Old Bastakia
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Old Bastakia
Dubai's Domestic Power was originally provided by Merchants who imported generators, set up local distribution systems then sold power connections to local Consumers. Dubai was divided into those who had electrical power and those who did not. Increasing competition, complexity of distribution and unreliability of Dubai's Power Supply led Sheikh Rashid to seek a solution.
Sheikh Rashid established Dubai Electricity Company as a Public Company to provide Dubai's Power Supply needs. Both General Public and Dubai's Merchants were investors. DEC's Board decided to build a diesel engined Power Station.
Dubai had few facilities in the 1960s. Offloading heavy generators from ships offshore and moving these to Deira Power Station presented a major handling problem. Solution was solved in a typically Dubai way. Power Station's Buildings and infrastructure were adjacent to Dubai Creek near where Sheraton on the Creek Hotel is today). Overseas AST dredged a channel from Dubai Creek to the site enabling barges carrying the generator sets to be brought alongside the site. Mobile cranes lifted these generator sets from the barges and into position in Deira Power Station.
1964 photo shows DEC's Deira Power Station adjacent to Al Maktoum Street. Buildings on left are Dubai Municipality Offices & Workshops.
Deira Power Station started providing power in July 1961. Initially only Deira was provided with power. Soon DEC had 770 Consumers which rose to 2,500 by mid 1962. 100 connections were being made each week.
1967 photo shows Deira Power Station on corner of Al Maktoum Street and Omar Bin Khattab Road. Photo Top: Old Kuwaiti Embassy.
Dubai's growth led to increasing power demands. Deira Power Station did not have sufficient capacity to meet those demands and its location prevented any expansion. Dubai's first gas turbine generating station was built in Jebel Ali and became Dubai's main source of power supply. Deira Power Station became redundant less than 30 years after it was built. Deira Power Station was demolished to make way for more prestigious buildings.
1967 photo shows Deira Power Station's location. Photo Bottom: Dubai Municipality Garages (Left). Cable & Wireless Communications Tower & Offices, later taken over by Etisalat 1976 (Right).
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