Empower awarded contracts worth AED 59 million in the 3rd quarter of 2015

Empower awarded contracts worth AED 59 million in the 3^rd quarter of 2015 

Dubai, UAE, 7 October 2015: Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, awarded contracts valued at AED 59million in the 3^rd quarter of the year to boost District Cooling (DC) operations across Dubai.

According to HE Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, the contracts are part of significant expansion of the company’s operations, which currently occupy a share of 70% of the DC market in Dubai. “These contracts are among many we have signed so far since the beginning of the year. We are moving confidently for further growth in the UAE.”

“As a unique industry, there are tremendous opportunities for developing a wide range of sophisticated competencies in District Cooling; especially in the technical, customer service, and project management fields. These competencies will further boost the industry, thus increasing its reliability in meeting the growing needs for cooling services in Dubai,” said Bin Shafar.

“Operators in related industries to DC chose Empower based on the global trust and the world-class solutions we provide. We have been engaged on the global scale in high end advisory in different partsacross the world to help in establishing a sustainable DC infrastructure,” added Bin Shafar.

“DC proved to be the ideal alternative for conventional cooling systems, where there would be no maintenance or interruption in service on the end user. On the other hand, investors start to recognise the tangible benefits of DC on the medium and long run,” said Bin Shafar.

“We have long term contracts, some of which are designed to enhance our production for the coming 25 years or so. We understand the demand, and ready to meet the future needs that might be required in mega projects across the Emirate,” concluded Bin Shafar.

Empower currently operates more than 1 Million RT, providing environmentally responsible district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments such as Jumeirah Group, Business Bay, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai International Financial Centre, Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Ibn Battuta Mall, Discovery Gardens, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai World trade Centre Residences, Dubai Design District, among others.

Empower launches advanced Customer Service Centre at Jumeirah Beach Residence, equipped to serve over 11,000 customers

Empower launches advanced Customer Service Centre at Jumeirah Beach Residence, equipped to serve over 11,000 customers

First such centre outside Empower headquarters offering one-stop services

Dubai, UAE, 23rd June 2012: Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, inaugurated Empower’s advanced flagship Customer Service Centre at Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR). The world class centre is the first outside Empower’s headquarters in Dubai Healthcare City.

“Empower is entering a new phase of growth. This is supported by a solid infrastructure and well trained staff and a world-class round the clock system that offers a high quality service. We chose JBR as a destination for our new centre because of its emergence as one of the busiest residential and touristic areas, not only locally but also regionally,” Bin Shafar said.

The new Customer Service Centre is located in Rimal 5, Podium 30, and provides day to day customer services, such as new customer registrations, bill payments, final bill payment applications and other general queries. JBR is one of the most significant clients for Empower when it comes to number of customers served by the company in projects such as Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Healthcare City, Business Bay and City of Arabia.

“Serving around 500 customers a day, the new centre is well equipped to provide a reliable and continuous service to customers. The staff managing the centre is trained to offer one-stop shop services to customers, as every single employee has been trained to offer 360-degree services.
The new centre serves Empower’s clientele base in Jumeirah Beach Residence which accounts for 11,000 customers and it adopts latest international practices in customer servicing, not only in the district cooling industry but also across all industries.

Bin Shafar added: “We regard our customer as real strategic partners. We ensure continuous communication with them through diverse channels. The centre is primed to deliver optimum customer satisfaction.”

The working hours of the new centre are 7:30 am to 3:30 pm.

Empower asserts that district cooling technology is ideal solution to preserve environment

On the occasion of the World Environment Day 2012:

Empower asserts that district cooling technology is ideal solution to preserve environment

Dubai, UAE, 5th June 2012: On the occasion of the World Environment Day (WED) 2012, Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower), the largest district cooling service provider in the region, has urged private and public sector entities as well as the community organizations to make preservation of environment a top priority.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, said: Preserving environment is a critical necessity, not a luxury that we can do without. Environmental degradation is the biggest challenge that is threatening the world today, and this is reflected in the drastic climate change we are witnessing today.”

Bin Shafar added that district cooling services is at the forefront of cooling solutions that ensures sustainability and conserves energy resources.

Empower is guided by the directive of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to conserve the environmental resources in the Emirate of Dubai. Empower provides district cooling systems as an alternative to the conventional AC systems. Its solutions lead to energy saving and environmental conservation, while at the same time lowering operations and maintenance costs.

Empower serves a range of large-scale real estate projects in Dubai. The company is looking at diversifying its services and products of efficient energy systems it provides to its customers.

Bin Shafar added that Empower has succeeded in increasing the footprint of usage of district cooling in Dubai though widening its use in residential, commercial, offices and hotels.

Empower tops the list of companies providing district cooling service in the region. The company adopts a clear strategy to preserve environment through aggressively disseminating district cooling technology and conducting campaigns to highlight its strategic value to the individuals as well as the wider society.

Empower registers 30% increase in hotel customers for district cooling services

Empower registers 30% increase in hotel customers for district cooling services



Bin Shafar: “District cooling helps DTCM achieve goal of reducing carbon footprint of Dubai hotels”



Dubai, UAE, 15th May 2012: On the occasion of The Hotel Show 2012, the specialized exhibition in the hospitality industry in the region being held from 15 to 17 May at Dubai World Trade Centre, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) has announced that it registered a 30% growth in hotel customers at end of April 2012, compared to same period of last year.



The company called for greater awareness to implement District Cooling (DC) by hotels in the region, as this will bring benefits to hotels themselves, their customers and the entire society and economy.



Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower said: “We support specialized exhibitions like this one in order to spread awareness on DC to hotels. To date, 26 hotels in Dubai use DC services from Empower. We are optimistic that more hotels will move towards this emerging technology which offers great advantages over conventional cooling offerings. While considering the growth rate of hotel rooms in the UAE during this period, Empower’s growth in the segment exceeds the hotel industry rate.”



Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce (DTCM) has mandated that all hotels must reduce their carbon footprint and opt for environment friendly amenities and supplies. This is where DC fits in, according to Bin Shafar.



He emphasised that DC is ideal for hotels as it is environment-friendly, cost-effective and hassle-free. It helps save on cost of cooling, maintenance, installation and capital expenditure.



Bin Shafar added: “The current market tendencies give more room to adopt DC technology for hotel buildings, especially where initial capital investment is a deciding factor. District Cooling saves the customer from investment on plant room, chillers and equipments, water tanks, cooling towers, sub stations, additional drainage facilities, civil structure, cabling works, control and instrumentation, additional space, manpower requirements and maintenance. This will enable hotel financiers to divert more initial funds to other areas of the venture.”



Demand for district cooling has been increasing rapidly in the last decade. In the UAE, it was first used in the 1970s at the Dubai International Airport. It began to be adopted commercially in 1998 with the real estate boom in the country. The adoption rate in this technology has remarkably increased in the past five years especially amongst large scale projects.



In Dubai, residents are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of using district cooling system as an alternative to conventional AC system, leading to energy saving and environment conservation, as well as lower operations and maintenance costs.



District Cooling Technology provides all the benefits of out-sourcing the technology and facilities instead of bearing its establishment cost. The quality of cooling from a DC plant is ideal for the ambience of hotels. More hotels are expected to receive cooling from Empower’s DC plants in 2012.



The Hotel Show is gathering over 14,800 hospitality professionals for 3 days of intensive business networking, industry awards, conferences and hospitality functions. With its proven track record of delivery, spanning 13 years. The Hotel Show is the largest hospitality supplies event for the Middle East and North Africa region.

Empower registers 30% increase in hotel customers for district cooling services

Empower registers 30% increase in hotel customers for district cooling services

Bin Shafar: “District cooling helps DTCM achieve goal of reducing carbon footprint of Dubai hotels”

Dubai, UAE, 15th May 2012: On the occasion of The Hotel Show 2012, the specialized exhibition in the hospitality industry in the region being held from 15 to 17 May at Dubai World Trade Centre, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) has announced that it registered a 30% growth in hotel customers at end of April 2012, compared to same period of last year.

The company called for greater awareness to implement District Cooling (DC) by hotels in the region, as this will bring benefits to hotels themselves, their customers and the entire society and economy.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower said: “We support specialized exhibitions like this one in order to spread awareness on DC to hotels. To date, 26 hotels in Dubai use DC services from Empower. We are optimistic that more hotels will move towards this emerging technology which offers great advantages over conventional cooling offerings. While considering the growth rate of hotel rooms in the UAE during this period, Empower’s growth in the segment exceeds the hotel industry rate.”

Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce (DTCM) has mandated that all hotels must reduce their carbon footprint and opt for environment friendly amenities and supplies. This is where DC fits in, according to Bin Shafar.

He emphasised that DC is ideal for hotels as it is environment-friendly, cost-effective and hassle-free. It helps save on cost of cooling, maintenance, installation and capital expenditure.

Bin Shafar added: “The current market tendencies give more room to adopt DC technology for hotel buildings, especially where initial capital investment is a deciding factor. District Cooling saves the customer from investment on plant room, chillers and equipments, water tanks, cooling towers, sub stations, additional drainage facilities, civil structure, cabling works, control and instrumentation, additional space, manpower requirements and maintenance. This will enable hotel financiers to divert more initial funds to other areas of the venture.”

Demand for district cooling has been increasing rapidly in the last decade. In the UAE, it was first used in the 1970s at the Dubai International Airport. It began to be adopted commercially in 1998 with the real estate boom in the country. The adoption rate in this technology has remarkably increased in the past five years especially amongst large scale projects.

In Dubai, residents are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of using district cooling system as an alternative to conventional AC system, leading to energy saving and environment conservation, as well as lower operations and maintenance costs.

District Cooling Technology provides all the benefits of out-sourcing the technology and facilities instead of bearing its establishment cost. The quality of cooling from a DC plant is ideal for the ambience of hotels. More hotels are expected to receive cooling from Empower’s DC plants in 2012.

The Hotel Show is gathering over 14,800 hospitality professionals for 3 days of intensive business networking, industry awards, conferences and hospitality functions. With its proven track record of delivery, spanning 13 years. The Hotel Show is the largest hospitality supplies event for the Middle East and North Africa region.

Empower urges real estate developers at Cityscape Global to play their part in accelerating pace towards Green Cities

Empower urges real estate developers at Cityscape Global to play their part in accelerating pace towards Green Cities

Ahmed bin Shafar: “Dubai paved the way in the region in the use of district cooling technology in new real estate projects”

Dubai, UAE, 27th September, 2011: Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower), the largest district cooling service provider in the region, has urged real estate developers participating in Cityscape Global 2011, the premier event for the real estate industry, to carry out their responsibility in accelerating the pace towards Green Cities in the Middle East.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, said that Dubai paved the way in the region in the use of district cooling technology in new real estate projects. He called on regional countries to emulate Dubai’s experience in switching from conventional air-conditioning to district cooling systems that are environmentally friendly, with low energy consumption and higher quality to the end user.

Bin Shafar added that the UAE stands at the forefront of countries that are leading the way in establishing green cities with environmentally friendliness criteria.

He added: “Empower's district cooling systems 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 was established to provide energy-efficient district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments. District cooling service achieves economies of scale by using centralized plants instead of individual cooling units in each building. The centralized system results in lower capital and operating costs, thus reducing air-conditioning set-up and energy costs per building.

Over 150 exhibitors from 28 countries, including the UK, USA, Malaysia, Turkey, Brazil, Russia and Greece, are taking part in Cityscape Global 2011, as well as regional real estate companies.

Empower is stressing on the importance of district cooling which is regarded an ideal and economical solution to be used in residential areas, businesses and hotels, due to multiple benefits such as reduced operating costs, cheaper maintenance, energy conservation and environment protection.

Empower is building a world class district cooling infrastructure in Dubai because it strongly believes that district cooling has huge potential in the region as an alternative to conventional AC systems.

Empower is providing district cooling service to a range of projects in Dubai, including Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai Healthcare City, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Business Bay and City Of Arabia.


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 centralized plants instead of individual cooling units in each building. The centralized 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.

Empower’s district cooling consumption rose 13.6% in July 2011 against same period last year

Empower’s district cooling consumption rose 13.6% in July 2011 against same period last year

Higher occupancy and new plants lead to this increase

Dubai, UAE, 10th August, 2011: Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower), the largest district cooling service provider in the MENA region, has said that consumption of district cooling provided by the company rose by 13.6 percent in July 2011, compared to same period last year.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower said that the increase is due to the higher occupancy in areas like Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC), Al Khail Gate, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Business Bay Executive Towers (BBET).

Bin Shafar added: “New Buildings in Business Bay, Ghoroub Mirdif and Tecom C which have been added to our portfolio, in addition to the kick off of new plants mainly in Business Bay have fuelled this increase in July 2011.”

Empower has witnessed a tremendous raise in the number of plants as part of the company’s expansion to respond to the huge demand for district cooling in the UAE.

Bin Shafar added: “The increase in the consumption of district cooling shows that Dubai is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of using district cooling system as an alternative to the conventional AC systems, leading to energy saving and environment conservation, as well as lower operations and maintenance costs.”

Empower tops the list of companies providing district cooling service in the region. The company adopts a clear strategy to preserve environment through aggressively disseminating this technology and conducting campaigns to highlight its strategic value in the short and long run to the people and the society in general.

Bin Shafar added: “We 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. Our clients have increased prominently in the last period which is a reflection of heightened awareness of district cooling advantages in the UAE.”
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.

The company have developed a world class district cooling infrastructure and network. Against the latest equipments and solutions, Empower works on enhancing the awareness of society to the importance of this technology in saving the operating and maintenance costs and its user friendliness and high level of conserving the environment.

Empower to help peers in the region to boost district cooling industry that is growing between 15 and 20% annually

Empower to help peers in the region to boost district cooling industry that is growing between 15 and 20% annually

Bin Shafar: Absence of long term planning is biggest obstacle facing District Cooling companies


Dubai, UAE, 16th January, 2011: Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower), the largest district cooling service provider in the region, has invited District cooling companies in the Middle East to benefit from EMPOWER’s experience and boost the growth of the industry that is growing between 15 and 20 per cent annually.

Shafar said district cooling industry is faced with obstacles like absence of long term planning. He said though the Middle East is still in its fancy in the field district cooling, the potential is great as government support is huge and new real estate projects launched over the past five years demand this technology. Further, this technology is environment friendly and is in line with government approach to energy conservation.

Bin Shafar pointed out that other challenges include lack of high caliber technical and marketing personnel which has led to financial issues. In contrast, Empower achieved a revenue growth of 27 percent in 2010, driven by a prudent policy.

Bin Shafar added: “We are ready to support our peers in the industry so that we can enhance the global competiveness of the Gulf district cooling industry. We have developed expertise that has been acquired through seven years of hand work and international collaboration.”

Bin Shafar said that the Gulf has a competitive edge compared to many other countries in the world because of its recent adoption of district cooling and this technology is seamlessly integrated into the real estate projects, unlike places in Northern America and Europe where the technology has to be added to existing projects.

Bin Shafar added that the UAE was the first in the Middle East to realize the importance of district cooling as an alternative to conventional cooling, compared to very modest usage in other parts of the Middle East.

Empower succeeded in adopting world class district cooling infrastructure to implement this system that is considered an ideal economic and environmental solution for residential and commercial units, offices and hotels. The operational savings in a residential unit compared to conventional AC technologies is remarkable.

Empower tops the list of companies providing district cooling service in the region. The company, owned by DEWA and TECOM, had adopted a clear strategy to preserve environment through aggressively disseminating this technology and conducting campaigns to highlight its strategic value in the short and long run to the people and the society in general.

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.

Empower to adopt a conservative demand-based strategy in investing in new plants

Empower to adopt a conservative demand-based strategy in investing in new plants

Bin Shafar: This has been the company’s strategy since inception to ensure high return on investment

Dubai, UAE, 20th December, 2010: Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, the largest district cooling service provider in the region, revealed that the company has adopted a conservative strategy in investing in building plants based on actual rather than projected demand.

He said the company has adopted this strategy since inception so that the investments are done prudently, thus enhancing the financial status of the company and putting it on par with international companies in the domain of district cooling.
Bin Shafar added: “The decision of increasing the number of plants is based on the actual demand from customers for district cooling, driven by the actual consumption instead of anticipated consumption.”

He added: “Inspite of the 60 percent increase in the number of customers (16,000 by the end of this year), we plan to take a cautious approach. Our strategy is simple, we build permanent, semi permanent and temporary plants to ensure that our supplies meet the demand in the most feasible way possible in the short and long run.”
Empower increases its plants to meet the increased demand for district cooling systems as the main alternative to the traditional air conditioning systems in Dubai. This technology leads to energy saving and environment conservation, as well as lowering operations and maintenance costs.

The increase in the consumption of district cooling provided by EMPOWER has reached 45 percent, while the number of plants belonging to the company increased by 37 percent in 2010. The actual consumption for district cooling has increased remarkably due to the growth in the number of residential units that has entered into this service in projects served by the company like in Business Bay and the entire residential units of Mirdif.

Empower's cooling plants has increased to 29, including news ones in places like DIFC, Dubai healthcare City, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Business Bay.
Empower's district cooling systems 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. District cooling achieves economies of scale by using centralised plants instead of individual cooling units in each building.

Empower records 37 percent increase in district cooling plants in 2010

Empower records 37 percent increase in district cooling plants in 2010

Bin Shafar stresses the importance of investing in district cooling sector to reduce energy consumption in the UAE

Dubai, UAE, 7th November 2010: Empower has revealed that the number of its cooling plants has risen to 37, compared to 27 in 2009, an increase of 37 per cent.
Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, said: "The increase in number of plants was a response to the expanding operation plans of Empower and to cope up with the huge demand on the use of district cooling as an alternative solution to the conventional air conditioning systems.”

"The increase in the consumption of district cooling shows that Dubai is becoming more aware of the importance of using district cooling system and its instrumental role in saving energy and conserving the environment, as well as lowering operations and maintenance costs," he added.

Empower increased the number of its work stations to boost the use of district cooling systems which is ideal in reducing carbon footprint.
Bin Shafar added: “District cooling systems are better than conventional ones as they make use of the surplus heat in low-cost and effective cooling systems. Also, district cooling systems are environment friendly which save the natural resources.”
Empower's district cooling systems 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. District cooling achieves economies of scale by using centralised plants instead of individual cooling units in each building.

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. 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.

Empower provides district cooling to Mirdif Gate Buildings

Empower provides district cooling to Mirdif Gate Buildings

Bin Shafar: “Our ROI is high because we study demand factors before venturing into new projects”

Dubai, UAE, 12 July, 2010: Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower), the largest district cooling service provider in the MENA region, has added Mirdif Gate Buildings project to its portfolio of district cooling services.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, a joint venture between Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and TECOM Investments, said the project was preceded by extensive studies before investing into central stations and networks to enhance ROI in the long and short run.

Bin Shafar said that Dubai was moving rapidly towards increased use of district cooling as an alternative to conventional district cooling because of its efficiency in rationalizing electricity consumption and conserving natural resources and reducing operating and maintenance costs.

With this project, Empower will provide district cooling services to Mirdif area along other areas in Dubai most notably Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai Healthcare City, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Business Bay and City Of Arabia.

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.

Bin Shafar added: “Empower’s world class plant in Mirdif will provide services to 59 buildings with a capacity of 320 refrigeration tonnes (RT). Mirdif station adopts world class techniques and provides customers with high quality services round the clock through hi-tech solutions and electronic systems.”

He added: “We are happy to complete this project in Mirdif. We conducted extensive research on the demand factor. Mirdif is one of the dynamic destinations of Dubai and it is becoming a very busy area. This area has developed remarkably and it offers customers a wide array of options. We have managed to create a large demand on our services from landlords and tenants at the same time”.

Empower’s network is scalable to cope with any demand that might occur at any time in any of its projects in Dubai.

Empower is very clear in identifying priorities and responsibilities and it focuses on enhancing performance through a group of management and operational teams.

Business development between Swedish companies and Empower holds big potential, says Sweden's Ambassador

Business development between Swedish companies and Empower holds big potential, says Sweden's Ambassador

Bruno S Beijer briefed on Empower's projects in the UAE


Dubai, UAE, 23rd February, 2010: The Swedish Ambassador to the UAE, HE Bruno S Beijer, has said that the current situation offers tremendous potential for developing business tie ups between Dubai based companies such as Empower and Swedish technology vendors.

While visiting Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower), a TECOM-DEWA joint venture, Ambassador Beijer praised Empower's mission in providing Dubai with clean cooling.

He said: “Empower played an instrumental role in Dubai's transformation towards a more sustainable 'green' society. We firmly believe that there is an obvious potential for collaboration between Empower and the many Swedish companies which focus on Environmental Technology. We hope this would lead to more mutually interesting business ties between Empower and the Swedish companies operating in Sweden or in Dubai.”

HE Beijer said: “I am really impressed with what Empower has done in such a record period of time. We discussed in the meeting the possibilities of further cooperation between Empower and the Swedish companies as far as the Swedish technical solutions are concerned.”

Dubai and Sweden has been enjoying cordial relations for several years, and the current time represents even more promising opportunities for mutual business and trade relations.

Bin Shafar said: “Empower always looks at solutions from world class companies and we believe that we need to have more joint ventures with top-notch organisations. Just a month ago, we inaugurated Empower-Logstor Insulated Pipes Systems (ELIPS), UAE's largest pre-insulated pipe manufacturing facility, in Jebel Ali. These moves not only signify UAE’s drive towards diversification of economy and it also reflects our search for partnerships with international companies.”

Dubai’s success in bringing fresh investments into the Emirate and its investment in new ventures was hailed by the Ambassador.

Bin Shafar said: “Dubai is setting the pace for sustainable building as the only place in the world where all new developments are required to adopt green-building practices. The Government of Dubai as per the directives of HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, ensures that real estate developers create the “highest international standards” of sustainability.”

Environment reservation is always a priority in Dubai where the trend for green living and energy conservation was truly being embraced by individuals and companies alike. HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has prioritized sustainable development and this is where Empower is contributing.

Bin Shafar added: “We succeeded in building world class district cooling infrastructure that is considered an ideal economic and environmental solution for residential and commercial units, offices and hotels. In Dubai, residential units are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of using district cooling system as an alternative to conventional AC systems, leading to energy saving and environment conservation, as well as lower operations and maintenance costs. This is in sharp contrast to lower awareness of its importance in other parts of the Middle East.”

The operational savings percentage in a residential unit compared with conventional AC technologies ranges between 40 and 45 per cent which goes with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 which places major emphasis on the prudent use of resources to build a solid foundation forming a fertile environment for sustained growth.

Empower CEO and US General Consul discuss bilateral business relations

Empower CEO and US General Consul discuss bilateral business relations

US delegation praises Dubai’s far-sighted vision

Dubai, UAE, 13th February 2010: Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower) discussed ways to foster UAE-US business relations at a meeting with the newly appointed US Consul General Justin H. Siberell. Robert W. Dunn, Principal Commercial Officer, was also present at the meeting.
The meeting stressed the need for boosting cooperation and exchanging expertise between Empower and the US companies engaged in the energy sector in particular and industrial sector in general.

Bin Shafar, the head of the largest district cooling service provider in the region, said the UAE is one of the “Top places To Do Business” in the world and US businesses are actively taking part in the economic boom of the UAE on all fronts.
The American delegation praised the liberal business climate in the emirate of Dubai in particular and the UAE in general. Siberell described the emirate as an IT, tourism, trade and education hub for the entire region, thanks to the far-sighted vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

The delegation agreed that Dubai was a success story with world-class infrastructure that includes ports, airports, roads and urban amenities. Bin Shafar said that the flood of foreign and domestic investment, efficient government spending and highly developed infrastructure have earned the Emirate economic competitiveness in the global market.

Bin Shafar added: “The UAE, the largest US trading partner in the Middle East, managed to transform its economy from a conventional, labor-intensive economy to one based on knowledge, technology and skilled labor and this is where companies like Empower fit it.”

“Empower has succeeded in building world class district cooling infrastructure that is considered an ideal economic and environmental solution for residential and commercial units, offices and hotels in the UAE. I am pleased to share with you that residential units are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of using district cooling system as an alternative to conventional AC systems, leading to energy saving and environment conservation.”

The Dubai based company tops the list of companies providing district cooling services in the region. It adopts a clear strategy to preserve environment through aggressively disseminating this technology and conducting campaigns to highlight its strategic value in the short and long run to the people and the society in general.

The meeting sought not only to promote US exports to the UAE, which is the Middle East’s booming trade hub, but also aimed to attract investment to the US from the UAE and strengthen two-way trade.

Among the most promising prospects for US Exports to the Middle East, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, is in the area of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Equipment, leading greater significance to the meeting between the US Consulate and Empower.

Empower debuts sub-metering facility at Business Bay Executive Towers

Allowing end-users to control consumption of district cooling service

Empower debuts sub-metering facility at Business Bay Executive Towers

Dubai: 15 November, 2009- In a pioneering move, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) will be offering sub-metering facility that allows end users of district cooling to control consumption.

Empower announced this as it began customer registration in Business Bay Executive Towers (BBET), the company’s second project after Jumeirah Beach Residence. The registration is taking place at the Dubai Properties Sales Center located in BBET.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower said: “We are delighted to start providing BBET customers the subscription to district cooling services. We expect 2300 customers to register. These customers will all benefit from the 45,000 refrigeration tonne (RT) district cooling plant. The Business Bay project further consolidates our position as the largest district cooling company in the region.”

All owners of the BBET have to register with Empower to be able to get their apartment keys. Upon registration, they will get all information about district cooling service, charges and the billing process. The registration is for commercial users as well. Customers will be able to control their expenses through Empower's district cooling system.

Customers will be able to control metering consumption by setting the thermostat on 25 in unoccupied areas, and 22 – 23 in occupied areas.

Empower, a joint venture between TECOM Investments and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), provides energy-efficient district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments. It currently provides 250,000 refrigeration tonnes (RT) to a wide array of projects in Dubai, including Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai Healthcare City, Jumeirah Beach Residence and City Of Arabia, in addition to Business Bay.

Residential and commercial end-users in Dubai have begun appreciating the importance of District cooling systems (DCS) in achieving 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.

A month ago, Empower completed the commissioning of the world class plant which will serve the project through off-site district cooling systems to save up to 35 per cent energy consumption.