The document discusses the role of energy storage in planning energy needs for the UAE. It notes that the energy landscape is changing as more renewable energy sources like solar and nuclear come online. Energy storage can provide benefits like load leveling, ancillary services, and backup capacity. Charts show Abu Dhabi's changing energy demand profile and how solar and storage could be used to integrate more renewable energy while ensuring supply meets demand. The conclusion is that further study is needed to understand the potential value and opportunities for energy storage in the UAE energy system.

1. The Role of Energy Storage in
Planning our Energy Needs in the UAE
Bruce Smith
Director of Forecasting and Planning

2. ADWEC’s Planning Objectives
2
Defined in Law and Licence:
Unless directed otherwise ADWEC is required to be technology neutral to achieve these objectives
Security of Supply Minimise Total System Cost
Policy directions (e.g. emissions
targets, technology choices)

3. Changing Energy and Water
Supply Landscape
The task of planning is now much more complex than when gas was plentiful and
cheap.
• Over 25% of Abu Dhabi’s energy will come from nuclear power when all 4
reactors are online
• Increasing domestic gas price and value: Legacy of plants designed and
contracted based on a low gas price
• The cheapest energy available is now solar pv
• Membrane based water desalination technology is now preferred to thermal
MSF and MED processes
• Tariff reforms initiated in 2015: (The first increase for 15 years) Growth in
demand is falling
3

4. What can Storage offer?
• In addition to simple energy (MWh):
• Firm capacity
• Ability to levelize load
• Provide ancillary services
• Frequency control,
• Backup capacity
• Spinning and non-spinning reserve
4

5. Balancing Tasks in Electricity Supply
Systems
5
Seconds Minutes Hourly Daily Weekly Seasonal
Frequency
Control
Load Following Ramp Rate
Smoothing
Peak Shaving Wind output
smoothing
Summer / winter
smoothing
Voltage
Support
Prediction error
compensation
Load following Solar output
smoothing
Weekend storage Summer solar
use in winter
Primary
reserves
Secondary reserves Demand
response
Arbitrage

6. Abu Dhabi Demand Profile 2012 - 2017
6
2012 2013 2014 2015 20172016
7.7%
3.9%
4.5%
12.5%
4.1% 3.3%
Average 7.2%

7. Daily Demand Profile in Abu Dhabi
7
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
0:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00
Maximum Monthly Profile
Feb Aug
February 2017
Average Min Demand 6,055 MW 03:00 - 04:00
Average Max Demand 7,440 MW 17:00 - 18:00
Variation of 19% below peak
August 2017
Average Min Demand 11,698MW 06:00 - 07:00
Average Max Demand 14,779 MW 16:00 - 17:00
Variation of 21% below peak

8. Abu Dhabi Global Peak Demand (2012)
8
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
2012
MWh

9. Abu Dhabi Global Peak Demand
(2012 – 2013)
9
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
2012
2013
MWh

10. Abu Dhabi Global Peak Demand
(2012 – 2014)
10
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
2012
2013
2014
MWh

11. Abu Dhabi Global Peak Demand
(2012 – 2015)
11
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
2012
2013
2014
2015
MWh

12. Abu Dhabi Global Peak Demand
(2012 – 2016)
12
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
MWh

13. Abu Dhabi Global Peak Demand
(2012 – 2017)
13
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
MWh

14. Daily Demand Profile in UK
14
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
45000
50000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Demand in England and Wales
11 Dec 2017MW
Dec-17 Time: Hrs Demand (MW) Variation
Min 5:00 24,197
45% below
peak
Peak 18:00 44,271

15. Abu Dhabi Solar Output Profile
15
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
0:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00
Solar Energy Output
(Sweihan area)
Peak output May Feb output August output
May 100%
Feb 77%
Aug 91%

16. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with
5000MW of uncurtailed solar PV installed
16
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
February 2025 Average
Nuclear Solar energy output Battery Conventional Load
MWMWMWMW

17. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with 5000MW of
solar PV installed and output curtailed to ensure 50% of
residual demand met by flexible generation
17
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
February 2025 Average
Nuclear Curtailed solar output Required Conventional Load
MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW

18. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with 5000MW of
solar PV installed and output curtailed to ensure 50% of
residual demand met by flexible generation
18
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
February 2025 Average
Nuclear Curtailed solar output Battery Required Conventional Load
MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW
5hours of storage of up to
700MW limits ramp rate to
500MW per hour

19. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with 5000MW
of solar PV installed and output curtailed to ensure
50% of residual demand met by flexible generation
19
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
February 2025 Average
Nuclear Curtailed solar output Battery
Required Conventional Load Residual Load no solar
MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW

20. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with 5000MW
of solar PV installed and output curtailed to ensure
50% of residual demand met by flexible generation
20
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
February 2025 Average
Nuclear Curtailed solar output
Battery Required Conventional
Load Residual Load no solar
Residual load with solar curtailed
MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW

21. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with 5000MW
of solar PV installed and output curtailed to ensure
50% of residual demand met by flexible generation
21
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
February 2025 Average
Nuclear Curtailed solar output
Battery Required Conventional
Load Residual Load with solar
Residual Load no solar Residual load with solar curtailed
MWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMWMW

22. Winter 2025 Demand / Production Profile with 5000MW
of solar PV installed and output curtailed to ensure 50%
of residual demand met by flexible generation
22
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
August 2025 Max
Nuclear Max potential solar output Conventional
MW
TIME
5000MW of installed solar
PV Capacity provides 8% of
total energy in August

23. Take-aways
1. System Flexibility will be essential – nuclear and solar reduce it.
2. Batteries can’t provide economic long term storage.
3. Detailed study is planned this year to understand further the potential value and opportunities for
energy storage.
4. Batteries have potential to enable increased renewable penetration.
5. How to combine storage plant operation at shorter timescales
6. Value and role of distributed storage unclear: how can it be integrated into the bulk power
system?
7. Gas likely to remain the most flexible and cost effective long term energy storage
23

24. © Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Company | www.adwec.ae | Tel: +971-2-6943333 | Fax: +971-2-6425773
For further information please contact:
Bruce Smith
bruce.smith@adwec.ae
+971 (0) 50 444 2268
Thank you