ABU DHABI, UAE, 29 August 2024: Tabreed said it has made a major advancement in its efforts to decarbonise the cooling sector, achieving the ‘Verified Carbon Standard’ at one of its Abu Dhabi plants, certifying carbon credits to offset emissions.

Independent non-profit agency, Verra, which sets the world’s leading standards for climate action and sustainable development, carried out a year-long verification programme at the plant, which supplies a high-profile commercial and tourist attraction development with sustainable cooling services that are vital to its daily activities, Tabreed said.

The study, Tabreed said, confirmed that the plant’s operations bring significant environmental benefits through maximising energy efficiency, estimating that the 28,000-Refrigeration-Ton (RT) facility prevents approximately 19,320 tons of carbon emissions each year due to savings in electricity consumption (compared to the baseline of standalone cooling solutions). The Verra report states that Tabreed’s “highly efficient District Cooling will displace the cooling from conventional/less efficient cooling system[s] and reduce the electricity consumption, which would result in [a] reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions”.

The report’s findings mean Tabreed is eligible to trade carbon credits (in the voluntary market) as an emissions preventer – a major recognition for Tabreed and the entire District Cooling sector, the District Cooling company said. This is the first time any District Cooling company has been able to achieve this, Tabreed said, adding that it opens the possibility for it to bring in additional revenues from the trading of carbon credits, as companies worldwide look for ways in which to offset their own emissions.

While the project focused on just one of its plants, its success will allow it to apply the same methodology to other facilities in its portfolio under a ‘framework’ where it has been independently proved that District Cooling technology is more energy efficient and consumes less electricity than others, thereby resulting in significantly fewer carbon emissions, Tabreed said.

This development follows its numerous renewable energy initiatives during 2023, which included (in collaboration with ADNOC) the design, construction and commissioning ofthe region’s first District Cooling plant powered by renewable geothermal energy, Tabreed said.

Commenting on this development, Khalid Al Marzooqi, Tabreed’s Chief Executive Officer, said the company has always been a trailblazer in the District Cooling industry. “Where we lead, others try to follow, and this will be no different,” he said. “In fact, Tabreed is the first District Energy company anywhere in the world to achieve this recognition, and that’s really important for multiple reasons, not least because it backs up what we’ve always said: That District Cooling is up to 50% more energy efficient that conventional methods.

“The world is rapidly waking up to the unavoidable fact that climate change is real. And as populations continue to grow, so is the demand for cooling, which is no longer a luxury but a vital aspect of daily life for countless communities, businesses and industries. Tabreed is well placed to meet that demand, as the company is already operating in six different countries, and is ready, willing and able to expand into new territories, bringing its unrivalled expertise to help countries meet their own net-zero targets while facilitating societal and economic progress.”