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DEWA and UK Space Agency explore space tech collaboration to enhance utility infrastructure · DEWA Podcasts

• 0:00
  So from the final frontier to your local power
• 0:03
  grid, it sounds like science fiction. Right.
• 0:06
  But a groundbreaking discussion at the Dubai
• 0:08
  Air Show is setting the stage for the future
• 0:11
  of urban management. That's exactly right, Alex.
• 0:15
  Dubai's Electricity and Water Authority, you
• 0:17
  know, DEWA, met with the UK Space Agency. And
• 0:20
  this wasn't just some typical meet and greet.
• 0:23
  No, not at all. The focus was all on DEWA's pioneering
• 0:27
  Space -D program. Now, for our listeners who
• 0:30
  might not know, This is a huge deal. Diwa has,
• 0:33
  get this, already established itself as the world's
• 0:36
  first utility to operate its own nanosatellites,
• 0:39
  to optimize electricity and water networks. It's
• 0:43
  a remarkable concept. I mean, think about it.
• 0:45
  A utility company with its own space program.
• 0:48
  They're not just talking about it, they're actually
• 0:51
  doing it. They have one satellite, DuaSat -1,
• 0:54
  which acts as a communication hub. Okay. And
• 0:56
  it uses this long -range tech to talk to IoT
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  devices that are monitoring substations and water
• 1:02
  lines way out in remote desert areas. Right,
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  places where you can't just send a crew easily
• 1:08
  or even get a reliable signal. It's a total game
• 1:11
  -changer for maintenance and monitoring. But
• 1:13
  then there's the second satellite, D -WiSat -2.
• 1:15
  Right. And that one is, well, it's more like
• 1:18
  an eye in the sky. Wow, so what is it looking
• 1:21
  at? It provides high -resolution imagery to monitor,
• 1:25
  well, a bit of everything. Oh. From the water
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  salinity in their desalination plants, which
• 1:30
  is, you know, totally crucial for freshwater
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  production, all the way to checking the efficiency
• 1:35
  of that massive Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
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  solar park. Precisely. So it's all about enhancing
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  efficiency and sustainability right from orbit.
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  You can spot potential issues like oil spills
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  or even measure greenhouse gases. all from space.
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  And the leadership on both sides is fully behind
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  this. His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Altair, the
• 1:57
  MD and CEO of DIWA, really emphasized this forward
• 2:01
  -thinking vision. He said, and I'm going to quote
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  this here, At DIWA, we are committed to leveraging
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  cutting -edge technologies. Such international
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  partnerships in space technology can accelerate
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  innovation, improve the sustainability of our
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  utilities, and contribute to a brighter future
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  for all. And that vision was met with equal enthusiasm
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  from the UK side. Chris Whitehorn from the UK
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  Space Agency highlighted the bigger picture.
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  OK. He said, quote, do as groundbreaking work
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  is incredibly impressive. We see significant
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  potential for, quote, a new global standard for
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  how space technology can enhance essential services
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  on Earth. A new global standard. That's the key
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  phrase. And this isn't just about Dubai. This
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  collaboration could pave the way for a future
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  where space tech is just fundamental to managing
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  cities everywhere more sustainably and reliably.
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  It really, truly redefines what's possible for
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  public services. Wow. Which brings us to a question
• 3:02
  for everyone listening. Now, here's something
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  we'd like you to think about. As this technology
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  becomes more accessible, What other everyday
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  essential service on Earth do you believe could
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  be completely transformed by having its own dedicated
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  eye in the sky?