AI-powered energy control platform AD.WE to transform Abu Dhabi's utilities sector
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) has entered into a strategic partnership with Presight and AIQ, marking a significant step toward integrated, AI-enabled energy management aimed at enhancing efficiency and sustainability.Formalised during the World Utilities Congress in the UAE capital earlier this week, the agreement will see the development of AD.WE, an advanced AI-driven control centre platform. AD.WE will deliver real-time analytics to support and optimise the energy and utilities sector across Abu Dhabi.Abu Dhabi's Presight, an international big data analytics company powered by GenAI, has developed the smart platform that would manage the integrated facilities.Speaking to Aletihad, Dr. Adel Al Sharji, Chief Operating Officer of Presight, said, 'The platform will contribute to optimising energy use and production lines.' Using AI to manage facilities and infrastructure can streamline various operations, contributing to the emirate's sustainability goals, Al Sharji said. He cited its impact on the agriculture sector — managing energy and water resources in farms — as an example. 'With AI and sensors, we can track weather conditions, like dust or humidity, and apply algorithms to protect crops and conserve energy,' he said. "These IoT sensors gather data, feed it into our AI platform, which interacts with the information and applies specific procedures based on different scenarios."In this case, the outcomes are clear: savings in energy, water, and increased agricultural productivity, Al Sharji said. 'Farms can see improved yields and better resource allocation regardless of their distance."One of the project's main goals, he added, is to ensure "effective management that allows global energy companies to safely present ideas and experiments on the platform.''If these ideas succeed, they will be implemented by the Department of Energy,' Al Sharji said. The collaboration further involves the introduction of an AI Lab-as-a-Service, enabling energy companies in Abu Dhabi to test, confirm, and roll out artificial intelligence solutions within their processes for various application scenarios.Additionally, the agreement covers the establishment of a primary data hub which will consolidate all data under the purview of the DoE and sector companies, serving as a single and trusted source of data.In an interview with Aletihad, Dr. Adel Bin Subaih, Chief Operations Officer at AIQ, said the company will work hand in hand with DoE and Presight to build the state-of-the-art platform that consolidates necessary data and insights.'This will improve the Department of Energy's operational efficiency and productivity, giving them a full picture on how to reduce operating costs,' Bin Subaih said.AIQ, a joint venture between G42, Presight, and ADNOC, is pioneering and developing complex AI solutions for the energy industry.It currently has three primary offerings in its portfolio. 'We have one called SMARTi, which focuses on protecting people and enhancing safety. Another product is EMISSIONX—this helps monitor and advise on decarbonisation efforts, directly contributing to the UAE's and Abu Dhabi's 2050 sustainability goals,' Dr. Bin Subaih said. The third key product, the Corrosion Suite, 'is designed to protect assets rather than people.''It monitors pipeline infrastructure and provides recommendations on preventive maintenance, helping safeguard utilities and facilities,' Dr. Bin Subaih said.
These three solutions—Smart Eye, Emission X, and CORROSCAN—are now being integrated into the newly signed agreement alongside the real-time digital platform.
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