DUBAI, UAE, 20 March 2023: Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) signed an agreement with Sobha Realty to provide District Cooling services to the developer’s mixed-use projects, most notably the Sobha Hartland master community, with a capacity of 17,000 refrigeration tons (RT).

Making the announcement through a Press release, Empower said that as part of the agreement between the two companies, Sobha Hartland will join Empower’s District Cooling portfolio. Empower said it will provide District Cooling services across eight buildings of the Sobha Hartland project by extending the distribution network from the utility company’s Meydan District Cooling project. H.E. Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, and Francis Alfred, Managing Director, Sobha Realty, signed the agreement.

H.E. Ahmad Bin Shafar and Francis Alfred during the signing ceremony

Empower said it will start serving the first two buildings during the current year, through a dedicated pipeline network to transmit and distribute District Cooling energy, extending from Empower’s Meydan plant, which has a cooling capacity of 45,000 RT. The Meydan plant, Empower said, is a part of the Meydan master community District Cooling project, which was acquired by Empower in 2021 through an agreement to supply the Meydan master community with 382,000 RT District Cooling energy, covering 750 buildings in the city. Empower said it had also announced during the acquisition that it would build three new District Cooling plants and a pipeline network to meet the required cooling energy through a total investment of more than AED 1.6 billion.

Empower said Sobha Hartland is an eight-million-square-foot waterfront community situated in the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City, with access to amenities, restaurants, retail centres, and educational and entertainment facilities.

Bin Shafar, speaking on the occasion of the signing, said, “Adding Sobha Realty projects to Empower’s portfolio reflects the confidence of real estate developers and customers in our reliable services, and highlights Empower’s role in providing high quality District Cooling services that save up to 50% energy than traditional air conditioning systems.” He said that Empower focuses on serving landmark real estate projects and aims to provide all sectors, such as residential, commercial, hospitality, healthcare and others in Dubai with world-class environmentally friendly District Cooling services, to support the pioneering role of the emirate in reducing carbon emissions, in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Commenting on the new collaboration, Alfred said: “Our goal is to create a portfolio of buildings that reflect our commitment to sustainably constructed environment. In every phase of our projects, sustainability is a top priority, right from incorporating eco-friendly practices, materials, and technologies, during the design stage, to reducing carbon emissions and enhancing project efficiency during the execution stage. This collaboration is in line with our dedication to supporting the UAE’s sustainability-focused programs, such as the Net Zero Strategic Initiative 2050. Our vision and approach clearly echo our unwavering commitment to imbibe key environmental and social metrics, like energy, water, waste, wellness, community development, climate resilience and open spaces, among others, in all stages of construction. With this partnership, we are ensuring that we offer sustainable District Cooling services to the residents of Sobha Hartland.”