Ahmad Bin Shafar

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, 20 October 2020: Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) awarded a set of contracts worth AED 190 million for constructing its fourth district cooling plant in Business Bay, Dubai. Making the announcement through a Press release, the district cooling utility said the new plant will have the capacity to deliver 50,000 refrigeration tons (RT), increasing the total cooling capacity of its Business Bay project to 185,000 RT. The Business Bay project, Empower said, will eventually be the largest district cooling project in the world, with a total capacity of 350,000 RT from six cooling plants. Empower said the contracts for the 50,000 RT plant were signed after the completion of shoring work at the site for the plant room. The new plant will start producing chilled water by the third quarter of 2021, Empower said.

The new district cooling plant in Business Bay, which is a contemporary financial district of Dubai, packed with corporate high-rises, apartment buildings and hotels, is part of Empower’s expansion plans, being carried out stage by stage in the area to cover the entire Business Bay district and to meet the incremental demand on district cooling services.

“Empower is currently providing district cooling services from its three permanent plants in Business Bay with a total cooling capacity of 135,000 refrigeration tons, serving to more than 62% of the total number of buildings in the area,” said Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower. The expansion works that Empower is carrying out in Business Bay reflect the increased demand for district cooling systems, not only in this district, but all over Dubai, as well, Bin Shafar said. They highlight the company’s advanced infrastructure that is contributing to providing efficient and world-class cooling services, which are aligned with the mission of adopting environment-friendly international standards, he added.

Bin Shafar elaborated that Empower will use advance solutions that leverage artificial intelligence in the operation of the new plant, including Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems, which help to reduce the load on the state grid, and Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) technology, which saves usage of fresh water in district cooling operations.

“Our existing plants in Business Bay were built according to the US Green Building Standards, and have also obtained the certificates of ‘LEED GOLD’ Standards,” Bin Shafar said. “To maintain the overall attire of the district, special attention has been given in the architectural design of all the existing plants and also for the upcoming plant, which goes along with the comprehensive architectural development of this area.”

Bin Shafar said Dubai’s economic developments have no stoppage and will always regain their momentum amidst challenges. “Empower’s district cooling infrastructural development plans,” he said, “are implemented in a way that contribute to the economy as well as protect the environment.”

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