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Introduction: The Environmental
Policy of SEWA
In accordance with the
directives of His Highness
Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed
Al Qassimi, the Member of the
Supreme Council and Ruler of
Sharjah to support the
environment protection programs
and spread the environmental
awareness and culture in order
to maintain our natural
environment for better life for
the citizens and residents of
Sharjah Emirate , SEWA strive to
works with the environmental
issues as a part of its
commitment to minimize the
environmental affects of its
activities and operations and
encourage renewable resources
for achieving a sustainable
development. SEWA's concern and
commitment to environment is
clearly evident in its
infra-structure projects as well
as its support to environmental
awareness and education programs
in Sharjah Emirate.
Environment-oriented Projects
Multi-utilizations of
Natural Gas:
-
Piped Natural Gas
Distribution Project:
This pioneer and in first of its
kind in the region, was
initiated by SEWA in line with
its endeavors to develop
services rendered to customers.
The environment objective is
very clear in the enterprises
because the natural gas is one
of the most efficient, safest
and cleanest sources of energy.
Unlike the LPG, this cleanest
burning fuel of low carbon
dioxide emissions disperses
safely onto the atmosphere. The
wide use of the natural gas for
the commercial and industrial
purposes enhances the
environment objectives of this
project and eliminates the
safety hazards and pollution
risks associated with other
energy resources. As the
factories consume larger
quantities of fuel as compared
to the domestic use, the project
will achieve considerable
financial returns and reduce the
risks of air pollution arising
from other types of fuels which
are harmless to environment.
- Use of CNG as Fuel for
Vehicles:
This is one of vital enterprises
reflecting the ceaseless efforts
made be SEWA to affirm itself as
an environment- friendly
organization and concentrate its
expansion programs on
infrastructure projects serving
the environment. That also comes
in line with the current trend
adopted by the relevant
researchers and policy makers in
several countries to seek for
cleanest renewable fuel
resources for vehicles instead
of petrol. This subject
constitutes a major concern for
the world environmental
researching organizations. In
this effect, SEWA crowned its
efforts by launching the First
Compressed Natural Gas Station
for vehicles in Sharjah in
February 2006 which was designed
to convert vehicles and cars of
SEWA and latter of government
departments and authorities in
Sharjah (about 2000 vehicles and
cars) as well as taxis, to CNG
firing instead of petrol as
planned by the feasibility study
of the project. In the same
month, further step ahead was
taken by SEWA in this regard
when a memorandum of
understanding was signed by SEWA
and Abu Dhabi National Oil
Company for Distribution (ADNOC)
to establish more CNG Filling
Station in order to meet the
demand of Taxis and vehicles of
individual and private sectors
for CNG fuel in Sharjah. It is
scheduled to convert more than
2000 vehicles and cars to CNG
firing with the next two years.
- Use of Natural Gas as
firing fuel at Generation
Stations:
In addition to use of piped
natural gas for domestic,
commercial and industrial
purposes, SEWA mainly depends on
natural gas as firing fuel at
its generation stations. As it
is known, natural gas is mostly
composed of methane. The
non-existence of sulphate
nitrogen (the latter may be
available in very scanty
quantities) in composition of
natural gas, eliminates emission
of sulphate oxide and minimize
the affects of nitrogen oxide
released as the result of the
high temperatures of combustion
process and not from the
emissions of the natural gas
itself. Although the sulphate
exists in very scanty quantities
in diesel (heavy & light oil i.e
about 0.4%-0.45% of its
composition, it makes
considerable negative affects,
as air pollutants, due to
considerable of large quantities
of diesel consumed by power
generation stations as firing
fuel.
Projects on the proper control
of using underground water
resources
- The use of space and
satellite images in underground
water exploration:
This project was executed in
collaboration with University of
Boston – USA to identify the
potential of ground water
resources in Sharjah and
Northern Emirates. The study was
concentrated in two
unconventional areas, namely
networks in fractures zones and
buried courses of former rivers
and streams in the highlands.
The environmental dimension of
this project is implicit in the
digital and geographical
database which wad created for
the proper planning and
administration of this vital
resource.
- In collaboration with a
leading international
consultant, geological
feasibility studies has been
made SEWA to implement Aquifer
Storage & Recovery project in
order to inject and store water
in deep aquifers so as to be
used when necessary. The main
aim of the project to replenish
the underground layers and
maintain this vital resource.
Consumption Conservation Policy
-
Awareness initiative:
Diversification of activities
and targeted categories features
the awareness drives conducted
by SEWA in field of consumption
conservation. Regular
conservation awareness programs
are conducted among the students
in schools by various convenient
means for such age categories
such as models, carton
characters, posters, brochures,
competitions, incentives.. etc.
The main aim of these drives is
to highlight the importance of
the conservation of the
electricity and water and the
benefits of using the natural
gas in a simplified,
understandable and scientific
methods. Environmentally,
bringing up of those students
with a proper consumption
behavior will encourage them to
conserve our natural resources
and thus pressure on power
stations will lightened and
consequently the emissions fro
such stations will be
eliminated.
- Water
conservation Section:
In addition to the awareness and
education programs targeting
other categories in addition to
the students, such as prayers,
visitors of public parks and
users utilities, Water
conservation Section is
introducing several policies and
new techniques for maintaining
the water resources such as
project on recycling the gray
water (the first phase of the
project covers the recycling of
water used in ablution at the
mosques)
-
Protection against EMF affects
arising from overhead cables:
In order to avoid any risks
which may jeopardize the health
and safety of the public such as
the potential affects of the
Electro-magnetic field, a system
of safe distance between the
overhead lines and the
residential community has been
adopted according to the voltage
of the line transmitting the
power. As per the prevailing
regulations of Distribution &
Transmission Directorate, the
220 & 132 KV overhead lines, a
distance of at least 100 meters
from the closest residential
community should left The
fixed minimum safe distance is
40 meters for the Medium Voltage
Lines (33 KV) and 20 meters fro
the 11 KV lines. Additionally,
SEWA strives to minimize the use
of medium voltage overhead lines
and replace the same with
underground lines to eliminate
adverse affects (the beauty
aspect was also taken into
account as the O/H lines disturb
the general view). It is
observed that the O/H 33 KV
network (length of 94 Km) is not
changed since 1999 while the
underground cables increased
from 414.87 km in 2002 to 516.29
km in 2004. The O/H 33 KV
network represents only 18% of
the total 33 KV network. On
other hand, the length of the
O/H 11/6.6 KV Network decreased
from 251.6 km in 2002 to 145.7
km in 2004 against 2109.22 km of
underground network., ie 6.9% of
the total network.
In addition to the above facts,
SEWA takes the following
considerations into account:
- The Study of environmental
affects of SEWA's projects
- The proper storage of the
chemicals
- Professional safety and
prevention systems
-
Support of environmental events
and programs:
In line with its important
leading role in the society as
providers of vital basic
services to the nationals and
residents, SEWA always sponsors
and supports the periodical
environmental events and
activities such as environment
workshops, environmental
education courses for students
as well as other events
organized by the government or
non-government environmental
organizations. Support and
sponsorship provided by SEWA
cover various aspects of
assistance either by direct
financial support or provision
of requirements such as awards,
Zulal water, lighting etc. |
