Collaboration to Include Industrial-Level ‘Stability Assessment, Visualization and Enhancement’ Software Tool

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Khalifa University, the Abu Dhabi Transmission and Dispatch company (TRANSCO), a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), and the Manitoba Hydro International Ltd (MHI) of Canada, have signed a collaboration agreement today for building an industrial-level software to monitor, predict, and interact with network operators in real time and enable renewable energy integration with the UAE power system.

The collaboration was announced during the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) 2019 that is being held as part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2019 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) from 12-19 January. The agreement signing ceremony was attended by KU Executive Vice-President Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Dr Bruce Stedall, Acting Managing Director, TRANSCO, Leo St. Hilaire Senior Manager, and Jamal Al Dharif, Senior Executive, from MHI’s UAE Office, officials, faculty members and students.

The industrial level software – ‘Stability Assessment, Visualization and Enhancement’ (SAVE) tool – will utilize real-time measurements to evaluate the transmission network stability through the development of state-of-the-art mathematical methods combined with a data analytics based classification engine to precisely estimate the domain of stability and to predict the transient margins.

Furthermore, a visualization system will be developed by a team of scientific researchers to support human-in-the-loop classification, diagnosis of the transmission system events, and the visualization of system stability. The integrating modules of SAVE tool that current researchers have already been investigating, have accumulated comprehensive expertise, enabling them to reach industrial level platforms.

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, said: “This industry-academia collaboration led by Khalifa University with TRANSCO and Manitoba Hydro International reflects the partners’ commitment to develop innovative technologies that can integrate renewable energy with the existing systems. Power system stability is particularly relevant given the objective of Abu Dhabi and the UAE to significantly increase the penetration of renewable energy. The recent completion of GCC power interconnections between the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia has significantly highlighted the need for inter-area oscillations (IAOs) for greater stability. We believe this collaboration that lays emphasis on innovations such as the SAVE tool, will tackle the complexity of the challenges in integrating renewable energy with the existing power system.”

Dr. Stedall said: “We are very pleased and excited to be working with Khalifa University and Manitoba Hydro International on this project. The generation portfolio is going to change considerably in the coming years to include substantial volumes of renewable energy sources as Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE migrate to a low carbon economy. The project will support TRANSCO by ensuring that certain technical challenges resulting from the changes in the generation portfolio associated with security and stability of the system can be managed.�� As part of the project, we will also be developing the knowledge and capability of our future engineers to cope with systems employing large penetration of renewable technology.”

Dr. Dharshana Muthumuni, Managing Director, Power Systems Technology Center at MHI, said, “MHI is proud to partner with Khalifa University and TRANSCO on this significant initiative that will undoubtedly help the integration and reliable operation of power systems with large scale renewable energy sources. We are particularly pleased to collaborate with Khalifa University’s highly-skilled team, with whom we have had a long and thriving association.”

Dr. Mohamed El Moursi, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Khalifa University, is the Principal Investigator and the Project Manager, He is a specialist in renewable energy systems (photovoltaic and wind) and smart grid innovations. He will be joined by Dr. Surour Mohamed Alaraifi, main researcher from TRANSCO, who, during his PhD studies at Khalifa University under Dr. El Moursi, developed novel techniques to study and predict the dynamics in large-scale networks that will serve as one of the key elements in this research project. Others include Dr. Ahmed Atiah, Power Network Planning & Studies Section Manager, TRANSCO, as well as Dr. Dharshana Muthumuni, Managing Director, Manitoba High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Research Center, and Dr. Farid Mosallat.

The research team working in this project includes Dr. Mohamed�� El Moursi, Dr. Ehab El-Saadany, Dr. Khalifa Al Hosani, Dr. Bashar Zahawi, Dr. Khaled Elbassioni, Dr. Wei Lee Woon and Dr. Davor Svetinovic, from Khalifa University.

The project requires complex multi-disciplinary integration of power system stability, power electronics, renewable energy systems, system control, data mining/ analytics, algorithms/ optimization and artificial intelligence.

Clarence Michael

News Writer

15 January 2019

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Study Outlines Favorable Prospects for Hydrogen Mobility in UAE

Air Liquide, Khalifa University of Science and Technology and Al-Futtaim Motors released a joint study during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2019, on the ‘Medium to Long Term development of Hydrogen Mobility in the UAE’. This collaborative study outlines the contribution of hydrogen to the energy transition and demonstrates the favorable prospects for hydrogen mobility in the UAE.

The study demonstrates that hydrogen mobility��in the UAE has��a substantial potential to develop into a major economy for the country, and can contribute to the achievement of its clean energy goals, in line with the UAE’s Vision 2021. The study was conducted by Maram Awad, a Khalifa University graduate student during her summer internship with Air Liquid. Awad was guided by Olivier Boucat of Air Liquide, and Dr Ahmed Al Hajaj, Assistant Professor, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Khalifa University.

The study reiterates the UAE’s commitment to diversifying the energy sources, and calls for the pivotal collaboration of the various public and private players for a successful deployment of hydrogen mobility. It also demonstrates the requirement for an initial focus on fleet vehicles, such as buses, trucks and taxis, which would generate enough hydrogen need for an optimized production scale. The use of local sources of hydrogen in addition to excess hydrogen��produced in various industries, such as refining, can also contribute to very competitive costs of hydrogen for commercialization.

Air Liquide is��leading the hydrogen supply for the Hydrogen Mobility market in the UAE, with ongoing projects to develop the hydrogen infrastructure, connecting hydrogen production sources and utilization routes.

Hydrogen is an alternative to fossil fuels in addressing the clean transportation��challenge while improving air quality. Used within a fuel cell, hydrogen combines with oxygen from the air, to produce electricity, with water as the only byproduct. The fuel cell is used to convert hydrogen into energy to run an electric motor in vehicles known as Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles��(FCEV). FCEVs are considered complementary to Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV), especially in large fleets of vehicles, in heavy duty vehicles and in providing greater autonomy in extreme climates, where BEVs are less efficient. A FCEV can be refuelled as quickly as an internal gas or diesel combustion engine vehicle, hence allowing for optimum flexibility of use.

Hydrogen as a transportation fuel has gained momentum globally for its emission-free property and its ease of use. The deployment of hydrogen powered vehicles is already in progress and expanding in the United States, Europe, Japan and Korea, and is now being introduced in the UAE.

As a leading research-based institution in the region focused on providing cutting edge technologies in clean energy and sustainability, Khalifa University, through Masdar Institute, remains committed to obtaining solutions for carbon mitigation and climate change especially through innovations in CO2 capture, biofuel, waste-to-energy, energy storage, desalination and solar power.

Air Liquide and Al-Futtaim Motors inaugurated the Middle East’s first hydrogen station in Dubai, in October 2017, to support the deployment of the FCEVs in the UAE. Once deployed on a larger scale, the Fuel Cell Electric technology has the potential to significantly reduce the UAE’s dependence on oil and lower car-generated pollution levels.

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Abu Dhabi

15 January 2019

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Senior Vice President of Research and Development Dr. Steve Griffiths shares insights from his recent EDA report and upcoming WFES panel on the value of bilateral diplomacy for oil exporters

Energy diplomacy – specifically bilateral diplomacy – is an invaluable tool for countries navigating the changing global energy landscape and their own energy transitions. The UAE, as country transitioning from a hydrocarbon-dependent economy, to a diversified knowledge economy, provides many lessons for other hydrocarbon economies, which also offer indications for where to further direct the country’s diplomatic efforts.

I recently published a report with the , in which I shared my overview and analysis of bilateral energy diplomacy as a foreign policy tool, analyzed the strategic objectives of bilateral energy diplomacy for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, provided a case study on the UAE, and ended with foreign policy conclusions and recommendations for enhancing bilateral energy diplomacy for the UAE and all hydrocarbon-exporting countries.

The report findings, which I will be discussing at the upcoming World Future Energy Summit (WFES) Energy Transition Forum Program, in a panel on 15 January titled ‘’, explain how the UAE is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the current state of flux in the energy market through energy diplomacy.

The world is in the early stages of its energy transition away from dependence on hydrocarbons to renewable energy. This change presents many challenges for oil and gas exporting countries in terms of their economic and political relationships and calculus, particularly those, like the UAE, which are simultaneously developing clean energy technologies.

The UAE has already been developing strategic bilateral relationships regionally and globally in an effort to effectively position itself for the energy transition. In 2017 the UAE launched its Soft Power Strategy, which aims to increase the UAE’s global reputation abroad by highlighting to the world its identity, heritage, culture and global contributions. The pillars of this strategy are diplomacy in its many forms, including humanitarian, scientific and academic, cultural and economic.

The UAE’s core energy relationships are currently with China, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand, and each of these countries factors strongly into the UAE’s foreign policy not only as a market for oil exports, but also for broader energy and economic relations. Incidentally, each of the UAE’s key Asian trade partners is also classified as ‘special’, according to the bilateral diplomatic relations classifications of peripheral, normal, and special. This reveals the importance that the UAE gives to these relationships.

As bilateral energy diplomacy aims to ensure a country’s long-term energy security and economic well-being by fostering foreign relationships with energy suppliers and customers, I recommend the UAE continue to strengthen its relationships and efforts in bilateral energy diplomacy. The UAE’s dual energy diplomacy interests arising from the globalenergy transition include developing business opportunities to monetize the country’s hydrocarbon resources and ensuring economic diversification that lessens dependence on oil export revenues.

Based on these considerations, I make the following bilateral energy diplomacy recommendations:

Develop special bilateral relationships with countries that can provide strategic benefit during the energy transition: The UAE has already established special strategic bilateral relationships with a number of countries that are important partners for energy and economic reasons. Additional special relationships may be formed with countries that have strong capabilities in key growth areas such as petrochemicals.

Engage key national stakeholders beyond the ministry or department overseeing foreign affairs in the fostering of special bilateral relationships: Special bilateral relationships require regular consultations between partner countries and the UAE’s political leadership. These consultations will of course include the UAE��Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation but should extend to other UAE ministries dealing with energy, industry, environment and technology. Organizations such as ADNOC and Mubadala already play an important diplomatic role in bilateral energy diplomacy and their engagement is important.

Develop and leverage soft power in bilateral energy relationships: The UAE has effectively exercised soft power via multiple bilateral investment relationships established by Mubadala as well as other UAE government organizations. The establishment of UAE-China Week is a further effort toward soft power that could be replicated in other key bilateral relations.

Pursue bilateral collaborations to advance national science and technology capabilities:Digitalization, and particularly AI, is one of the most critical areas of advanced technology development across all industries. The UAE’s strong bilateral ties with countries at the forefront of AI, especially China, make AI collaboration an important opportunity that can have direct benefit for the country’s energy sector.

Engage in multilateral diplomacy to complement bilateral efforts: Multilateral diplomacy will continue to be important for the UAE to secure a voice in global energy governance. This means that the UAE’s current strong engagements with the IRENA, OPEC and other multilateral organizations that are shaping the global energy dialogue are essential.

While these recommendations are derived from analysis of the UAE’s context and initiatives, they are broadly applicable to the bilateral energy diplomacy of hydrocarbon-exporting countries.

Dr. Steve Griffiths is Senior Vice President of Research and Development at the Khalifa University of Science and Technology.

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University Announces Key Research Collaborations as Faculty Led Knowledge-Sharing Sessions across Various WFES 2019 Platforms

His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Khalifa University, and His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, visited the Khalifa University stand at the World Future Energy Forum 2019 that was held from 14 – 17 January as part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Week (ADSW) 2019 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC). The event brought together investors and service providers in the global sustainability sector.

Khalifa University showcased a total of five sustainable concepts in research innovation at the event. The university also announced key research collaborations with local and international organizations, marking its prime role advancing new solutions and technologies in the renewable energy and sustainable technologies areas.

The four-day WFES, inaugurated on 14 January focused on the intellectual leadership of sustainability while facilitating partnerships between innovators and investors in energy platforms, climate change, water and the future of mobility, space, bio-technology and technology sectors.

Some of the projects that were featured at the Khalifa University stand (Hall 4; Booth A401) include advance material for CO2 capture, the Masdar Institute Solar Platform, the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium’s (SBRC) flagship Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS) project and its path-breaking commercial flight with biofuel, conversion of waste cooking oil to biodiesel in the UAE and a condition monitoring system with multi-agent mechanism for external non-contact smart inspection of buried oil and gas pipelines.

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: “For Khalifa University, the premier gathering of the global sustainability sector at World Future Energy Summit 2019 offers the perfect platform to interact with energy industry leaders and explore potential collaborations. It is also an occasion to highlight Masdar Institute’s research accomplishments and showcase its capabilities in clean energy and sustainable technologies for the benefit of the international corporate majors. We believe this year’s participation in WFES activities will give us the impetus to further advance our research and innovation expertise in areas such as energy storage, mobility, solar, energy efficiency, waste-to-energy, water and environment, advanced materials, as well as carbon capture to help increase the contribution of clean energy to the UAE’s total energy mix in an efficient, safe and economical manner.”

Additionally, Khalifa University higher officials and faculty lead knowledge exchange across various WFES platforms. Dr Steve Griffiths, Senior Vice-President for Research and Development and Professor of Practice, Khalifa University, shared his perspectives in a session titled ‘In Conversation: The foreign relations of energy transition – positioning the Gulf’ at the Energy Forum.

Dr. Steve Griffiths said: “Khalifa University is proud to showcase new technologies at the World Future Energy Summit, which has gathered leaders across key technology and sustainability platforms that include artificial intelligence, energy, environment, water, health and space. These leaders are contributing to knowledge exchange, highlighting innovations and advancing solutions to global challenges in sustainability. We believe participation in this year’s summit effectively showcases Khalifa University’s capabilities in research, development and innovation across the sustainability spectrum.”

Dr. Nicolas Calvet, Assistant Professor, College of Engineering, and Chair of the Masdar Institute Solar Platform – Khalifa University, is speaking about concentrated solar power (CSP) industry during a session titled ‘’ at the Solar Forum. Dr. Mohammad Abu Zahra, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, and his team are presenting their work on advance materials for CO2 capture, including three individual projects.

Clarence Michael
News Writer
16 January 2019

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