An advanced light-emitting diode (LED) technology will replace the conventional incandescent light sources in the 710 kilometre-long federal road network as part of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development's strategic plan to deliver the UAE Vision 2021 and advance the UAE's ranking in global competitiveness indices, a source at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development has revealed.

LEDs have many advantages over incandescent light sources including lower energy consumption by 50 per cent than the current rates, lower carbon dioxide emissions, longer lifetime of more than ten years, and improved physical robustness, in addition to smaller size, and faster switching.

Mohammed Al Shenasi, Deputy Director of Roads Department at the Ministry, and head of the LED project, said the project will be implemented in two phases: the first will install 26,300 LEDS through federal roads stretching 500 kilometres with an estimated annual consumption of 46 MW. In the second phase, 210 kilometres of roads will have 4,510 LEDs with annual consumption of 12.3 MW.

''The public-private partnership project will enable the ministry to enhance efficiency of federal roads and advance the sustainability plan to save energy and reduce the carbon footprint. It will also cut the budget set for maintenance of federal roads,'' he added.

Source:WAM