Dubai – Mubasher: ENOC Group on Tuesday announced completing the first lubricants plant to be fully-powered by solar energy in the UAE.

The lubricants blending plant, or Lubricants and Grease Manufacturing plant (DLPP), was converted to operate fully on solar energy, ENOC revealed, noting that this step comes as part of its efforts “to leverage renewable energy to power its assets, in line with the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 (DIES).”

Over 300 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels were installed on the roof of the 1,000 square metre warehouse, ENOC said in a statement on Tuesday, highlighting that this would generate over 160,000 kwh/year of electricity.

This production capacity is sufficient to meet DLPP’s annual electricity consumption, the company added, noting that any excess electricity would be transmitted back to the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA) grid.

Based on 2016 consumption data, ENOC’s DLPP consumes roughly 156,700 kwh/year of electricity. This capacity will now be fully produced through on-site solar panels.

ENOC’s initiative, which will produce 160,000 kwh/year electricity is equivalent to powering at least seven residential houses for a whole year in Dubai, as per data released for 2017, the firm noted.

Commenting on the announcement, ENOC CEO Saif Humaid Al Falasi described his company as an energy partner “committed to fuel the growth of Dubai and the UAE.”

“We are continuously looking for opportunities to contribute to the development of the country’s assets and key infrastructure projects, while aligning our strategic goals with the UAE’s larger mandate aimed at diversifying the energy mix,” he added.

The DLPP progress announcement was made during the DEWA-organised 20th Water, Energy, Technology & Environment Exhibition (WETEX), which runs from 23 until 25 October 2018 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre.