(EnergyAsia, March 1 2012, Thursday) — Dubai’s Supreme Council of Energy (SCE) recently reviewed the implementation of the emirate’s strategy to ensure the long-term sustainable supply of natural gas.

The review of Dubai’s Integrated Gas Strategy 2030 was led by the SCE’s chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, who chaired its 15th meeting at the headquarters of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). The review was attended by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, SCE’s vice chairman, Nejib Zaafrani, CEO and Secretary General of the SCE, and other senior council members.

Mr Saeed Al Tayer said:

“The council discussed the progress of the roadmap of the Dubai Integrated Gas Strategy 2030 to secure sustainability of gas supply to Dubai in the most efficient way. The council reviewed the yearly performance of electricity and water consumption in Dubai in 2011, compared to 2010. The review indicated encouraging results in energy savings and efficiency.

“We have awarded a consultant the project to define the optimal financial mechanism for the full deployment of the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030’s (DIES 2030) progress.”

This first assignment, “DIES 2030: Overarching Financial Alignment”, will provide general principles and boundaries on project funding and financing.

Mr Saeed Al Tayer said: “We agreed to proceed with the Atlas Energy Project in collaboration with the Masdar Institute. This project will provide valuable data related to location of the best sites for electricity generation for solar and wind renewable energies on a regional scale and the most suitable technologies available from around the world.

“The Supreme Council of Energy signed a memorandum of understanding with the World Energy Forum to host it forum in Dubai, for the first time outside UN headquarters in New York.”

The forum, to be held on October 22-24 2012, will be attended by Heads of State and Energy Ministers. The SCE will also participate in several events including WETEX in March 2012 and the Sustainable Arabia: Clean Energy Conference in May 2012 in cooperation with the UN Development Programme.