EWEC forecasts a 54% reduction in electricity carbon intensity and a 94% reduction in water production emissions reduction by 2030
Clean Energy Certificates empower organisations and individuals to verify clean electricity consumption
On Zero Emissions Day, EWEC (Emirates Water and Electricity Company), a leading company in the integrated planning, purchasing, supply, and system despatch services of water and electricity across the UAE, highlighted its leadership in accelerating the decarbonisation of Abu Dhabi’s water and power sector. Through the strategic integration of renewable and clean energy, advanced storage technologies, and low-carbon-intensive desalination, EWEC is delivering measurable reductions in emissions while maintaining system reliability and resilience.
EWEC’s strategy directly supports the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative and the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy’s (DoE) Clean Energy Strategic Target 2035 for Electricity Production, which aims for 60 per cent of Abu Dhabi’s power demand to be met by carbon-free sources by 2035. By 2030, EWEC forecasts a 54 per cent reduction in the average carbon dioxide intensity of electricity generation, from 330 kg/MWh in 2019 to an estimated 150 kg/MWh, and a 94 per cent reduction in emissions associated with water production, from 11.5 kg/m³ in 2019 to less than 0.6 kg/m³.
Easa Alzarooni, System Operations Executive Director at EWEC, said: “On Zero Emissions Day, we recognise that meaningful decarbonisation requires measurable progress at a system level. EWEC is integrating world-class transformative renewable energy, advancing energy storage, and decoupling water from power through reverse osmosis, all while ensuring grid reliability and energy security. These initiatives allow us to minimise emissions while meeting the growing needs of Abu Dhabi’s economy. As we expand renewable and clean capacity and enhance operability across the system, we remain focused on efficiency, resilience, and delivering against national sustainability objectives, including the Clean Energy Strategic Target 2035 and the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative.”
As part of its efforts to enable credible emissions reduction across Abu Dhabi’s economy, EWEC serves as the Single Registrant and Auction Operator of the DoE’s Clean Energy Certificates (CECs) scheme, the Emirate’s only accredited mechanism to verify that electricity consumption originates from renewable or clean generation sources. Issued in units of one megawatt-hour (MWh), CECs comply with the internationally recognised I-REC Standard and verify ownership of the associated environmental and economic attributes. By matching their electricity consumption with certified clean energy, organisations and individuals in Abu Dhabi can reduce Scope 2 emissions transparently and in line with international best practices, supporting corporate ESG frameworks and national climate goals.
Participation in the CECs scheme continues to grow across priority sectors, including healthcare, events, real estate, manufacturing, and education, reflecting rising demand for verifiable decarbonisation. The programme supports market-based Scope 2 reporting, offering auditable traceability from issuance to retirement via a secure registry. With the inclusion of wind energy CECs alongside solar and clean sources, the scheme is expanding the range of options available to consumers and strengthening Abu Dhabi’s renewable and clean electricity ecosystem.
EWEC is at the centre of Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s renewable and clean energy transformation, expanding utility-scale solar and wind, deploying battery energy storage systems, and accelerating low-carbon-intensive RO desalination to deliver a more efficient, reliable, and sustainable power and water system that supports the long-term realisation of the nation’s sustainability and socio-economic development goals.
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About Emirates Water and Electricity Company
EWEC (Emirates Water and Electricity Company) is the sole procurer and supplier of water and electricity in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. EWEC drives the planning, forecasting, purchasing, and system despatch services of water and electricity. EWEC fulfils these vital responsibilities through the short-term and long-term balancing of bulk supply and demand for distribution companies and authorities in Abu Dhabi and other Emirates. EWEC is supporting the government of Abu Dhabi and the government of the UAE by enabling the reduction of cost whilst also providing the increased security of supply that comes from a cleaner, larger, and more integrated system.EWEC is mandated to implement strategic initiatives that will achieve the 60 per cent clean energy target outlined in the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy's (DoE) Clean Energy Strategic Target 2035 for Electricity Production in Abu Dhabi, in addition to enabling the achievement of UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, UAE Energy Strategy by 2050, and the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative. EWEC is accelerating Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s energy transition by diversifying the country’s energy mix through developing and deploying renewable and clean energy as well as low-carbon intensive water desalination capacities. EWEC is part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy. For more information, please visit www.ewec.ae.
