03-08-08 The UAE needs to spend more than $ 10 bn to meet soaring power demand, it was claimed.
US-based Tripp Lite, a manufacturer of power protection and connectivity equipment, said the swelling demand for power in the UAE is being fuelled by the rapid increase in population and unprecedented growth in the nation’s economy. And Business Monitor International (BMI) predicts that the country will account for 5.77 % of regional power generation by 2011.

Vipin Sharma, VP of EEMEA & India sales, Tripp Lite, added: “With government bodies focusing on ensuring that there is adequate power supply to sustain development, we have identified the outstanding prospect in aiding their initiatives by providing highly secure power protection equipment, which not only facilitates continuous electricity supply but enables power conservation as well.”
According to the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), power consumption in the emirate in 2006 rose by nearly 30 %. And regional power generation output is expected to increase by 29.7 % to reach 1,473 terawatt hours between last year and 2011.

In response to escalating demands, the UAE Government has announced plans to expand its 10-GW production capacity by more than 50 % by 2017.
The government is undertaking necessary actions to provide adequate supply of electricity, especially in rapidly growing emirates such as Dubai, which has recorded a 14 % increase per year.