperation with major international companies in this field, as the growing demand for energy necessitates finding appropriate solutions and developing a strategy that forms a vision for the use of renewable energy.
Weehuizen said that the future of energy depends on renewable and clean sources and that the company has great experience in this area. It was keen to cooperate with SEWA as one of the leading authorities in the UAE and pioneer in the implementation of projects that protect the environment and reduce pollution. He pointed out that the coming period will see more coordination and studies between SEWA and the company to benefit from renewable energy, especially hydrogen energy.