At 1.42tCO2e/M litres of treated wastewater, SWS’s carbon intensity was much higher than comparable utilities in the UK and the US, suggesting considerable scope for savings.
Our 2030 roadmap set out the potential for a 35% cut in annual carbon emissions – equal to reducing emissions by 1tCO2e per person in Abu Dhabi – and a more than AED300M saving on operational costs by 2030.
Pilot projects were introduced at five plants to test our findings. They confirmed significant opportunities for carbon reductions through more efficient operations. Modifying pump control could provide a 70% reduction in energy and carbon emissions, optimising chemical dosing control can cut chemical use by 14% and save up to AED268,000 a year, while diverting sludge from landfill would save 120,000tCO2e/year.
These and other measures are being rolled out across the company. We continue to monitor SWS’s carbon footprint and have helped the company embed PAS 2080, the voluntary carbon management standard.