Dubai’s DEWA Opens Dhs500m Warsan Complex And Al Qusais Control Centre

The Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) opened its new Dhs500 million Warsan Complex and Al Qusais Control Centre on Wednesday, in a bid to cater to the emirate’s growing energy needs.

Spread across 650,159 sq ft, the Warsan Complex includes two transmission and distribution control centres and an administrative building which can accommodate up to 2,350 employees.

One of the control centres is for managing power generation and transmission of the 132/400 kV networks in coordination with the Jebel Ali plants. The second works on monitoring and managing the networks to maintain continued improvement.

The implemented systems in the control centres can exchange data and tasks in case of emergency, and have six times the capacity compared to the old systems, DEWA said in a statement.

Matar Humaid Al Tayer, chairman of DEWA said, “Separating the control centres has enabled us to adopt two smart programmes for transmission and distribution.

“This will help us to complete the Smart Grid project efficiently, and meet the requirements of transmitting power through the National Emirates network according to the NERC Standards.”

The Al Qusais Control Centre includes distribution, planning, and coordination departments, a library, the distribution R&D department, a simulator, and on-site distribution management.

The Transmission Control Centre features the generation and transmission control room for the 400 kV network, and the Planning & Coordination Department for all power transmission operations.

“The Control Centre at Warsan will play a key role in the strategic, economic and industrial expansion zones of Dubai by ensuring power supply continuity through Dubai networks in coordination with adjacent emirates,” said Al Tayer.

“It further updates and automates our systems to meet the needs of urban expansion projects and growing demand for electricity and water services.

“The transmission and distribution control systems have been designed to manage the needs of the increasing number of substations. We have conducted several voltage capacity tests to achieve the best performance of the networks.

“We have also implemented a ‘Multi-Site System’ which provides alternative technical and geographical systems in case of emergency to minimise the impact of any unwarranted outage,” added Al Tayer.

Overall, the Control Centre’s main function is to ensure efficiency, safety, and sustainability of Dubai’s power supply, maintain the required electricity reserve for emergency cases, and monitor quality indicators and network performance, said the utility.

The Warsan complex also includes a certified testing lab for generator oil, a mosque, and warehouses. The administration building features training and meeting halls, a library, a gym, a nursery and a coffee shop.