Sheikh Mohammed told of Dh6.5bn in major projects coming to Dubai

A deep storm water tunnel capable of collecting water at twice the flow of the Thames in London and the world's largest single waste-to-energy plant were among the projects Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid reviewed on Sunday. The Vice President and Ruler of Dubai visited the emirate’s municipal offices where he was updated on the development of four projects costing a total of Dh6.5 billion. During his visit, Sheikh Mohammed said it was important to keep pace with the latest scientific advances so they could be applied when addressing challenges faced by society – particularly those related to climate change and the environment. “The real value of projects is measured by its positive impact on society and its ability to improve people’s lives and achieve optimal use of resources,” he said. “We should always be a benchmark for quality of life and for creating a bright future for our people. This requires creative thinking, comprehensive planning and speedy execution.” The first project Sheikh Mohammed was briefed on was the Dubai Deep Tunnel Storm Water System. The first of its kind in the Middle East, the tunnel will collect groundwater and storm water run-off, store it and then direct it to the sea. The tunnel is considered critical to face future challenges that will come from rains over the next 100 years. The tunnel has a capacity of 110 cubic metres per minute, which is double the flow of the Thames River in London and it will be responsible for draining 40 per cent of the emirate. The water system will serve the whole of Dubai South, which is home to Al Maktoum Airport and Expo 2020. Sheikh Mohammed was also briefed about the world’s largest single waste-to-energy plant, built on two hectares of land in Warsan, to the east of International City. The plant will consume the city’s solid, industrial and commercial waste and convert it into electricity. Gases produced by the waste will be burnt to turn a steam turbine to generate electricity. Incombustible material will be left as recyclable ash, from which useful metals can be extracted for reuse. The gas will be treated with lime and filtered to minimise the release of pollutants during processing. ______________ Read more: Dubai to get massive drill for Expo 2020 flood prevention tunnel project Dubai building Dh2.5 billion facility to convert rubbish to electricity ______________ The plant is expected to have thermal transfer efficiency of 29 per cent – the highest percentage of its kind in the world. The first line of the plant will be operational in 2022, with full lines ready by 2023. The plant will have a processing capacity of 1.9 million tonnes a year. Other projects include the region's first environmental nanometric satellite named DM Sat1. It will be assembled by April and launched by the end of the year to collect and analyse environmental data. That data will be used to find solutions for increasing pollution in cities and to address climate change. The satellite is a joint project between Dubai Municipality and The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre. Sheikh Mohammed was also told about the developments of traditional souqs in the Deira and Bur Dubai areas, which aim to attract 12 million visitors by 2020.

Sheikh Mohammed told of Dh6.5bn in major projects coming to Dubai

Projects include a satellite, a storm water tunnel, waste-to-energy plant and the development of traditional souqs