Introduction
Critical national infrastructure (CNI) refers to the assets that provide the foundation of the stable functioning of the economy and society in the country. Maintaining critical infrastructure presents one of the government’s functions because its disruption can cause severe negative consequences for the county’s population and economy. Therefore, this paper will use analytical processes to identify two CNI assets in the UAE that work in the same CNI network and evaluate potential threats that can disrupt the assets’ functioning. A power plant Fujairah F1 and a seawater desalination plant Al Mirfa belong to the CNI of water and electricity and share the same function.
Discussion
Firstly, power plants present one of the common types of critical infrastructure assets as part of energy systems, mainly CNI of water and electricity. According to Cantelmi et al. (2021), the research on critical infrastructure often prioritizes water and electricity systems as the most important asset. Next, even though the water and electricity system is often perceived as the unified asset in the CNI, its components perform different functions. Therefore, this project will explore two water and electricity system assets in the UAE and analyze their work and the assets’ roles in ensuring CNI functioning.
The Fujairah F1 power and water plant is located in Qidfa, near Fujairah. Fujairah F1 presents a part of the Fujairah Water and Electricity Generation Complex, which includes two combined-cycle power plants (EWEC, 2023). Furthermore, the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company plans to launch an additional third power plant in the Fujairah complex. Fujairah F1 was the first water plant with hybrid desalination in the Middle East, which was innovative then. Fujairah F1 is one of the world’s largest power plants, producing 893 MW of energy per day (EWEC, 2023). Therefore, the Fujairah F1 power and water plant provides energy to cover the nation’s energy needs. Furthermore, alternative assets perform similar functions, which allows for the definition of the water and electricity system assets’ contribution to the CNI and community.
While Fujairah F1 covers only a part of the nation’s energy needs, there are several other power plants in the country. Al Mirfa performs a desalination function and provides drinking water for the nation. Al Mirfa’s contribution to the CNI significantly increases when considering UAE’s dependency on desalination plants. For instance, the seawater desalination plant Al Mirfa produces plan water and is the electricity generator simultaneously, making it critical for the infrastructure. The plant’s ability to deliver water daily is 52.5 million imperial gallons, which is vital for the survival of people in the UAE (Mipco, 2023). Al Mirfa is wholly owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, which means that its revenue contributes to the region’s development. The state is the only party to whom Al Mirfa can sell water and electricity on a long-term take-or-pay basis (Mipco, 2023). Therefore, Fujairah F1 and the seawater desalination plant Al Mirfa’s importance for the national infrastructure and irreplaceability explain why they cannot be acknowledged as LCI of FDI assets.
Exploring the CNI protection measures requires identifying possible threats, risks, and hazards. In general, the critical infrastructure in the UAE is more vulnerable than in other countries because threats to cybersecurity and tourism spheres can cause significant harm to the country’s economy. However, the threats, hazards, or risks that could disrupt the work of energy and transportation systems are similar across different countries. Thus, independent water and power plants are subjected to the risks of heat waves, technology malfunctions, and human errors in operation. The possible shutdown of water and power plants from heat waves will directly affect the population by causing a water shortage crisis. It is especially critical because there is not enough clean water in the region that people can drink, which means that the an emergency in the CNI of water and electricity. Another vital detail is the connection between these two resources required for the nation’s well-being, electricity and water. It is impossible to obtain enough clean water without electricity, and the filtration of salty water is impossible without energy.
The type of Critical Infrastructure Information (CII) used to disrupt the work of the assets can be technogenic and natural. Technogenic dangers are connected with the attacks of hackers and terrorists on the physical infrastructure or software crucial to the company’s functioning. Natural threats in the region include seismic activity that can harm the infrastructure. Therefore, it is essential to ensure the power plant’s equipment security from natural disasters like earthquakes, and external interference and protect information about the access codes to the operation. Considering the disruption of the seawater desalination plant functioning, it is crucial to protect information about the weak points of the structure, the repair of which will take the longest time. During this period, people will experience a scarcity of clean water for drinking, which is critical for the UAE.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this project explored two infrastructure assets in CNI in the UAE. The project used the examples of two assets from the water and electricity system, the Fujairah F1 water and power plant and the seawater desalination plant Al Mirfa. The research explores their role in supporting society and the economy’s functioning. Fujairah F1’s independent water and power plant performs a vital function of providing energy for the nation’s needs. Furthermore, Fujairah F1 also acts as a desalination plant that provides drinking water for the local population and tourists and prevents water shortage. On the other hand, the seawater desalination plant Al Mirfa is responsible for producing clean water that people can drink, which is critical for the Emirates. The project defined that Fujairah F1 and seawater desalination plant Al Mirfa cannot be entirely replaced by alternatives and perform a critical role in the national infrastructure.
References
Cantelmi, R., Di Gravio, R., & Patriarca, R. (2021). Reviewing qualitative research approaches in the context of critical infrastructure resilience. Environment Systems and Decisions, 41,341-376. Web.
EWEC. (2023). Fujairah water and electricity generation complex. Web.
Mipco. (2023). Our project. Web.