ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) has launched a strategic partnership with ADNEC Group to power ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi entirely with renewable and clean energy, making it the first and largest event venue in the Middle East to utilise clean energy.
The landmark partnership sets a benchmark for the decarbonisation of the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions (MICE) sector across the UAE.
The agreement was signed at the ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi by Othman Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer of EWEC, and Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNEC Group. The signing was witnessed by key representatives from both organisations.
As a leading events space in the Middle East, ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi hosts year-round international exhibitions and events, welcoming exhibitors, visitors and business professionals from around the world. Through this new strategic partnership, ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi will have 100 per cent of its grid power supplied by EWEC’s renewable and clean energy sources, verified through the provision of Clean Energy Certificates (CECs) issued by the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE).
The partnership will significantly reduce the carbon emissions of major exhibitions and events hosted by ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi and will position ADNEC Group as a global leader in sustainable event management.
Othman Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer of EWEC, said: “We are delighted to partner with ADNEC Group to decarbonise ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi’s grid power consumption. EWEC is driving the increase in renewable and clean energy adoption in the UAE, making it easier and quicker for organisations to reduce their Scope 2 emissions and decarbonise their operations. By strategically increasing renewable and clean energy capacity and simultaneously empowering Abu Dhabi organisations to decarbonise, EWEC is accelerating the delivery of the UAE’s clean energy transition. This strategic partnership with ADNEC Group provides a benchmark for decarbonising major international events hosted in Abu Dhabi in line with the UAE’s net zero targets and reflects EWEC’s continued advancement of pioneering sustainable initiatives.”
Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of ADNEC Group, said: “ADNEC Group’s partnership with EWEC emphasises our strategic focus on sustainability through the adoption and use of renewable and clean energy, aligning with the UAE’s objectives and national targets for sustainable development. By decarbonising ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi’s grid power consumption, we are setting a new decarbonisation benchmark within the UAE’s business tourism industry and reaffirming Abu Dhabi’s position as the capital of sustainable events and exhibitions sector in the region.”
EWEC is enabling organisations to decarbonise their operations and reduce their Scope 2 emissions by driving the adoption of the DoE’s CEC scheme. Issued in one megawatt-hour units, CECs are tradable digital certificates which comply with the International Renewable Energy Certificate Standard Foundation (I-REC Standard) and prove ownership of the environmental and economic benefits derived from clean energy consumption.
EWEC is one of the key parties enabling the implementation of the CECs scheme, acting as the Single Registrant and Auction Operator. The certificates are a key mechanism in the transition to a low-carbon economy, contributing to the realisation of the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.