Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced a total budget of Dh20.56bn ($5.55bn) for 2014, of which more than one third is intended for spending on capacity expansion projects and equipment purchases. Outlining next year’s spending plans on 7 December, DEWA Managing Director and CEO Sa’id Muhammad al-Tayir said the budget had been raised from Dh13.835bn ($3.735bn) for 2013.

“Expenditure on projects and purchases will reach Dh7.057bn [$1.905bn],” said Mr Tayir. “These include such important projects as the plan to generate power by using clean coal, producing power from solar energy, expansion of the M-Station power and desalination plant at Jebel Ali, consultancy services for adding two gas turbines and connecting them to the 400kV grid at D-Station, the project to increase the capacity of four gas turbines at K-Station, projects to establish main power substations, laying cables, setting up control systems and fit-outs for 11kV networks, as well as smart grid infrastructure and smart meters.” (CONTINUED - 555 WORDS)