Berliner Tageblatt - Abu Dhabi Demand Response Project Achieves 401 MW Peak Reduction in 2025

The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) has announced that its 2025 Demand Response Pilot Project achieved a maximum electricity load reduction of 401 megawatts, with an average reduction of 251 MW. The results represent a significant increase in capacity compared to the previous year and mark progress toward improving energy efficiency across the emirate.

More than 30 entities from diverse economic sectors participated in the initiative, collectively providing over 408 MW of flexible capacity. The project reduced electricity consumption during peak periods by approximately 27 gigawatt-hours and avoided an estimated 4,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

The 2025 outcomes demonstrate substantial improvement over 2024, when the project recorded an average load reduction of only 106 MW. The increase in capacity highlights the growing effectiveness of the emirate’s demand response framework.

The initiative is part of the Load Management Programme under the Abu Dhabi Energy and Water Efficiency Strategy 2030. It allows consumers to adjust electricity consumption during periods of peak demand, thereby reducing reliance on additional high-cost, high-emission generation capacity while improving the utilization of existing infrastructure.

Participants received financial incentives through credits applied to their electricity bills issued by TAQA Distribution. The project also introduced the region’s first direct load control trials at industrial facilities, educational institutions, and district cooling companies. These trials tested response times and technologies used to adjust electricity consumption when required.

Participating sectors included metals, refining, cement, industrial gases, logistics, commercial buildings, and district cooling providers.

Ahmed Al Falasi, Executive Director of the Energy Efficiency Sector at the DoE, stated that Abu Dhabi is developing an integrated energy system capable of supporting economic growth and rising electricity demand while maintaining reliability of supply and resource efficiency.

"For the first time in the region, a comprehensive, regulated energy aggregator licensing programme is being launched, opening new markets that attract investment and strengthen demand flexibility and security of supply," Al Falasi said. "We believe that our collaboration with strategic partners across the energy sector has created the conditions to translate ideas into practical solutions that support the emirate’s objectives, through structured cooperation between the public and private sectors that improves infrastructure investment efficiency and strengthens the long-term sustainability of Abu Dhabi’s energy sector."

The initiative builds on the DoE’s efforts to establish a demand response framework, beginning with the launch of the Abu Dhabi Energy and Water Efficiency Strategy 2030 in 2019 and the introduction of the Demand Response Policy and Regulatory Framework in 2022. These developments have led to a regulatory framework supporting the licensing and operation of energy aggregator companies, designed to protect consumers while creating commercial opportunities and economic returns.

In collaboration with Emirates Water and Electricity Company and other stakeholders, the DoE is also exploring the use of artificial intelligence and virtual power plants to further enhance electricity demand flexibility and strengthen the long-term resilience and sustainability of Abu Dhabi’s energy system.

J.Bergmann--BTB