International Desalination Association Names Dubai As Site Of 2019 IDA World Congress

Dubai Electricity & Water Authority to Host Event

The International Desalination Association (IDA) announced recently that it has selected Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), as the site for its 2019 World Congress on Desalination and Water Reuse. The Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), recognized globally as a sustainable, innovative world-class utility, will host the Congress, which is widely regarded as the preeminent event for the global desalination and water reuse industry.

“We are honored to welcome Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) as host of the 2019 IDA World Congress, and look forward to working together to make this important event one of the most successful in our history. We look forward to bringing our flagship event back to Dubai, where we presented our highly successful 2009 World Congress under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,” said Patricia A. Burke, IDA Secretary General.

“DEWA is eager to host the 2019 IDA World Congress. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize our support and efforts hand-on-hand towards the success of this world-class event. DEWA is committed to sustainability and raising awareness about the importance of rationalizing water consumption, protecting the environment and conserving natural resources. These themes are also important aspects of the IDA World Congress, providing an ideal forum to help advance these goals,” said Saeed Mohamed Al Tayer, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of DEWA.

Mr. Al Tayer added that DEWA currently produces potable water predominantly through the multi-stage flash (MSF) distillation process integrated with its combined cycle cogeneration plants. The MSF process is very efficient in that waste heat is utilized to meet Dubai’s requirements for water. As of today, DEWA’s total water production capacity consists of 470 MIGD out of which 445 MIGD is MSF based. The remaining 25 MIGD is based on seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology.

Techno-economic feasibility studies which were conducted confirmed the feasibility of adoption of SWRO utilizing clean energy sources instead of conventional thermal desalination technologies for all future desalination capacity expansion up to 2030. The total production capacity is forecasted to reach 750 MIGD by 2030 out of which 305 MIGD will consist of SWRO based plants.

This decoupling of power and water production is expected to result in efficiency improvements and operational flexibility of the system leading to reduced fuel consumption and hence cumulative savings of up to AED 13 billion by 2030.

With an aim to preserving natural resources and protecting the environment, DEWA continuously encourages all its customers to rationalize their electricity and water use through various awareness programs, campaigns, awards and innovative initiatives. Between 2009 and 2016, savings of over 1.5 TWh of electricity and 6.2 billion imperial gallons of water were realized, which is equivalent to over AED 967 million. These savings are equivalent to offsetting around 831,000 tons of carbon emissions, which equates to planting 944,000 trees.

The award was made to Dubai after a rigorous review of bids by IDA’s Site Selection Committee. The process included thorough analysis of information detailed on a numeric scorecard, followed by site visits to four final candidates and a vote by the IDA Board of Directors. Details about dates and the venue for the 2019 World Congress will be announced shortly.

The other finalists for the 2019 World Congress were Barcelona, Spain; Busan, South Korea; and Muscat, Oman. In all, IDA received eight proposals, a record number of contenders for the World Congress. The other bidders were from Canada, South Africa, India and Malta.

“IDA is honored to have received eight very strong proposals from locations around the world, pointing to the high regard in which the IDA World Congress is held,” Burke noted.

Held every two years, the IDA World Congress is widely recognized as the leading event for the global desalination and water reuse community. It is attended by nearly 2,000 delegates from the public and private sector – world leaders in all sectors of the desalination and water reuse, typically representing more than 60 countries.

The 2017 IDA World Congress will take place in São Paulo, Brazil, from October 15-20, featuring a robust four-day Technical Program, industry-leading Exhibition, Innovation Theater, awards program, plant tours and networking events throughout World Congress week.

About IDA
The International Desalination Association is a non-profit association that serves more than 2,600 core members in 60 countries and reaches an additional 4,000 affiliate members. Its membership comprises scientists, end-users, engineers, consultants and researchers from governments, corporations and academia. IDA is associated with the United Nations as part of a growing international network of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). For more information, visit www.idadesal.org.