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A view of the southern port city of Aden, Yemen. Image Credit: REUTERS

ADEN: The Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation has announced the start of the construction of a power station in Aden Governorate, with a capacity of 120 megawatts and at an estimated cost of $100 million, as part of the UAE’s programmes to support Yemen’s electricity and energy sectors and provide for the governorate’s yearly needs.

Eng. Saeed Al Ali, Representative of the Foundation, said, during a press conference organised today (Thursday) by the Foundation in Aden, that the work to install the station’s turbine will begin on 20th June, and the station is expected to be fully operational on 17th October. He added that the project has the support of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

He further added that a ship carrying the first shipment of the power station’s equipment and tools will leave Fujairah Port for Aden Port after only two weeks while pointing out that this support from the UAE is not its first, as it was preceded during the two years by works to connect and supply Aden with electricity, as well as other services and humanitarian projects.

Mubarak Al Tamimi, the Yemeni Vice Minister of Electricity and Energy, thanked the UAE leadership and the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, on behalf of his government, for their generous support to the people of the country.

“It is not surprising because the Emirati brothers’ blood was mixed with the blood of our Yemeni people. They have always stood with Yemen and supported us in different fields,” he said.

He clarified that the legitimate government has developed a plan to strengthen the electricity capacity in Aden for the upcoming summer. Based on the plan, it has formed a committee headed by the Minister of Electricity and Energy to find quick solutions to the electricity problem. He also pointed out that the government is working on a gas establishment for the power station in Al Haswa.

In the same context, Ali Al Hosani, engineer of the power station project, which will be executed by the UAE in Aden, showed journalists the works executed by the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation for transporting and installing the station. He stressed the need for Yemeni staff to be trained on operating and maintaining the power station.

He said that the responsibility of operating, managing and carrying out maintenance services will be handed to the Yemeni side on 16th October, 2019. He further stated that the station’s engine is considered of the biggest power generators in the world.