Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access 

Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) and Etihad Water & Electricity (EtihadWE) have confirmed that water and electricity services in the UAE are operating normally amid ongoing regional tensions.

In a statement, Taqa said it had activated its risk management frameworks and “power generation, water desalination, transmission, distribution and wastewater services are operating safely and without interruption”.

According to Etihad WE, services are being delivered with “approved response plans” and “precautionary operational procedures” amid the current regional circumstances.

Taqa is one of the UAE’s largest integrated utilities, with assets including the Taweelah B independent power and water (IWPP) plant and the 2,400MW Fujairah F3 combined-cycle power plant.

EtihadWE operates electricity and water distribution networks across the Northern Emirates, supplying more than two million residents.

Iran’s recent missile attacks on energy infrastructure across the GCC in retaliation for US-Israel attacks have drawn renewed attention to the importance of the region’s utilities sector.

While power and water assets have largely avoided damage, there have been some incidents affecting broader energy infrastructure.

Saudi Aramco had shut down its Ras Tanura refinery following a drone strike, while US cloud provider Amazon Web Services reported service outages after incidents at two data centres in the UAE.

In January, Taqa and Etihad won a contract alongside France’s Saur to develop and operate a major wastewater treatment plant in the UAE’s northern emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah.

The Rakwa wastewater infrastructure project is RAK’s first public-private partnership for a sewage treatment plant.