Dubai utility Dewa on 21 August announced a new peak load of 9.074GW, up 6.6% on 2019’s 8.516GW. Presuming Abu Dhabi’s Ewec, which also supplies four small northern emirates, saw a similar rise this implies a peak load of 21.0GW for the UAE’s two key power authorities, up from 2019’s 19.7GW.

Amid 50°C heat, the UAE was forced to bust its Opec+ crude output quota in order to provide sufficient associated gas output to meet powergen needs energy minister Suhail al-Mazrouei says (MEES, 4 September). Given that the UAE is the key ally of Opec lynchpin Saudi Arabia, which has taken a hardball stance with countries producing in excess of their quotas, it is a fair presumption that the UAE would not do this lightly. (CONTINUED - 634 WORDS)