Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has awarded its ‘Sustainable Transport Contractor’ prize to a joint venture led by Spanish infrastructure major Acciona for the Dubai Metro extension project.
These awards recognize road and transport projects and initiatives carried out in Dubai that makes a positive contribution to caring for the environment through the application of sustainable construction principles.
The award ceremony took place in the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) and the prize was received on behalf of ACCIONA by Project Manager Mr. Luis Oliván.
One of the main reasons leading to the prize was the award of LEED V4 Oro certification for the seven stations that ACCIONA and its partners built as part of the project. It is the highest sustainability grading at the world level and recognizes good practices carried out to implement resilient and energy-efficient infrastructures. These certifications have made the extension of the Dubai Metro the world’s biggest transport project with LEED Oro certification.
To increase energy efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of the Metro station, ACCIONA optimized the cooling systems and installed solar panels to generate energy, as well as using low-emission and insulating materials on the outer walls and roof cladding, among other elements.
These measures have achieved a 24 percent reduction in energy consumption, as well as a 55 percent saving in water consumption. Furthermore, 95 percent of the construction material waste has been saved and the start-up process for the stations has been improved.
The “Dubai Metro Route 2020” project involves the construction of a 15-kilometer section that begins at the Red Line’s Nakheel Harbour & Tower station and includes 11.8 kilometers of the raised viaduct and 3.2 kilometers of the tunnel. There are seven stations in total, including an interchange at Nakheel Harbour & Tower and an iconic Metro station that welcomes visitors to the Universal Expo site.
Extension Route 2020 was officially inaugurated in October 2021, coinciding with the start of Expo 2020.
