February 2018 Power & Water Leaders Issue 010 by GineersNow

POWER & WATER LEADERS

H.E. Dr. Rashid Alleem SEWA: Reducing Energy Consumption, Generating Maximum Customer Happiness

The Latest News In The Industry: Tiny Piece of Paper Detects If Water is Safe to Drink Abu Dhabi Unveils World’s Largest Man-Made Desalinated Water Reserve You Only Need Water, Not Chemical Refrigerants, for This Air-Conditioner to Work Masdar Institute and Cleanergy Partner in Research on Thermal Energy Storage for the Cleanergy Stirling CSP System

Get The Job, Get The Promotion: How Engineers Can Appear Qualified for Their New Job Why You Shouldn’t Accept That Engineering Job Offer Immediately What Employers Look For When Hiring Fresh Engineering Graduates

Changing a Nuclear Disaster Site to One of the World’s Largest Solar Power Plants

How To Be The Leader Your Engineering Team Needs

A New Energy Source is Being Explored Underwater

How Engineers Can Be Promoted This Year According to Bosses

FEBRUARY 2018 ISSUE NO. 010

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It’s only just the second month of the year yet so many things have already made 2018 exciting for all of us in the engineering community. Given the new regulations implemented, recent developments and breakthrough research made by the engineering and scientific communities, the future looks bright for the hopeful ones. For this month, we are featuring Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority (SEWA). While most companies, institutions and organizations find it important to prioritize customer service, only few have proven to turn those promises into actions. For SEWA, not only do they promote various water and energy conservation awareness, they make sure that their services can reduce energy consumption and generate maximum customer happiness among the citizens.

EDITOR’S NOTE

In this exclusive interview with H.E Dr. Rashid Alleem, Chairman of SEWA, learn more about their greatest achievements, latest innovations, their future plans and what makes SEWA different from other utility providers around the world. We have also included special power and water stories on the magazine this month such as the following: • • • • • •

It Only Takes This Tiny Piece of Paper to Say That the Water \ is Safe to Drink Abu Dhabi Unveils World’s Largest Man-Made Desalinated Water Reserve You Only Need Water, Not Chemical Refrigerants, for This AirConditioner to Work From a Nuclear Disaster Site to One of the World’s Largest Solar Power Plants A New Energy Source is Being Explored and It is Underwater Masdar Institute and Cleanergy Partner in Research on Thermal Energy Storage for the Cleanergy Stirling CSP System

Lastly, we have prepared special leadership stories for engineers looking for big changes in their careers. Find out how you can appear qualified for your new job and how you can get promoted this year. If you’re a fresh engineering graduate, read our story on what employers look for when they hire new graduates. For engineers seeking a leadership role in one’s team, find out how to be the leader your engineering team needs. For engineers with new job offers, read our article on why you shouldn’t accept that engineering job offer immediately. So go ahead, scroll through our pages and learn the latest news, find out more about the latest trends and get inspired with our featured articles. Get updated. Be informed with this month’s GineersNow: Power and Water Leaders.

Engr. Alice Hernandez Senior Editor-at-Large

Contents SEWA: Reducing Energy Consumption, Generating Maximum Customer Happiness

ACWA Power becomes first utility-scale generator to adopt SolarCoin

It Only Takes This Tiny Piece of Paper to Say That the Water is Safe to Drink

Abu Dhabi Unveils World’s Largest Man-Made Desalinated Water Reserve

Tesla Will Create A Second Massive Battery System for Australia

What Employers Look For When Hiring Fresh Engineering Graduates

Why You Shouldn’t Accept That Engineering Job Offer Immediately

You Only Need Water, Not Chemical Refrigerants, for This Air-Conditioner to Work

Changing Careers? Here’s How Engineers Can Appear Qualified for Their New Job

11th World Future Energy Summit Opens Its Doors in Abu Dhabi

How Engineers Can Reset A Bad Work Day

How Engineers Can Be Promoted This Year According to Bosses

Masdar Institute and Cleanergy Partner in Research on Thermal Energy Storage for the Cleanergy Stirling CSP System

From a Nuclear Disaster Site to One of the World’s Largest Solar Power Plants

A New Energy Source is Being Explored and It is 56 Underwater How To Be The Leader Your Engineering Team Needs

H.E. Dr. Rashid Alleem

Chairman Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority

Power & Water Leaders â&#x20AC;˘ February 2018

SEWA: Reducing Energy Consumption, Generating Maximum Customer Happiness While most companies, institutions and organizations find it important to prioritize customer service, only few have proven to turn those promises into actions. For Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority (SEWA), not only do they promote various water and energy conservation awareness, they make sure that their services can reduce energy consumption and generate maximum customer happiness among the citizens. SEWA provides water, electricity, and natural gas to its 1.5 million customers - residents and businesses throughout the Sharjah region, and is also responsible for residential services including street lighting. Faced with increasing power and water needs, and a rapidly growing population, SEWA is intensifying its efforts and resources to meet customer requirements and exceed expectations. In this exclusive interview with H.E Dr. Rashid Alleem, Chairman of Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority (SEWA), learn more about their greatest achievements, latest innovations, their future

plans and what makes SEWA different from other utility providers around the world.

Describe SEWAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past achievements or breakthrough projects. We promote various water and energy conservation awareness, the conservation department handles awareness programs to consumers by providing them with a set of educational and practical tools that aid in facilitating behavioral change to reduce energy and water consumption by 30% in five years. SEWA won the best Arab idea in the field of reducing water consumption, for the idea of creating a device to detect and stop internal spills in the Arab Ideas Competition organized by Dubai Quality Group and announced its results during the Ideas Arabia International Conference & Competition 2017. We promote eco-friendly machines and equipment. SEWAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Smart Home initiative

Power & Water Leaders â&#x20AC;˘ February 2018

presents some very exciting opportunities to change the way we live and work, and to reduce energy consumption at the same time. This technology provides many opportunities for achieving more sustainable outcomes. For example: we have changed all our light bulbs with Philips LED lights and have taken actions to recycle the printer.

SEWA footprint:

SEWA is the first utility provider in the Arab world that has secured 50001:2011 (Energy Management) and applied the principles of energy technologies will ensure a secure and prosperous future and a healthy environment for generations to come.

Peak Hour (one saving hour):

Green Bill Initiative:

We have made our services easy for the customers. This not only helps in promoting sustainability and preserve natural resources and reducing carbon emission but also helps payment very easy and accessible. This enables the customers to update their profiles, review electronic bill and also make payment easy through online payment. This raised customer satisfaction and the customers don’t have to come to office to pay their bills.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

We track of the significant sources of GHG emissions within our operational boundaries. The largest source of GHG emissions occurs from the fossil fuel consumption in our power plants and desalination units. We have been actively reducing the consumption of HFO and LFO in the plants and increasing the use of natural gas, a cleaner fossil fuel. Peak Hour initiative was launched by the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. As per the directive, July 1 is the chosen date to hold the initiative ‘One Saving Hour’ from 2.30 to 3.30pm every year. This initiative is aimed at promoting the culture of conservation and raising awareness about the rational use of electricity, water conservation and reduction of toxic emissions. This is done in order to raise the awareness of officials of government bodies and institutions, community leaders and individuals on the importance of electricity and water.

Below are the list of achievements of H.E. Dr Rashid Alleem. Honorable Titles

• Business Award in Innovation 2017 by Ambassador of Belgium • Global Green Ambassador Award by DMG in Global Solar Leaders Summit • 100 most sustainable CEOs by world sustainability award, 2017 • The ambassador of peace & happiness in the Arab world by VOK, 2017 • Exemplary leader in the UAE by multinational business academy, 2017 • Global environmental award by global environment & energy foundation (geef), 2017 • Life time achievement award – people forum of India • The knowledge ambassador of UAE in 2015

• Green ambassador of UAE in 2014 • Golden arrow award in 2014 • Goodwill ambassador for peace, care and relief in GCC countries, middle east and North Africa’ in 2014 • 2013 extraordinary human by united nations world peace organization • Environmentalist of the year 2012 by prime minister of Malaysia Dr. Mahathir Mohamad • Global champion of climate change in 2011 • Maritime personality for 2009 by Marine Biz Tv • Celebrity of the year by Khaleej Times newspaper in 2008

Prestigious Awards

• Award for excellence in energy saving and reduction of CO2 emission • Honored guest speaker award by Pakistani Business Council • Inspirational leader award-

2017 and a special memento for social sustainability and through innovation achievement – 2017 – the Indian human welfares & vigilance. Org • Awarding the degrees of doctorate from Indian peace university – usa “social sustainability and through innovation’ and award from Indian human welfare and vigilance organization for “social sustainability and through innovation – 2017 on 12-08-2017. • Friend of Singapore sustainability award , 2017 • Golden friends of India award, 2017 by IBPC • 13th middle east CEO excellence awards, 2016 • Best employer brand in UAE in 2016 • Award of excellence’ by Daimler-Mercedes Benz in 2014 • Global economic development leadership award in 2014 • Certificate of knight award by ISO in 2013 • Arab organization award for CSR initiatives in 2013+ • Middle east business leaders awards in 2012 • Jewels of muslim world award in 2012 • League of Arab States in 2007 • Excellence in leadership award from assocham in India in 2008

Remarkable Achievements

• Training & human Capital Development, Alleem Knowledge Center, by Middle East Business Leaders, 2012 • Among the 100 UAE nationals to have contributedimmensely to the happiness of UAE. Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

usage as well as the time, cost, and environmental impact of traveling to pay bills in person. SMART Homes Initiative: SEWA installed 20,000 smart meters into homes, which enable the consumers to see the meter reading as a simplified consumption rate, allowing the customer to appreciate their energy consumption. Moreover it allows SEWA employees to take meter readings remotely without having to visit each site physically. • As a tribute to Dr. Alleem’s dexterous administrative acumen, The Leading European Architects Forum (LEAF) award 2008 honored Hamriyah Free Zone for its support and for recognizing best practices and promoting excellence.

Books

• I am committed to the 17 global goals • The SEWA Way • Sustainability- The Fourth Wave of Economy • My Green Journey in Hamriyah • Inspirational Stories, • My Leadership Secrets • Is Success a Sin? • Successful Marketing Plan • The 13 Critical Traits of Team Dynamics

What are SEWA’s latest innovations and current technologies? SEWA has started an energy efficiency program in line with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi for Sharjah to become the UAE City of 14

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

Conservation. The objective of the SEWA energy efficiency program is to help and facilitate the reduction of consumption of electricity and water in the buildings of Sharjah. Experience from projects already done show that we can easily save around 25% to 30% of the annual consumption in buildings bringing significant costs savings. SEWA targets to innovate into the three key enablers of the Green Growth which are the three: resource efficient, socially inclusive, and low carbon. When these three key enablers are implemented this means that you implement the Green Growth approach within your environment. And this will enable SEWA towards Sustainability. And always remember, the sustainability is not a target to reach but it’s an approach that you need to apply and follow. Green Bill Campaign: SEWA deployed Oracle Utilities Customer Care and Billing to enable customers to pay bills online, reducing paper

Region’s Biggest Smart Control Screen introduced in 2015: This screen enables SEWA to monitor the performance and functioning of power plants round the clock. Digital Archiving of SEWA documents: In order to install a more efficient record and document management system, SEWA installed heavy dutyKodak Alaris scanners in its centralized office which has reduced the time taken for document retrieval drastically. We aim to digitise all files within the next 3-4 years. Digital customer service platform: This platform is designed to help make it easier for the utility to track how much water its 450,000 customers are using and then design service programs that help them reduce how much water they consume. Additionally, the smart network devices to monitor & control the water network and to efficiently manage the water distribution system to minimize water leakages, and non-revenue water.

SEWA is the first utility provider in the Arab world that has secured 50001:2011 (Energy Management) and applied the principles of energy resources maintenance. We believe that using renewable and lean energy technologies will ensure a secure & prosperous future and a healthy environment for generations to come.

Organizational Goals, Initiatives and Strategies: Our goal is to continue implementing the latest technologies to enhance the delivery of services and further educate Sharjah’s residents on ways in which energy consumption can be reduced and generate maximum customer happiness among our citizens. We started this journey about 3 years ago. • Green Bill: SEWA Generated 99% of all customer bills as electronic bills since January 2017, reduced billing costs by 80.5%, and increased online payment collection by 80%. • The new water storage system: Sensors attached to metering devices scan SEWA s 2,200-mile water network, looking for early signs of wasted water. Data captured from the sensors is mapped to customer account

records and in CCNB, where it is analyzed and used to generate invoices, estimate service needs, and take steps to stem consumption or waste. It is also expected to detect hidden water leakages. The new sensors, which are installed on water pipes and individual customer meters, can alert SEWA staff of cracked customer’s tanks, torn pipes, broken fixtures or sudden increases in usage.

• Improved Security: Minimized threats to personal and financial data by increasing security controls, including restricted access based on user type and improved system monitoring. • Digital Archiving: Around 30 heavy duty scanners were installed and 50 more are in the pipeline, scanning 500,000 pages a month. • Mobile App- The latest version of the mobile app aims to enhance the user experience and will provide multiple payment options, bill history, carbon footprint and graphical representation of consumption for each account.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

Challenges:

Improve customer service and minimize greenhouse gas emissions by enabling utilities customers to pay invoices online rather than needing to travel to the nearest payment counter. Reduce energy consumption and meet demands of the ever increasing population simultaneously.

What are the future plans of SEWA? LED Solar Street Project: SEWA uses natural gas to provide electricity. SEWA currently applied small solar application only instead of power plant, covering 30 km of LED solar street light which is the longest distance compared to other emirates. Traditional bulbs will be replaced with energysaving LED bulbs to protect the environment and assure the project’s sustainability. SEWA is using eco-friendly, energy-efficiency lamps and lighting solutions as part of its policy of using renewable 16

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

energy and ensuring optimum utilization of resources, in compliance with energy conservation principles of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and International Standardization Organization’s ISO 50001 which promotes using energy efficiently to help organizations save money, as well as conserve resources and tackle climate change. ISO 50001 supports organizations in all sectors to use energy more efficiently, through the development of an energy management system.

Solar Initiative:

Recently SEWA has agreed with Bee’ah and Masdar, under the banner of the newly formed Emirates Waste to Energy Company, to receive energy from the under- construction waste – to – energy plant. The “waste – to – energy plant” joint venture in Sharjah represents an important step in our endeavor towards sustainability and bold and unconventional solution to address the increasing development challenges in realization of the UAE’s vision

for a sustainable future. SEWA has started an energy efficiency program in line with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi for Sharjah to become the UAE City of Conservation. The objective of the SEWA energy efficiency program is to help and facilitate the reduction of consumption of electricity and water in the buildings of Sharjah. Experience from projects already done shows that we can easily save around 25% to 30% of the annual consumption in buildings bringing significant cost savings. SEWA targets to innovate into the three key enablers of the Green Growth, which are resource efficient, socially inclusive, and low carbon. When these three key enablers are implemented, this means that you implement the Green Growth approach within your environment and this will enable SEWA towards Sustainability. Sharjah is first to implement “Solar Street Light” projects, covering 20km stretch of roads, and has been successfully commissioned as part of Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority’s (SEWA) green energy drive. The project was started by Biz Tech International, a division of Paradigm Pioneers Group, lightened up the streets across Al Sajaa Industrial Area, Al Barashi, Al Zubair, Bateah, Mleiha Road and Al Mahathab of Sharjah. The authorizing of the pioneering green street projects, highlighting 600 pols

installed with 1,200 solar panels, follows the successful installation of solar panels at SEWA head office by Biz Tech International.

360 – degree view of eachcustomer to instantly trace their historical record, leading to faster resolution.

What makes SEWA different from other utility providers around the world?

By using smart metering devices integrated with a digital customer service platform to automate billing and track consumption, also by using smart network devices to monitor & control the water network and to efficiently manage the water distribution system to minimize water leakages, and non – revenue water, SEWA aims to cut Sharjah’s water losses by more than 15% by doing more than 17 million gallons of the 110 million gallons will be saved every day.

SEWA provides water, electricity, and natural gas to its 1.5 million customers - residents and businesses throughout the Sharjah region, and is also responsible for residential services including street lighting and waste water treatment. Faced with increasing power and water needs, and a rapidly growing population, SEWA is intensifying its efforts and resources to meet customer requirements and exceed expectations and technology plays a vital role in bolstering customer happiness. We have made our services easy for the customers. For example, the Green Bill Initiative not only helps in promoting sustainability, preserving natural resources and reducing carbon emission but also helps make payment very easy and accessible. This enables the customers to update their profiles, review electronic bill and make payment easy through online payment. This raised customer satisfaction and the customers don’t have to come to office to pay their bills. Increased customers satisfaction by enabling them to rapidly pay invoices anywhere and anytime without needing to travel or wait in long queues during working hours, saving both valuable time and travel costs and reduced queues at payment counters, where customers frequently waitedfor up to an hour, by implementing a powerful utilities billing system that enables customers to walk in and pay bills instantly, improving quality of life both for citizens and SEWA staff. Improved customer service by providing back – office and customer – facing employees with a

ACWA Power becomes first utility-scale generator to adopt SolarCoin

•

Global reward programme allows solar electricity producers to extract more value from generated solar energy through a dedicated digital currency

• ACWA Power’s adoption of SolarCoin marks first move of large scale producers into SolarCoin Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 13th January 2018 ACWA Power, a leading developer, owner, and operator of power generation and water 18

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

desalination plants, announced today the move to adopt SolarCoin -the global reward program for solar electricity generation-, marking the first time a utility-scale generator joins the SolarCoin ecosystem. SolarCoin adoption will provide digital tokens to ACWA Power for every MWh of solar energy produced and will provide a supplementary means of payment for goods and services than conventional currency.

per 1 MWh of solar energy produced. SolarCoin is global, decentralized and independent of any government. By leveraging SolarCoin, ACWA Power will be rewarded for helping build a more sustainable future. SolarCoin is a cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin, which in this case specifically links the disbursement of digital coins to solar energy produced and therefore, uniquely, has a positive actionable impact on environmental sustainability. SolarCoin uses an ultra-low carbon blockchain technology called proof of stake time to maintain the open source ledger system. The proof of stake algorithm is significantly less energy intensive than methods used by other cryptocurrencies (e.g. proof-of-work).

SolarCoin is a blockchainbased digital asset and currency designed to accelerate the transition to clean energy technology. The energyreferenced crypto currency aims to incentivise global solar energy production by disbursing digital coins to verifiably produced solar energy, rewarding energy producers with digital tokens at the rate of 1 SolarCoin (SLR)

As the price of solar coins appreciate, through more users agreeing to accept SolarCoin for value representation and transactions, claiming SolarCoins can become an additional and relevant revenue stream for solar power producers, resulting in an incentive for solar energy investors to install more generation capacity. Paddy Padmanathan, President and CEO of ACWA Power said, “We are always looking for ways to adopt new technologies to add value and reduce cost in all that we do and blockchain technology in our view offers a yet untapped opportunity for the power generation sector. Now through SolarCoin, we are able to utilize blockchain technology in one way to create value to renewable energy generation.

Being early utility-scale adopters of SolarCoin, ACWA Power is proud to leverage our rapidly growing solar energy generation capacity to accelerate the utilization of SolarCoins to in time further reduce the cost of solar energy through the supplementary value being created.” Nicholas Gogerty, Founder of SolarCoin Foundation said, “Awarding coins to solar energy producers such as ACWA Power provides an incentive to continue to invest in solar capacity. We hope to see further adoption of SolarCoin in the region, with the aim of building a strong community and spurring a global market for renewable energy investment.” ACWA Power operates in ten countries and has deployed a variety of technology solutions to support governments in reliably supplying desalinated water and power at the lowest possible cost. The 50MW Bokpoort CSP project in South Africa and the 50MW Karadzhalovo PV plant in Bulgaria are already generating SolarCoins, while other projects, will in time also benefit from the SolarCoin incentive programme. ACWA Power will host a workshop led by SolarCoin Foundation during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) on 16th January, 2018 at 14.00 to 16.00 hrs at the Energy Efficency Theatre at ADNEC to introduce blockchain technology, how SolarCoin is mined and how the SolarCoin wallet works. ADSW is set to take place from 13-20 January 2018.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

About ACWA Power: ACWA Power is a developer, investor and operator of a portfolio of power generation and desalinated water production plants currently with presence in 10 countries including in the Middle East and North Africa, Southern Africa and South East Asia regions. ACWA Powerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portfolio, with an investment value in excess of USD 30 billion, can generate 22+ GW of power and produce 2.5 million m3 /day of desalinated water to be mostly delivered on a bulk basis to state utilities and industrial majors on long term off-take contracts under Public-PrivatePartnership, Concession and Utility Services Outsourcing models. ACWA Power, registered and head-quartered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is owned by eight Saudi conglomerates, Sanabil Direct Investment Company (owned by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia), the Saudi Public Pensions Agency and the International Finance Corporation (a member of the World Bank Group).

ACWA Power pursues a mission to reliably deliver electricity and desalinated water at the lowest possible cost, thereby contributing to the social and economic development of the communities and countries it invests in and serves. ACWA Power strives to achieve success by adhering to the values of Safety, People and Performance in operating its business. Jon Barber Director â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Corporate Communications T + 971 (0)4 509 1052 M + 971 56 507 5710 F + 971 (0)4 385 9625 acwapower.com The One Tower, 41st Floor, Barsha Heights (TECOM), Sheikh Zayed Road, P.O. Box 30582, Dubai United Arab Emirates

It Only Takes This Tiny Piece of Paper to Say That the Water is Safe to Drink The technology is inspired by the litmus paper. Estimates by the World Health Organization indicate that by 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas. A steady supply of potable water is a growing global problem which is why United Nations included access to safe drinking water as one of its Sustainable Development Goals. Scientists and engineers have a role to portray in this problem. By developing products, devices, and machines, among others, they are able to contribute in providing safe drinking water to the people. At University of Bath in the United Kingdom, researchers have done a magnificent job in the detection of potable water. They developed

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

a cheap, sustainable, and recyclable device – a tiny piece of paper – that can detect toxic compounds in water. Inspired by the litmus paper which is commonly used in the assessment of acidity in water, the technology consists of a microbial fuel cell (MFC) obtained by screen printing biodegradable carbon electrodes on to a single piece of paper. The science behind the MFC is pretty simple. It uses the natural biological processes of socalled electric bacteria, attached to the carbon electrodes to generate an electric signal. A warning from the device is triggered, caused by the change in the electric signal, once the

bacteria are exposed to polluted water. That only means that the water is not safe to drink. For only £1, or a more than a $1, the technology is one of the cheapest water-pollutant detecting devices right now. Another selling point is its weight and composition: it is a less than 1g paper sensor made from biodegradable components. Dr. Mirella Di Lorenzo, senior lecturer at the University of Bath’s Department of Chemical Engineering, said: “This work could lead to a revolutionary way of testing water at the point of use, which is not only green, easy to operate and rapid, but also affordable to all. “This type of research will have a significant positive impact, especially benefiting those areas where access to even basic analytic tools is prohibitive. “This device is a small step in helping the world realize the United Nations’ call to ensure access to safe drinking water and sanitation as a human right,” she added. To make it more user-friendly, the researchers are now finding a way to link up the sensor with an electric device such a mobile phone via a wireless transmitter.

Abu Dhabi Unveils World’s Largest Man-Made Desalinated Water Reserve Abu Dhabi today unveiled the world’s largest reserve of high quality desalinated water, secured in a network of 315 recovery wells lying up to 80 meters below the Liwa Desert. Abu Dhabi today unveiled the world’s largest reserve of high quality desalinated water, secured in a network of 315 recovery wells lying up to 80 meters below the Liwa Desert. The wells are fed by one of United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) longest water pipeline networks which runs the water from Shuweihat desalination plant at a rate of 7 million imperial gallons (approx. 32,000 m3) / day over 27 months. The reserve, which has at its core an infiltration and recovery system sitting atop a natural fresh water underground aquifer, was first investigated in 2002 and has been extensively researched by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD). 24

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

The project was undertaken as a collaborative venture between EAD, delivering the vital scientific studies, feasibility, risk and mitigation scenarios as well as strategic planning Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) and its TRANSCO subsidiary, which managed the construction and on-the-ground implementation. His Excellency Dr. Saif Saleh Al Seairi, Acting Director General of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), delivered a speech in which he thanked the President of the UAE, HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme

Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, for their continuous support of the water and electricity sector, a pivotal component of the cultural and urban renaissance witnessed by Abu Dhabi. He also highlighted their impact on the development and contribution of the Authority and its group of companies through key infrastructure projects. He added that the completion of the Liwa Strategic Water Reserve coincides with the celebration of the year 2018 as a result of the efforts of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan And for his vision of the future of the region, and call for the conservation of resources and secure access to future generations. “The reserve acts as a safety net for the provision of water and is now being regarded as an excellent regional model for foresight and planning,” said His Excellency Saif Al Seairi, Acting Director General, ADWEA. “We applaud the efforts of the team that worked hard in some of the harshest desert conditions and in an environment of a constantly undulating landscape. The project team overcame considerable challenges to complete this oneof-a-kind scheme and lessons learned have been shared with our regional partners. This project has positioned Abu Dhabi”, he added. “The entire project is testament to the power of multi-stakeholder collaboration, and an exemplary case study in inter-governmental cooperation driven by environmental pillars guiding sustainable economic imperatives,” said Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General, EAD. The project has addressed Abu Dhabi’s water security and its resilience through the recharge of groundwater aquifers with high-quality desalinated water, which cannot be stored above ground due to contamination and other factors. The desalinated water is piped from the coast to create the secure, underground reserve system and was accomplished by a multinational and multi-disciplinary team of experts from EAD, TRANSCO, ADWEA, RSB, the independent regulatory body for Abu Dhabi’s water and electricity sector, GIZ International,

Do. Rainer Consultancy and ACC-POSCO JV. Established in one of the world’s driest areas where rainfall rarely exceeds 10 cms a year, the project has been completed at an estimated cost of AED 1.61 billion equivalent to USD 435,616,000 to deliver a fallback pumping capacity of 100 million gallons of water / day to the emirate if required. The desalinated water percolates into the subsurface through basins with a system of semi-perforated underground pipes to recharge the aquifer using only gravity as a driving force. The project ensures continuous water supply for Abu Dhabi city and Al Dhafra region and secures the reserve for future generations. Whenever needed, water from the 315 wells, lying up to 80 metres below ground, can be used to recover supplies at any time. The reserve now holds more than 26 million m3 of water (equivalent to 5.6 billion imperial gallons) that can bolster drinking water supply when needed. “Long-term wellbeing of our communities is enhanced by the maintenance and enhancement of groundwater while being conscious that we need to progress additional recharge and recovery projects to optimize flexible allocation of water as required,” said Razan Al Mubarak. Hailed as a “breakthrough sustainable engineering feat”, the Liwa reserve attests to the emirate’s commitment to “modern scientific knowledge and Abu Dhabi’s future vision for a balanced approach between development and conservation, that started with the late Sheikh Zayed and is now part of his legacy; a legacy which continues to grow through our President HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander UAE Armed Forces and HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative to Al Dhafra Region and EAD’s Chairman of the Board. Their guidance, wisdom and unmitigated support continue to drive us forward,” according to Al Mubarak. “Their endorsement and insights are reflected in the Liwa Strategic Water Reserve, which represents a global benchmark for

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

water management in desert regions and could completely redefine international standards for recharge and recovery projectsâ&#x20AC;?. Throughout the implementation of the project, considerable attention was paid to the use of highly engineered, environment-friendly specification materials, which were deemed appropriate to the Liwa area. The infiltration basin was insulated with protective materials, including a gravel mix of large pore stones 26

Power & Water Leaders â&#x20AC;˘ February 2018

to evenly distribute water and ensure better filtration. The 160-kilometre pipeline from the strategic water reserve site to the Madinat Zayed distribution network in Abu Dhabi city consists of approximately 9,000 sections of welded pipes some of which measure 1.2 metres in diameter, and are up to 18 metres long. The sections had to be transported into the desert and pieced together through high precision welding which

would take up to five continuous hours per section with stringent, follow-on X-ray inspection to ensure the system was leak-proof and could withstand the prevailing water pressure for a minimum of 50 years. Concerns about aquifer contamination from large animals, such as roaming camels, were addressed by working with nature which resulted in the creation of a ‘groundwater protection buffer zone’ made from locally produced palm-frond while solar panels power wellhead monitoring instrumentation. Reallocating the surplus from desalinated water into the reserve, addresses some of the challenges brought by dependence on desalination plants. “Desalination plants can be shut down by storms, a malfunction, a random sea raft and even the red tide phenomenon which has been exacerbated by climate change and negatively impacts water quality, the environment and ultimately the local economy. We need strategic reserves in the event of one or more stations being out of service and we need to ensure the availability of an alternative so that the population, industrial and commercial sectors are not negatively affected. The government realised the need for an alternative supply to cover our needs in the near or far term, and one which would also mitigate against climate risks and it is wisely investing in finding solutions” stated Al Seairi. The Liwa desert was chosen for the project after it met strict specification criteria. These included an extremely light water basin trajectory to prevent leakage; capable of sustaining a ‘tank’ thickness to handle significant storage volumes; safe surroundings free of human activities which could contaminate the reserve and where groundwater quality was of sufficient quality to allow for ‘recharge and mixing.’ “We decided to recharge the depleting ground aquifers with our surplus desalinated water and the result proved to be the most efficient way to store water at the lowest cost,” explained Al Seairi. “We do not need to build and maintain water tanks. We do not need energy to power their injection. We only re-inject water to replenish and restore what was previously there.”

Water quality is ensured through strict control, heat and salinity monitoring equipment and a range of other metrics. “Running the expansive well network simultaneously is a complex process. Communication and inter-team information exchange is critical. All this data is connected to a master network that acts as the project’s ‘brain’ and is housed in a stateof-the-art electronic process centre from which technicians control pumps, wells and valves and water quality which complies with RSB drinking water standards, is ensured by automatically operating at least 20 wells per day”, stated Al Seairi. Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between EAD, represented by H.E. Razan Al Mubarak and TRANSCO, represented by H.E. Mohammed bin Omair Al Shamsi, Chairman of the Board TRANSCO at the International Water Summit which is running in the UAE capital as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the strategic water reserve project will now be operated, managed and maintained by TRANSCO with scientific support by EAD. In readiness for the operation period, TRANSCO has prioritised the training of UAE nationals as project managers. “Their contact with this project vastly increases their experience, enriching their national pride and their sense of this project’s value and they add their insight and viewpoint to achieve the project’s objectives,” said H.E. Mohammed Bin Omair Al Shamsi. For EAD, the project is a true visionary undertaking to address pressing realities. “The storage of huge reserves of fresh water in the desert was considered a dream for previous generations. However, the nation’s innovative vision, wise investment in the latest technologies and in global expertise balanced by a sustainable approach and environmental science have made that dream a reality,” said Al Mubarak. “As the Year of Zayed celebrates his achievements and legacy, we honor and follow the path he set forth. Through inter-agency cooperation we have adopted a coherent approach to create real change in the management of our water resources to ensure the protection of our environment and our economic prosperity.”

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

Tesla Will Create A Second Massive Battery System for Australia After installing the “most powerful battery system in the world”, Tesla plans to install one more Powerpack in Australia. Tesla’s Powerpack project at a South Australian wind farm was so successful that many other states in Australia want to get their own. The news has garnered a lot of attention in media, since Elon Musk made a bet to bring it online in “100 days or it will be free” as well as the fact that it has become the most powerful battery system in the world. Now, Tesla will be once again, teaming up Neoen wind farm to build another Powerpack system in Victoria, which is in the SouthEast of Australia. The Australian media reported that Tesla was able to successfully win the contract to build a 20 MW battery system to support the 204 MW at the Bulgana Green Power Hug. Though this will be smaller than the South Australian project, it will be a great endeavor for the Tesla/Neoen collaboration. Franck Woitiez, the managing director of Neoen said: “The performance of the South Australian battery is outstanding. The Bulgana battery is primarily going to provide energy to Nectar Farms and may support the grid in the future.”

The time frame For this new project, the team has a longer timeline than the 100-day South Australian project. The new Victorian plant has been planned to come online in around 18 months. The

involvement of Tesla in South Australia’s energy sector was started after the state experienced several widespread power failures due to severe weather in the Summer of 2016. Tesla said that they would be able to fix South Australia’s energy problems within 100 days or the solution would be free of charge, and the South Australian government accepted Tesla’s proposition. The 100 MW Powerpack system went live on December 1st 2017, and Tesla was able to keep their promise. With all these efforts for renewable energy around the world made by numerous engineers, scientists and environmental enthusiasts, our world may soon be coal-free and will be a cleaner and safer place to live in.

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What Employers Look For When Hiring Fresh Engineering Graduates With zero work experience, fresh engineering graduates are confused as to what the determining factor really is to be employed. Upon graduating in engineering school, perhaps your greatest worry is how you will be able to land a job. You think that it is difficult to find employers who will trust someone like you who does not have legitimate work experience.

Power & Water Leaders â&#x20AC;˘ February 2018

It is true that you might have difficulty in securing your first job, but there is a trick: show to hiring managers that you will be worth it. And the best way to do that is to write in your resume what they want.

“When employers do hire from college, the evidence suggests that academic skills are not their primary concern,” says Peter Cappelli, a Wharton professor and the author of a new paper on job skills. “Work experience is the crucial attribute that employers want even for students who have yet to work full-time.” Especially for fresh engineers, it pays to have exposure to companies as early as college through on-the-job trainings and work sidelines. While this is optional for some, lucky are those who have curriculums making internships compulsory because that is what employers want the most. The Chronicle of Higher Education tallied the relative importance of attributes in evaluating graduates for hire. Internships lead with 23 points from a scale of 0 to 100, 21 points for employment during college, 12 points for volunteer experience, and 10 for extracurricular activities. All these are experience-based attributes. Meanwhile, academic attributes include college major with only 13 points, relevance of coursework and college GPA both with 8, and college reputation with 5. This just proves that your GPA will not matter that much after graduation. What does this mean for engineering students? And for you as a job seeker?

Now the question begs: what do employers want? According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, it is not your college GPA but experiences outside of academics that matter to them: Internships, jobs, volunteering, and extracurricular activities.

Engineering students should invest in getting more on-the-job trainings or relevant work experience while in college. While it does not mean to say that grades do not matter, the experiences outside of the classroom just have more value to hiring managers when it comes to engineering work. And for you who have already graduated and now looking for a job but do not have much prior experience related to your field, make your resume as appealing – while truthful – as possible, secure an interview, and sell yourself there. Tell them how much of a learner you are.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

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Why You Shouldn’t Accept That Engineering Job Offer Immediately There might be 5 red flags that will make you want to discontinue.

So you are unemployed, perhaps having a hard time to score a job. For an engineer this is pretty normal since qualifications could get in the way. Now there comes an opportunity, a company that is open for hiring. And you seem to be a perfect fit. Should you take that job? Not so fast. Jobless engineers need not to settle on a company that is not worth it. To be able to know if it’s worth it or not, you have to look for signs, like work-related red flags, about the company you are applying for.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

Career coach Hallie Crawford defines a workrelated red flag as a warning sign, “either overt or even a gut feeling you have, that the job won’t be a good fit for you.” He added, “It can also be a possible issue you sense with the company, why the job is available, your prospective boss, or a team member you’d be working with.” Ignoring such red flags will make you waste your time in the future. Now how should you know that the job is not as good as it sounds, and it’s only attractive because it is the one available?

You get offered the job during the interview. It is bad thing to be offered at the job interview right away for one thing: there could be issues. Why is the company itching to fill the role? There are several reasons for that and it could be that the engineering position asks more from the employee that what is required and paid or perhaps the company fires engineers from time to time.

The job description is not clearly defined. To know the job title is one thing, to understand what you have to do with that title is another. If you saw a job hiring for an engineer in a company, it has to be clear what tasks and responsibility you will be given once you are hired. And when the hiring manager refuses to say or fails to properly describe the job, it’s best not to accept the offer.

The hiring manager says he works 24/7—and so does the staff. Hard work is not a bad thing, but a very demanding job that needs you to work round the clock is.

Here are the red flags:

Your interviewer (or his/her space) looks like a mess. First sign that the company might not be for you is how disorganized the hiring manager is in terms of the interview and his or her working desk. Blueprints are everywhere, files are scattered all over. Job applicants always prepare, and you should expect the same with the interviewer. A mess that appears before your eyes during interview means that that is a regular day at the workplace – you do not want to work with that.

That is what many hiring managers do as well as engineers but you do not really need that kind of work life. You still have to make time for yourself, and you will not have that kind of luxury if your boss wants you to report to the workplace any time he or she wants.

The company low-balls its offer. They post an attractive salary offer for an engineer only to lower it down during the job interview. That’s manipulation. Of course this is a red flag.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

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You Only Need Water, Not Chemical Refrigerants, for This Air-Conditioner to Work Yup, this is a water-based air-conditioning system. Ever since Willis Carrier discovered the vapor compression air-conditioning in 1902, the technology hasn’t changed much. It still requires large amount of energy to remove moisture in the room and to cool the dehumidified air. Not only is the traditional system that energy-intensive, it causes harm in the environment through the usage of chemical refrigerants such as chlorofluorocarbon and hydrochlorofluorocarbon for cooling. But now that is about to change as researchers in Singapore found an alternative process. A team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at NUS Faculty of Engineering led by Associate Professor Ernest Chua developed a novel air-conditioning system that is costeffective, more eco-friendly, and sustainable. According to their tests, it can cool the air, both indoors and outdoors, to as low as 18 degrees Celsius. The entire thing is also portable and able to be 38

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

customized for all types of weather conditions. The researchers say that the air-conditioning system they created consume about 40% less electricity than current compressor-based airconditioners. For this, more than 40% reduction in carbon emissions is made.

“For buildings located in the tropics, more than 40 per cent of the building’s energy consumption is attributed to air-conditioning. We expect this rate to increase dramatically, adding an extra punch to global warming. First invented by Willis Carrier in 1902, vapour compression air-conditioning is the most widely used air-conditioning technology today. This approach is very energy-intensive and environmentally harmful,” said Chua. “In contrast, our novel membrane and water-based cooling technology is very ecofriendly — it can provide cool and dry air without using a compressor and chemical refrigerants. This is a new starting point for

the next generation of air-conditioners, and our technology has immense potential to disrupt how air-conditioning has traditionally been provided,” he added. It works by developing two systems which are aimed to perform the mentioned primary processes separately: one for the removal of moisture and another for the cooling of the dehumidified air. By doing this, the researchers are able to control each process and achieve greater energy efficiency. The air-conditioning system uses a paperlike material, acting as a membrane, to remove moisture from humid outdoor air. To cool the dehumidified air, it undergoes a dew-point cooling system which uses water as the cooling medium instead of chemical refrigerants. For this, no hot air is released to the environment unlike vapor compression airconditioners. Instead, there is a discharge of cool air stream that is comparatively less humid than environmental humidity. Such process also has a potable water by-

product. About 12 to 15 liters of drinking water are generated after the air-conditioning system operates all day. “Our cooling technology can be easily tailored for all types of weather conditions, from humid climate in the tropics to arid climate in the deserts. While it can be used for indoor living and commercial spaces, it can also be easily scaled up to provide airconditioning for clusters of buildings in an energy-efficient manner,” explained Chua. “This novel technology is also highly suitable for confined spaces such as bomb shelters or bunkers, where removing moisture from the air is critical for human comfort, as well as for sustainable operation of delicate equipment in areas such as field hospitals, armoured personnel carriers, and operation decks of navy ships as well as aircrafts,” he added. Read more TROX Air is Life Competition Shows Us The Art of Handling Air Now, the Singaporean researchers are focused on refining the design of the air-conditioning system, improving its user-friendliness, and incorporating smart features like preprogrammed thermal settings and real-time tracking of energy efficiency.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

Changing Careers? Here’s How Engineers Can Appear Qualified for Their New Job Many engineers today are shifting careers. But how should they manage when looking for a job?

Nowadays, it is no longer new that engineers want out of their respective fields to pursue a career that they truly want, may it be related to engineering or something completely different. Some may say that it is a mistake, throwing away all those years of studying engineering only to quit on it later on. If you are one of those engineers making the big change, do not mind them. Taking engineering cannot be really considered a mistake – just think of it as part of the process as a career professional.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

So what now? What do you need to do to make the shift to other fields? Here are tips: Research the role Say you are a civil engineer wanting to explore the renewable energy sector. While they are slightly related, the cores and scope of the two are different. The best thing to do to keep up is to research the role and study what it takes to get into the business.

When you do not have credentials, at least be knowledgeable about your new field of interest. Dig deep into the job description, ask your friends who work in that sector, and pay attention to the nature of the job. Update your resume Because you are going to apply for jobs in your new field, you have to make your resume appear that you are fit for your new roles. While you might have difficulty on the technical areas, your soft skills and other engineering skills will be handy as those are transferrable. Relate your previous jobs to the new one as much as possible by mentioning the appropriate experiences that you had in your resume. Highlight relevant experience This is the best way to sell yourself â&#x20AC;&#x201C; talk during the job interview. The hiring manager needs to be convinced that someone like you, a newbie to the field, is a worthy hire. He or she must never think that you are making a career shift. Use whatever you have researched and studied to your advantage while in this stage. Be confident It pays to be sure about your decision of changing careers from being an engineer. Each step of the way you must have the trust in yourself that you will succeed in this endeavor. If you do not have that, not one employer will be interested in you. Fake it until you make it!

11th World Future Energy Summit Opens Its Doors in Abu Dhabi The World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2018 today opened its doors to some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important sustainability stakeholders at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Power & Water Leaders â&#x20AC;˘ February 2018

HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Presents Nine Zayed Future Energy Prize Awards at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Opening Ceremony His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, today attended the Opening Ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), before presenting awards to nine winners of the Zayed Future Energy Prize. During the opening, a keynote speech was delivered by H.E. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Chairman at Masdar, in which he said that Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week marks a significant milestone as the country celebrates the centenary of its founding father. Dr Sultan went on to say that over the last decade, the Zayed Future Energy Prize, underpinned by the legacy of Sheikh Zayed and the vision of the leadership, has inspired leaders, governments and industries to work collectively to reach for a better tomorrow and to safe guard the world for the next generation. The World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2018 today opened its doors to some of the world’s most important sustainability stakeholders at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. The event, and its co-located events, International Water Summit and EcoWASTE Exhibition will continue throughout the week, closing on Thursday, January 18th.

World’s largest manmade water reserve to be built in Abu Dhabi The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) today unveiled the Liwa Strategic Water Reserve, which is the world’s largest manmade reserve of high quality desalinated water. The wells, which lie up to 80

metres below the Liwa Desert, are fed by one of United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) longest water pipeline networks which runs the water from Shuweihat desalination plant at a rate of 7 million imperial gallons (approx. 32,000 m3) per day over 27 months. The project has addressed Abu Dhabi’s water security and its resilience through the recharge of groundwater aquifers with high-quality desalinated water, which cannot be stored above ground due to contamination and other factors. The desalinated water is piped from the coast to create the secure, underground reserve system. “The entire project is testament to the power of multistakeholder collaboration, and an exemplary case study in inter-governmental cooperation driven by environmental pillars guiding sustainable economic imperatives,” said Her Excellency Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General, EAD. “The reserve acts as a safety net for the provision of water and is now being regarded as an excellent regional model for foresight and planning,” said His Excellency Saif Al Seairi, Acting Director General, ADWEA. “We’re in the middle of unprecedented global energy transition”: His Excellency Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment In a speech to open the Ministerial Panels on day one of the World Future Energy Summit, His Excellency Dr. Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment told those in attendance that we are in the middle of an unprecedented global energy transition, with growing populations, expanding economies and advancing technological innovations. The Minister went on to praise the efforts of the UAE in reducing costs for solar production and the work of local private sector company’s such as Majid Al Futtaim, which has committed to becoming net positive by 2040. The Minister’s opening keynote was followed by a number of panels which focused on Easternisation, the trend of Asian economies becoming global leaders in clean energy innovation and deployment. Other panels included; ‘Driving the Global Energy Transformation’, a discussion with H.E. Nicolas Hulot, Minister of Ecological and Solidary Transition, The French Republic, H.E. Suhail Al Mazroui, Minister, Ministry of Energy, United Arab Emirates and H.E. Andan Z. Amin, Director- General, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The panel provided excellent context around the challenges facing the energy industry and the solutions that are being developed to transform the industry globally. H.E. Suhail Al Mazroui, Minister, Ministry of Energy, United Arab Emirates noted the progress being made by the UAE to ensure that renewable energy makes up 50% (44% renewable and 6% nuclear) of 44

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

the country’s total energy mix by 2050. The Minister stated that the country’s targets will be reviewed every five years and readjusted based on affordability, sustainability and the security of supply of the energy sources. Official Innovation Partner, Japan, Showcases Next Generation Robotics The World Future Energy Summit Innovation Partner, Japan, is showcasing its forward-thinking approach to

technology at the event. Its presence will revolve around the concept of ‘Vision Centric Innovation for the Next 100 Years’, drawing on the need for innovation to be vision based with a view to shaping the world for future generations. The Japanese pavilion, located in Hall 8 and 9, is hosting more than ten companies, including Kodansha, Toshiba, Meltin and iSpace, which are showcasing technologies that are set to play a significant role in ensuring a more sustainable world. The

Moon will be inhabited by 1,000 people, with more than 10,000 visitors each year. With water resources critical to this development, ispace’s robotic technology will be crucial in providing access to the lunar surface, exploring its water resources and creating a world where the Earth and the Moon are one ecosystem.” 6th International Water Summit Opens The International Water Summit opened today, welcoming more than 150 exhibitors from more than 20 countries. The event, which is in its 6th year, has a special focus on breakthrough smart technologies that are being developed around the world to address pressing water challenges in arid regions.

companies are displaying robotics capabilities, treating event visitors to experience and interact with the latest robotics technologies being deployed to solve issues around water security and energy storage. ispace, a lunar robotic exploration company that develops micro-robotic technology to provide low-cost and frequent transportation service to and on the Moon, is showcasing the world’s

most lightweight and smallest landers and rovers, which will be deployed to explore water resources on the Moon. The company recently announced that it will use the revolutionary technology when it leads two lunar exploration missions in 2019 and 2020. Speaking at the event, Takahiro Nakamura, Chief Operating Officer at ispace commented: “Our vision is to expand the planet and its future. We believe that by 2040, the

The 2018 edition also features Innovate@IWS, a competition seeking to discover the most promising smart water technologies, and will connect participants to potential clients and investors creating access to opportunity, capital and growth. EcoWASTE Exhibition Inaugurated by H.E Falah Al Ahbawbi, Chairman of Tadweer The 5th Edition of EcoWASTE Exhibition was today inaugurated at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre by H.E Falah Al Ahbawbi, Chairman of Tadweer. With a future-centric agenda committed to advancing sustainable waste management and recycling across the Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the annual event will take place until Thursday, January 18th. More than 20 Local, Regional and Global Investors set their Sights on Clean Tech and Sustainability Start Ups Day two of the World Future Energy Summit will see more than 20 local, regional and global investors visit the Climate Innovation Exchange (CLIX) to assess investment opportunities in the technologies and solutions on show, which solve challenges in three critical areas; air pollution, clean mobility and agriculture. The participating investors have expressed their interest based on what they perceive as a major change in strategies away from conventional investments. Clean tech and sustainable energy start-ups have become more attractive than ever before due to the drive towards a more sustainable energy mix and the potential that the industry holds. CLIX will connect investors with the innovative climate change concepts and solutions, with the hope to unlock funding ranging from US$300,000 (AED1.1 million) to US$2.5 million (AED9 million). Hosted under the patronage of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) in collaboration with Masdar and the Zayed Future Energy Prize, and sponsored by Krypto Labs, the Department of Transport and Nawah Energy, the 46

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inaugural edition of the programme will take place in Hall 9 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Things to look out for on day two •

SolarCoin – The launch of a blockchainbased, value generation structure for solar power generation: 08.45 – 10.00 at the Dialogue Hall Climate Innovation Exchange (CLIX) keynote address – Sh. Dr. Majed Al Qasimi, Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, UAE: 09.30 – 09.45 at Hall 9

•

Welcome to World Future Energy Summit (WFES) opening keynote – Opening keynote to be delivered by Suhail Mohammed Faraj Al Mazroui, Minister of Energy, UAE: 10.20 – 10.25 at the Dialogue Hall

•

Realising Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy targets – This session will evaluate Saudi Arabia’s energy needs, its project timeline on the way to its 2023 target, and the kingdom’s technology priorities: 16.05 – 16.45 at the Dialogue Hall

• ADWEA press conference announcing world’s largest reverse osmosis desalination plant: 11am in Hall 4

How Engineers Can Reset A Bad Work Day Because work is not always a walk in the park. No matter what field we work in, we all know how stressful work can be and our bodies feel like giving up once we get home. These are just the ordinary days, there will be days where everything will go wrong: your alarm goes off late, you’re having a migraine, your computer decides to hang on you, and you have 6 meetings you have to attend to and 12 new tasks to add to your daily tasks. We all have those days and we usually don’t see it coming. While these may be outside our control, we can still monitor and reset our reactions. Here are some tips on how to handle an extremely stressful workday.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

Eliminate Work Related Stress Identify what is important and not important, list all your tasks down by priority. If it takes less than 2 minutes to complete, do them NOW. Then prioritize your most difficult tasks on your most productive time of the day. If you perform your best in the morning, do your most difficult task in the morning. If the job is too overwhelming, consider asking for help from a coworker. Do extra research on time management when you get home, and apply what you’ve learned in your job. Do your best to perform your tasks without wasting any time and effort.

Communicate with your boss Explain your problems to your boss, but make sure to do it in a manner that is proper. It is also good to know the proper timing to communicate with them. Also consider the urgency of the problem. If the problem is great, it’s more appropriate to speak with them in person rather than sending them an email. Keep your conversation straight to the point and professional. Make sure you update them with the current status of your tasks.

Avoid office politics Gossip and office politics don’t only affect a person’s reputation in the workplace but their productivity as well. Once the drama hits, it can be hard for the people involved to work efficiently– especially if the people involved in the drama are colleagues who need to work together to finish a certain task. We aren’t in highschool anymore, if it’s possible to stay out of the drama then don’t get involved. Concentrate on your work instead.

Don’t vent at work

passive-aggressive. Do some deep breathing, and if you really can’t hold it in, go outside for a few minutes to let the steam out. This will help you think more rationally before saying something you don’t really mean. If you really need to be open about it, talk to your coworker about how their negative behavior is affecting your job.

Take care of your personal troubles It’s difficult to balance your work and personal life, but it’s an important skill to learn. Weigh the odds if you can still continue on with your duties or if you need a day to reset.

Rest when you’re sick Engineers are used to working overtime and still continue to do so even if they are already sick. Among all the tips mentioned, this is the most important one. KNOW WHEN TO REST. Unless you have superpowers and can work 24/7 for a week, learn to go home and get some well deserved rest. Never attempt to do work when you’re sick. You’re endangering yourself and the work you’re doing.

When you feel frustrated at work, don’t get Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

How Engineers Can Be Promoted This Year According to Bosses This is what the engineering managers said: It’s a brand new year but it’s the same old job, at least for most of us. And what is a better way to start 2018? By having new year’s resolutions aligned to our career goals. Perhaps one of which is to get promoted. But how can we do that? Bosses and engineering managers have weighed in, and this is what they said:

Collaboration An engineer who is a team player often yields positive feedback from co-workers. And it doesn’t take so much time before your ability to work with others reaches your boss and consider levelling up your position status.

Ownership For most bosses, it’s all about owning what the engineers do. That only means that they are dedicated to their work assignment and get things done. There has to be desire.

Effort Of course if you want to get promoted, you have to show an effort that you deserve it. Are you going beyond your regular tasks or doing something to be a lot more productive at work? That is a key trait for engineers who want to get a higher position.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

Reliability Your boss should be able to trust you more and more in a lot of matters as you go up the workplace hierarchy. Show up on time, have initiative, and deliver.

Learning from Failure It’s only understandable for engineers to make mistakes at work, and there is only one way to deal: learn from them. Possessing this skill will make your boss think that you are able to turn things around when things go wrong and especially when you have more power in deciding.

Autonomy Other than collaboration, you should also have autonomy. This means that you have what it takes to work and decide on your own.

Honesty Honesty is still the best policy. For engineers seeking for promotion, this means total transparency with a higher-up even if it is negative.

Hard work Hardworking engineers have the greatest edge in moving up their careers this year. Managers appreciate those who go the extra mile at work and sweat their way to success.

Creativity It also takes creativity for engineers who succeed – those who think outside the box. They are the kind of engineers who offer different kinds of solutions when the boss’ choice did not work.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

Masdar Institute and Cleanergy Partner in Research on Thermal Energy Storage for the Cleanergy Stirling CSP System

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Renewable energy solutions that can deliver on-demand electricity and store energy when renewable resources are available, is the key component for transitioning into fossil fuelfree power generation. Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, which is part of the Khalifa University of Science and Technology, and the Swedish solar technology company Cleanergy have signed a service agreement to jointly engage in research on solutions for a Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system to integrate with Cleanergy’s Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Stirling-based solar electricity technology. Cleanergy and Masdar Institute will under the agreement conduct research and development to determine the optimal TES material to achieve dispatchable solar electricity with the Stirling CSP system. The development of a reliable and highly efficient TES and its integration with the Stirling CSP system is of key importance for the product. It is believed that this storage solution combined with Cleanergy´s highly efficient Stirling engines will produce scalable and dispatchable renewable electricity at very competitive cost, thanks to the system’s modular design. “Thermal energy storage coupled with concentrating solar power is a promising solution for providing on-demand, utility-scale electrical power. While Cleanergy’s Stirling CSP system provides an efficient method for converting thermal heat to electricity, the system must integrate energy storage so that it can provide a steady supply of energy day and night, and become cost-competitive with solar photovoltaics and fossil fuels. This collaboration will focus on identifying the best performing phase-changing PCM materials that will enable Cleanergy’s Stirling CSP System to produce and store solar energy for extended periods of time,” said Dr. Steve Griffiths, Interim Executive Vice President for Research at Khalifa University of Science and Technology.

“Combining Cleanergy’s team of experts with the team from Masdar Institute will shorten the time to market for the Cleanergy TES solution. Masdar Institute with a strong position in renewable energy research, located in the MENA epicentre of solar energy expansion is the obvious research partner for TES development. During 2018 we will show that we are well on the road towards producing distributed on-demand electricity cheaper than any fossil-generated.”, says Jonas Eklind CEO. Masdar Institute’s expertise in CSP and TES systems has attracted a number of interested academic and industrial partners from around the world. The Masdar Institute Solar Platform (MISP) – which is a unique CSP and TES research facility that enables researchers to demonstrate and validate novel CSP-related systems in desert harsh environment – was launched in 2015 to spur the development of CSP and TES technologies. The institute’s strong capabilities in energy storage materials characterization are what attracted Cleanergy to partner with the advanced energy and sustainability-focused university to explore TES materials for its innovative Stirling-CSP system. “Innovations in TES are critical to the advancement of sustainable energy solutions in the UAE and around the world,” said Dr. Nicolas Calvet, Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Masdar Institute, and the principal investigator on the project. “Our collaboration with Cleanergy aims to generate the knowledge and technologies needed to take advantage of the highly efficient Stirling engine and rapidly move Cleanergy’s solar thermal energy technologies to the market,” Dr. Calvet added. A demonstrator of the disruptive TES system will be presented in June 2018.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

From a Nuclear Disaster Site to One of the World’s Largest Solar Power Plants The Chernobyl site was made to be a solar power plant by the Ukranian government in 2016. Now, the project is nearing completion. In April 26, 1986, one of the most catastrophic nuclear accidents in history happened at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in a town in northern Ukraine. Known as the Chernobyl accident, it was caused by a flawed reactor design plus inadequately trained personnel. According to experts, it affected a total of 4,000 54

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people who could eventually die of radiation exposure. Thirty years later, the Ukrainian government decided to make use of the Chernobyl nuclear wasteland by making it into a solar power plant, set to be one of the world’s largest.

Now, the project is about to be completed. “This solar power plant can cover the needs of a medium-sized village,” said Yevgen Varyagin, leader of the Solar Chernobyl running the project. It is expected to produce a total of one megawatt of energy for the local grid. Nearly 4,000 solar panels are being installed covering an area of 16,000 square meters, about the size of two football fields. Collectively, they are able to generate power for roughly 2,000 homes. But production could ramp up to almost 100 times current output depending on the success of the facility. “Bit by bit we want to optimise the Chernobyl zone,” Varyagin told Bloomberg in 2017. “It shouldn’t be a black hole in the middle of Ukraine.” The Chernobyl site is not entirely free from radiation. A sealed metal dome called Object Shelter, or “sarchophagus”, was placed in late 2016 to prevent further radiation leakage from the remains of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. For the same reason, the solar panels are fixed to concrete slabs because the soil in the area remains heavily contaminated. With the Ukrainian authorities saying that it would take more than 24,000 years before people could safely return to live there, no drilling and digging activities are allowed. “This territory obviously cannot be used for agriculture, but it is quite suitable for innovative and scientific projects,” said Ostap Semerak, Ukrainian Minister of the Environment, in 2016. Costing approximately €1 million ($1,220,200), the Solar Chernobyl is expected to earn back within the next seven years. This project is only one of the solar developments initiated by the government. An allotted 25 square kilometers are made available for more solar power plants, about 60 proposals still being considered.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

A New Energy Source is Being Explored and It is Underwater China has lots of it on its seabed and now scientists there are making a scientific breakthrough. Scientists have already explored different renewable energy sources like biomass, hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar. Now they would like to add one more which has a big potential: flammable ice. Also called gas hydrates, flammable ice have great presence on seabeds around the world which deposits could hold significant amounts of methane. They are formed at low temperatures and high pressures, consisting of a cage of frozen water molecules in which gases can be trapped. 56

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China is extremely lucky to have found great reserves of these gas hydrates in its area. And they have already exploited them. A report by Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey (GMGS) revealed that about 230,000 cubic meters of methane have been extracted at the drilling site southeast of Hong Kong more than a kilometer underwater by mid of 2017, having an average daily production of 6,800 cubic meters. Moreover, according to Li Jinfa, deputy director

of the China Geological Survey (CGS), there might be gas hydrates equivalent to 80 billion tonnes of oil on China’s location. The extraction of methane and other gases from gas hydrates involves a process called depressurization, which was reportedly undergone by the Chinese researchers. No exact details were given as to how the process works but Pang Mingli, a senior natural gas expert, said that engineers normally drill holes to reach the free gas layers below the gas hydrates, often a mixture of methane and other gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen and hydrogen sulfide. He added that the outflow of the free gas reduces the pressure of the surrounding gas hydrate, leading them to decompose into water and gas. This allows the engineers to control the gas hydrate pressure and to extract the methane in an orderly manner. While this works

for them, he said that depressurization is a relatively slow process. Other scientists are also concerned that the process will damage delicate seafloor ecosystems or release large amount of methane which could harm the environment. But the team behind the gas hydrate drilling operation is mostly positive. Ye Jianliang, GMGS director and field manager of the team, said, “In the energy sector, from petroleum to gas to shale gas, including the exploitation of coal, we had simply followed the west, but this time, we are taking a leadership position, at least temporarily.” Other than China, countries like the United States, South Korea, and Japan have been working to harness this untapped energy resource for years.

Power & Water Leaders • February 2018

How To Be The Leader Your Engineering Team Needs No matter what your role or rank is, you’ll become a leader sooner or later, so be ready.

Every company needs leaders that their employees can look up to. These leaders are those who make us feel motivated and bring out our drive to do our best at work. Sooner or later, you will be in the position of a leader in one way or another, so it’s always a good thing to learn how to bring out your best leadership skills when your team desperately needs it. Here’s how.

Give your team a vision.

Whatever your role or rank at work is, when you are leading a team, you should provide them a vision. Give your team a guidepost on what your team needs to accomplish. Show them an overview on the different short term goals, and long term goals, and how you’re going to achieve them as a team.

Engage the team

After setting your team vision, engage them on how they will be contributing individually and as a team to the set vision. Make sure that they understand their roles in reaching the goals both 58

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short term and long term. Let them understand that their role is important for success.

Celebrate

Celebrate every success no matter how small or big. This will enable your team to see the progress you are making as a team. When people see the fruits of their labor was worth it, they will not hesitate to continue to do their best.

Encourage them during failure

You and your team will make mistakes–individually and as a team. Encourage your team despite mistakes and failures, and make sure you and your team learn from your mistakes. Instead on dwelling on the failure, create an environment wherein failure is an opportunity to learn.

Join them

Show your team that you are a team player. Be involved in as much activities as you can. Show your team that you are working with the team and as a team. Sit with your team and not above them. Be with them during the challenges, and be with them when you achieve success.