Khalifa University is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all staff, faculty, students, visitors, and contractors. To meet this commitment, KU endeavors to control any risk to workplace health and safety by identifying potential hazards, assessing the risk, and implementing corrective measures which aim to control hazards at their source.
In 2020, a new policy 鈥淜U Energy and Water Management鈥� has been developed and submitted for official approval. The development of this policy is in line with KU EHS鈥檚 initiative to acquire ISO 50001 Energy management in the near future. Currently, KU has ISO50001 and ISO 140001 certifications.
This Energy review of KU analyzes energy performance based on data and other information, leading to identification of SEUs and opportunities for energy performance improvement.
Currently, all our energy source comes from either ADDC/LPG / gasoline (used for transportation). Low-carbon energy such as wind, solar, hydro or nuclear power is not currently used in KU and hence we do not have any specific mechanism to monitor low-carbon energy usage, as specified in ADDC鈥檚 revised strategy.
However, Khalifa University鈥檚 Masdar Institute Solar Platform (MISP) is a user research facility valued by industry and capable of testing large scale thermal energy storage (TES) units up to 500 kWh storage capacity. Initially built in 2009 as a demonstration plant by Masdar and a Japanese consortium (Tokyo Tech, Mitsui Engineering, Cosmo Oil, and Konica Minolta), the MISP facility has been significantly modified and extended in 2014 by Masdar Institute, now part of Khalifa University.
With a 20-meter-high tower surrounded by a solar field of 33 heliostat mirrors in three concentric rings which adjust their angle to track the movement of the sun while directing the reflected light to the top of the tower, the MISP currently is being used to test reflector technologies, solar receiver, absorber tubes, heat transfer fluids, mirrors, thermal energy storage systems and a variety of components used in the concentrating solar power (CSP) industry.
KU is working to develop major sustainable energy proposal involving local industry and government to develop and deploy renewable energy production, storage, and distribution and utilization technologies, towards future 100% renewable integration.
The University is also providing renewable energy and energy-efficient technology advices to major local industry such as ADNOC and Emirate Steels, including proposing renewable energy and energy-efficient joint projects.
As part of KU EHS report, Electricity Consumption is reported in KWH. The actual consumption for 2021 was 66,760,086 KWH, which converts to 31,835 tonnes of CO2 equivalent as per Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol standards. Following is a breakup of Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions by KU for the year:
Scope 1 Emissions: Fuel 鈥� 242 tCO2e
Scope 2 Emissions: Electricity 鈥� 31,835 tCO2e, LPG 鈥� 0.092 tCO2e
MASADR INSTITUTE
KU鈥檚 sustainability-focused research centers are primarily grouped under Masdar Institute, and it also connects fundamental research with practical application through partnerships with relevant local and international organizations. Masdar Institute also hosts the Field Station that supports outdoor experiments and serves as a living laboratory dedicated to the research and development of building technologies for high-performance buildings.
The Masdar Institute Environmental Monitoring Platform (MIEMP) was established in 2015 to coordinate and streamline support for research projects related to climate, renewable energy, and the environment. The mission of the MIEMP is to collect, validate, and make available continuous, high-quality historical records of environmental variables in the UAE, including micrometeorological and ground-based remotely sensed data from meteorological LiDAR鈥檚 (Light Detection and Ranging).
PETROLEUM INSTITUTE
The Petroleum Institute University and Research Center (PI), as it was initially known, was established in 2001 to support the oil and gas industry of Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE. To achieve that goal, it developed and offered undergraduate and graduate engineering and research programs in areas of significance to the oil, gas and broader energy industries. In February 2017, PI merged with the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MI), and the Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR). AT KU, PI continues to play a critical role in the research structure as a multidisciplinary research unit focused primarily on upstream and downstream hydrocarbon exploration and production. Its mission is to conduct applied and fundamental research and development of the key technologies required to maintain the UAE鈥檚 position at the forefront of innovation in the oil and gas industry.
Through Petroleum Institute, Khalifa University is positioning sustainable hydrocarbon exploration and production as a central focus of its integrated academic and research activities, which it is further developing by channeling the broad expertise of its faculty. PI connects fundamental research with practical application through its partnership with local and international organizations, including ADNOC. The Petroleum Institute is located at KU鈥檚 Sas Al Nakhl Campus.
ADVANCED POWER AND ENERGY CENTER (APEC)
KU鈥檚 Advanced Power and Energy Center (APEC) aims to craft the future of electric energy systems allowing seamless and economical operation of high capacity renewable and clean energy resources while supporting hybrid AC/DC grids, and providing optimal architecture for smart grid and transportation electrification.
Website: www.ku.ac.ae/apec
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CENTER ON CO2 AND H2 (RICH)
The Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and H2 (known as the RICH Center) is established to address these challenges, contributing to the launch of clean, sustainable energy, from a scientific and technical perspective, building upon complementary expertise of researchers at Khalifa University and supported by highly reputed local and international companies and organizations. The center aims to become a world-leading center of excellence in the use of combined modeling-experimental approaches for research and development of novel materials and technologies for CO2 capture and utilization as well as H2 production, storage and distribution. It also aims to engage in cutting-edge research, development, technology transfer and awareness in CO2 and H2, and sharing this expertise from the UAE to the rest of the world, by fostering innovation and multidisciplinary collaborations and knowledge exchange. Such activity would serve the UAE and the world in the Mission Innovation challenges defined by the Paris agreement, addressing industrial needs, educating highly skilled scientists and engineers, and aiding the society in the search for clean energy and sustainable products.
Website: www.ku.ac.ae/rich
SUSTAINABLE BIOENERGY RESEARCH CONSORTIUM (SBRC)
Khalifa University鈥檚 Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC) is dedicated to addressing national and regional concerns surrounding biofuels and the usage of freshwater. The Consortium aims to accelerate the commercialization of biofuels produced locally with salt tolerant biomass grown on arid land and using seawater. The SBRC focuses on the following research areas: Biomass Feedstock Development, System Integration and Optimization, Bioenergy Conversion and Techno-Economic & Environmental Assessment.
The SEAS platform is an integrated process that utilizes marginal resources to create an industrial ecology to provide biomaterials and bioenergy in line with the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Using engineered ecosystems approach to technology development, all subsystems within the SEAS concept aim to maximize upcycling and to minimize impacts, trying to account for all externalities to meet its triple-bottom-line (social, economic and environmental).
Website: www.ku.ac.ae/sbrc
