IDEA International District Cooling Conference to shed light on global challenges facing global district cooling industry

IDEA International District Cooling Conference to shed light on global challenges facing global district cooling industry

H.E Bin Shafar: “Dubai is a model of successful migration to district cooling systems”

Dubai, UAE, 11 November 2014: H.E Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), announced that the 2014 IDEA International District Cooling Conference to be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline & Group, will discuss major strategic and operational challenges facing the district cooling industry in the world.

H.E Bin Shafar hailed Dubai as a model of successful migration to district cooling, as an alternative to conventional cooling, which has helped the Emirate achieve remarkable savings in energy and electricity consumption.

The global conference, which will be held from December 14 to 16 at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, will be attended by over 600 international experts.

H.E Bin Shafar continued: “The UAE is lending strong support to the global district cooling sector and Empower takes great pride to be contributing to the implementation of the UAE’s vision in the area of district cooling. Our hard work is reflected in achievements by hosting this global conference in Dubai as hosting a conference of this scale is a clear evidence of the international vote of confidence gained by us within a short period. Empower is proud to enjoy the status of the largest district cooling company in the world.”

H.E Bin Shafar stressed that Empower works according to the guidelines of the National Innovation Strategy 2014 launched by H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai as part of the UAE Vision 2021.

Speaking about Dubai’s credentials in hosting high-caliber international events, H.E Bin Shafar said that the Emirate has emerged as a key city in the world for hosting energy related events. In recent past in 2012, it hosted the World Energy Forum, held for the first time out the UN’s New York’s headquarters, which was attended by some prominent heads of states.

The 6^th conference and the companion exhibition will run for three days, with a welcome reception for business partners.

On Monday (December 15, 2014), Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, will deliver the opening address, followed by two Panel Discussions on “District Cooling Infrastructure for Cleaner Energy and Greener Cities” and “District Cooling as a Sustainable Urban Solution”. It will include a panel on correlation of water and energy that will highlight the growing limitations on water and energy resources.

Four other sessions will be held on the same day -- “The Customer as a Partner” which will deal with the customer as a partner for long term business health; “Technology Innovations & Solutions”, a series of presentations covering technology innovations in cooling systems and components; “Large Scale Cooling Projects & Thermal Energy Storage”, featuring case studies of cooling projects from across globe and the region; and the second part of ‘Technology Innovations & Solutions.

The concluding day will include 5 sessions in addition to technical tours and overview. The sessions will be on “Large Scale Cooling Projects & Thermal Energy Storage (contd.)”; “Planning, Development & Implementation of Cooling Projects” covering the life cycle of cooling projects from planning to implementation; “Sustainability, Compliance & Regulation” addressing social, economic and energy benefits of district cooling; “Operations, Maintenance , System Efficiency & Optimization & Staffing” showcasing best practices and operational strategies for optimizing system performance and efficient distribution; and a final session entitled “Economic Drivers, Business Development & Financing for District Cooling Infrastructure”, that will explore the economic drivers and key aspects of business development leading to building successful financing and deployment of district cooling infrastructure.

The conference will conclude with a Technical Tour Overview to Empower Business Bay Plant and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Plant.

Empower lauds UAE’s launch of new mega-projects in last quarter of 2012

Ahmed Bin Shafar: “Khalifa Port and Sheikh Mohd SME Fund are just two examples of the country’s vision

Dubai, UAE, 22 December 2012: Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the largest district cooling provider in the Middle East, has lauded the UAE’s milestone achievements in the fourth quarter of 2012, exemplified by investments in major projects, including the Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi.

This strategic move is expected to give a major boost to trade and economic sectors in a short period of time across the country according to the company’s CEO.

Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower added: “The UAE unveiled a series of mega projects projects in the fourth quarter, especially the Khalifa Port project which consolidates the country’s position in marine trade, logistic services and container transport.”

Bin Shafar added: “Khalifa Port marks the start of another phase in the country's development by diversifying the economy towards value-added services.”

Khalifa Port is equipped with an automated container station supported by a ready electronic system designed to meet the needs of freight and shipping sectors in the UAE.

Another project, Mohammad Bin Rashid SME Fund for supporting SMEs in Dubai, was launched to support around 100 projects for youths annually. The fund aims to provide support to small and medium projects and create a new generation of entrepreneurs to boost the UAE economy.

“SMEs are considered the pillar of any country’s economy as they create new job opportunities and raise competitiveness and boost the dynamism of the economy. In this regard, the UAE is giving close attention to supporting SME sectors,” Bin Shafar said.

“SMEs offers ideal investments opportunities and they are main service providers that large enterprises from government and private sectors outsource from,” he added.

The significance of Mohammad Bin Rashid SME Fund is that it tackles a major hurdle faced by SMEs, which is the lack of funding.

Bin Shafar added: “We invite SMEs to invest in the District Cooling and allied sectors, in order to boost this dynamic sector in the Middle East.”

Empower’s district cooling consumption rose 23.2% in July 2012 against same period last year

Empower’s district cooling consumption rose 23.2% in July 2012 against same period last year

Remarkable district cooling increase in consumption reflects the rebound in the UAE economy

Dubai, UAE, 26th August 2012: Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower), the largest district cooling service provider in the region, has said that consumption of district cooling provided by the company rose by 23.2 percent in July 2012, compared to same period last year. The company also reported that its total square footage committed to district cooling has achieved a remarkable increase.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, said that the increase reflects the economy rebound in the UAE and it shows that the country is on the right way to partially outperform conventional AC systems in the favour of district cooling. He added that with every increase in district cooling consumption there is savings being achieved in electricity and water consumption in Dubai which contributes in reserving the natural resources of the emirate. He stressed that Dubai is increasing its dependence on district cooling for the better of the environment and to reduce operating and maintenance costs of chilling.

Bin Shafar added that this increase in district cooling consumption came as a result of Empower’s higher occupancy rate that reached 16.1 % in Jumeirah Beach Residence, Al Khail Gate, Dubai International Financial Centre and TECOM C. Moreover, the company is serving new buildings in Business Bay and Ghoroub Mirdif. Empower also is operating new plants in Business Bay and Dubai Academic City.

Bin Shafar added that Empower is serving more number of real estate projects in the UAE and the company is witnessing more growth than the district cooling industry in the country.

Empower's district cooling systems (DCS) provide effective and efficient means of air conditioning. Water is cooled in central plants and distributed through a network of piping systems to individual customer buildings. Empower which is a joint venture between Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and TECOM Investments has world class work-stations being built on various locations in the Emirate of Dubai.

Bin Shafar said that Empower is well prepared to cater to the demand of district cooling through building up new plants to increase its production. He said that with the rapidly increasing penetration of district cooling in Dubai, the Emirate is in a leading position in the world in supporting green initiatives which district cooling is part of it.

Empower has increased its production capacity and the company is adopting latest worldwide technology to offer qualitative service to its customers round the clock through an advanced and high quality electronic system.

Empower has developed a world class district cooling infrastructure and network. The company has worked on enhancing the awareness of society to the importance of new technology in saving the operating and maintenance costs, user friendliness and high levels of conserving the environment.

Empower awards tender for two Business Bay district cooling plants to Allied Consultants

Empower awards tender for two Business Bay district cooling plants to Allied Consultants

Ahmed Bin Shafar: “Choosing the company was done after meticulous evaluation and due diligence”

Dubai, UAE, 13th August 2012: Allied Consultants has been awarded the contract for designing two district cooling (DC) plants of Empower in Business Bay in Dubai. The bids for designing the two projects, which will add to more than 80,000 refrigeration tons capacity in Business Bay, were invited by Empower in February.

Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, said: “Empower adopts a meticulous approach to selecting service providers, especially in projects that required sophisticated technical expertise. After a thorough evaluation, Allied Consultants proposal was found to be very comprehensive and covered all technical details that we asked for.

Allied Consultants has executed many projects for Empower, including the design of the TECOM, Mirdif and Al-Quoz District Cooling plants.

Stringent selection criteria were laid down to ensure that the right company gets the job of designing the two plants, with preference being given to companies that showed high professionalism in submitting their designs.

The two plants that will boost Empower’s production by 20 percent will serve an area of 12 kilometers catering to the requirements of homes and offices in Business Bay.

Each plant is designed to deliver at least 40,000 Tons of refrigeration. While one plant is located in upper Business Bay, the other is located in lower Business Bay. The existing plant is Business Bay is Executive Towers Plant.

Both plants will be connected to the common Business Bay district cooling distribution network, ultimately serving the full locality with chilled water supply and return lines.

Empower, which is a joint venture between TECOM and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), is now producing more than 360,000 refrigeration tonnes serving a set of leading real estate projects in Dubai.

Empower launches awareness campaign on district cooling billing

Empower launches awareness campaign on district cooling billing

Company’s billing is based on actual metered consumption of cooling service

Dubai, UAE, 22nd May, 2011: Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower) has launched an awareness campaign on the billing of its services in an attempt to increase transparency and loyalty among its rapidly increasing customer base in Dubai.

Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, said: “We were the first district cooling (DC) company in the UAE to introduce metering in 2007. We consider customers as the backbone of our operations and raising customer awareness of our services and billing systems is the key to winning their loyalty.”

As and when customers of Empower use the air-conditioning, the meter will run at the rate of 0.568 fils per RT per hour. It is billed in arrears at the end of each month. On the other hand, there is the demand charge, which is a recurring annual fee, levied by Empower for providing District Cooling Service at AED 750 per Refrigeration Ton (RT) per annum, billed and paid quarterly in advance.

Bin Shafar emphasized that Empower bills its customers based on the actual metered consumption of cooling services. The RT of the customer’s unit is pre-determined by the developer depending on its unit area and premise type.

Forming part of the bill is the Meter Maintenance which is charged quarterly at Dhs 50 per quarter to cover the testing and maintenance of each meter installed in the apartment. It is billed in arrears in the last month of each quarter, while the connection charge is a one-off fee to be paid by the owner for the connection, which is different from the Refundable Security Deposit that is paid at the time of registration.

Bin Shafar said that like any other utilities, Empower charges are linked to the cost of inputs and general inflation index and are subject to revision, and, as such, tariffs are subject to change.

To save energy, customers must control their consumption by optimizing the setting of their thermostat or reducing cooling losses through their windows and doors.

Bin Shafar added: “Empower's District Cooling system is underpinned by a skilled round-the-clock service team and a comprehensive set of emergency back-up systems that ensure complete reliability.”

District cooling is measured in refrigeration ton which is equivalent to 12000 BTU's per hour. Refrigeration Ton is the unit measure for the amount of heat removed. Refrigeration Ton is defined as the heat absorbed by one ton of ice (2000 pounds) causing it to melt completely by the end of one day (24 hours).

District cooling systems can replace any type of air conditioning system, but primarily compete with air-cooled reciprocating chiller systems serving large buildings which consume large amounts of electricity.

Bin Shafar added: “This air-conditioning system is subject to a difficult operating environment, including extreme heat, saline humidity and windborne sand. Over time, performance, efficiency and reliability suffer, leading to significant maintenance costs and ultimately to equipment replacement.”

This awareness campaign reflects the core values of Empower and it reinforces its position on the global front as an organization that delivers efficient service with transparent billing system.

About Empower: Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) is a joint venture between Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone (TECOM) Investments and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), created to provide energy-efficient district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments. Empower plans to diversify into other energy efficiency and conservation services. Empower's district cooling systems (DCS) provide effective and efficient means of air conditioning. Water is cooled in central plants and distributed through a network of piping systems to individual customer buildings. DCS achieves economies of scale by using centralised plants instead of individual cooling units in each building. The centralised system results in reduced capital and operating costs, thus reducing air-conditioning set-up and energy costs per building. Empower is set to become one of the largest district cooling companies in the region.