Palm Utilities awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification for quality management systems

Palm Utilities awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification for quality management systems

Certification affirms success in employing and retaining highly experienced management team in the field of utility services

June 16, 2010
Palm Utilities, a leading private company that provides integrated sustainable utility solutions, has announced that it has recently been awarded the ISO 9001:2008 certification, reaffirming the company’s continuing commitment to maintaining world-class quality standards in its management systems and subsequently ensuring customer satisfaction. The certification – which was granted following the external assessment by Lloyds Register Quality Assurance - is part of the company's strategy to develop an integrated quality program in the field of utility services.

More than 300 employees took part in the entire ISO certification process, which validates the technical expertise and the leadership competency of Palm Utilities’ management team, while reinforcing the company's reputation as a leading utility solution provider and a premier technological innovator. Palm Utilities has been a recognised leader in delivering district cooling, desalination and water purification services and has been responsible for some of the most prestigious utility projects in the region, including The Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Discovery Gardens and The Gardens.

Yousuf Kazim, CEO, Palm Utilities, said: "This ISO certification confirms the success of our strategy to employ and retain a highly experienced and skilled management team. The senior management has been focusing on staff development and work efficiency through the standardisation of work procedures. This step is in line with our objectives of exceeding customer expectations and implementing corporate governance that ensures maximum transparency within the company."

“Palm Utilities’ quality management strategies align well with several core company values such as business sustainability, resulting in a holistic approach to quality. The organization’s QMS model definitely serves as an excellent model for the region’s utilities sector. We commend the management and employees for the exceptional level of team work they displayed in securing the ISO certification,” said Brian Baxter, UAE Service Delivery Manager, Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Ltd.
Lloyds Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) conducted a two part assessment at Palm Utilities. The first part included a system appraisal involving a review of the quality management system (QMS), policy, quality objectives, quality manual and all the mandatory procedures that are required by the ISO 9001:2008 standards. For the second part, LRQA audited all departments at Palm Utilities, covering their process, procedures and systems to test the QMS system efficiency and effectiveness.

Palm Utilities marks World Environment Day through tree planting initiative that offsets company’s monthly paper use

Palm Utilities marks World Environment Day through tree planting initiative that offsets company’s monthly paper use

June 7, 2010

Palm Utilities, a leading private company that provides integrated sustainable utility solutions, recently undertook a tree planting initiative in Dubai wherein the company planted several two meter-tall trees to make up for its monthly paper consumption. The activity was undertaken to mark the UN’s 2010 World Environment Day .

Palm Utilities calculated the number of trees it would take to offset the company’s estimated paper usage per month, and planted replacements accordingly. The initiative was intended to show Palm Utilities’ full support for global environmental protection efforts and generate greater public awareness on the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Furthermore, internal policies have been established to reduce paper usage in the office and improve automation, such as using electronic forms and systems as much as possible.

“Palm Utilities uses the latest technologies not only to efficiently provide critical power and water services but to ensure sustainable and waste-preventive operations as well. Our tree planting programme is a simple affirmation of our commitment to environmental stewardship and our recognition of the significant impact of our activities on the well-being of the community,” said Yousuf Kazim, CEO, Palm Utilities.

Palm Utilities adheres to the ‘3 Rs’ of Reuse, Reduce and Recycle to minimize its carbon footprint. It uses Treated Sewage Effluent or Polished Water for its District Cooling Towers rather than potable water. The company pioneered the use of non-chemical Membrane Bioreactors in the region to reduce CO2 emissions at its sewage treatment plants. Palm Utilities plans to adopt Thermal Energy Storage in the near future to reduce energy use and further advance its sustainability goals.

Palm Utilities has been delivering district cooling, desalination, water purification, polished water, irrigation water production and wastewater reuse services and has been responsible for some of the UAE's most prestigious utility projects, including The Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Jumeirah Village, Discovery Gardens, Jumeirah Islands and The Gardens, to name a few. In addition, Palm Utilities has also been focusing on reducing the carbon footprint of its operations, which has made the company a recipient of several local, regional and international awards for excellence.

World Environment Day is held on the 5th of June every year and is hosted by a different city with a different theme. This year’s celebrations focused on biodiversity and was hosted by Rwanda.

Palm Utilities receives Best Water Project Award at Arab Investment Summit 2010

Palm Utilities receives Best Water Project Award at Arab Investment Summit 2010

Recognised for successful implementation of Dual Work Exchanger Energy Recovery at Palm Jumeirah seawater reverse osmosis plants

May 09, 2010
Palm Utilities, a leading private company that provides integrated sustainable utility solutions, received the Best Water Project Award during the Arab Investment Summit 2010, held recently in Abu Dhabi. Palm Utilities was recognised for its use of the Dual Work Exchanger Energy Recovery (DWEER) system for the Palm Jumeirah seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plants, resulting in up to 19 per cent power savings and a significant reduction in carbon footprint.

The Award was an additional recognition of Palm Utilities' commitment to excellence in delivering premium-quality and highly efficient utility solutions to its growing portfolio of customers in the UAE. The DWEER system has been in operation for the past 18 months and for the period January 2009 to January 2010, the system has helped save over 3.3 million kilowatt-hour in energy consumption through the reuse of reject energy, thus helping conserve the ecosystem and sustain its precious resources.

Commenting on the occasion, Yousuf Kazim, CEO of Palm Utilities, said: "Environmental responsibility is a corporate culture that is cherished within the entire organisation. In this regard, Palm Utilities has made significant investments to constantly improve our technology and maintain a highly skilled and experienced team of specialists. The latest distinction we have received at the Arab Investment Summit validates our sincere desire to contribute positively in the sustainable development of our society. Moreover, the Best Water Project Award reaffirms our strong capability to overcome difficult challenges in our efforts to deliver premium-quality utility solutions."

Through its district cooling services and water and wastewater utility services divisions, Palm Utilities has been addressing the region's unique requirements in the distinctly critical areas of cooling and water. The company has been responsible for some of the UAE's most prestigious utility projects, including The Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Discovery Gardens, Jumeirah Islands and The Gardens to name a few. With its aim of sustained long-term growth, Palm Utilities intends to pursue new core business activities within other utilities, including domestic gas, power distribution and sustainable energy.

Palm Utilities wins gold and silver honours in IDEA District Energy Space Awards 2009

Palm District Cooling recognised for servicing 'Most Number of Buildings' and 'Most Square Feet' beyond North America

Palm Utilities wins gold and silver honours in IDEA District Energy Space Awards 2009

July19, 2009
Palm Utilities, a fully owned subsidiary of Istithmar World PJSC, a major investment holding company incorporated in the Dubai World Group, has announced that its subsidiary Palm District Cooling (PDC) has been recently named recipient of gold and silver awards in two categories of the International District Energy Association’s (IDEA) District Energy Space Awards 2009. PDC received the gold award in the Most Number of Buildings Serviced Beyond North America category, and the silver award in the Most Square Feet Serviced Beyond North America category.

District Energy Space is an annual publication of IDEA that features a compilation of buildings that have committed or recommitted to district energy service in North America and beyond. The Energy Space Awards 2009 highlighted benchmark quality standards and performance excellence of IDEA members in the district energy industry. PDC was recognised for servicing a total of 1,479 buildings in key residential areas in Dubai, the most outside North America, while the total area being covered by PDC's cooling solutions has reached more than 73 million square feet, the second biggest outside North America. The prominent residential developments that are availing of PDC's services include the Gardens Residential Complex, Jumeirah Island Villas, Discovery Gardens, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Palm Jumeirah Crescent and Palm Jumeirah Trunk.

Shafiq Khoori, Managing Director, Palm District Cooling, who received the awards said, “These distinctions reflect Palm Utilities’ commitment to excellence and reinforce our position as an industry leader in the field of district cooling. Earning such a distinct recognition from an international organisation like International District Energy Association (IDEA) sends out the positive message of Palm District Cooling’s continuous drive for meeting and exceeding our stakeholders (and potential customers) expectations.”

“Moreover, the Gold and Silver awards motivates us to remain steadfast in our thrust to deliver long-term value to all our projects and to look towards more growth and expansion in the coming years,” Khoori added.

The Energy Space Awards aims to assist IDEA in determining growth and progress among its member companies and to act as a tool to spread awareness amongst the general public about the use and benefits of district energy.

Palm Utilities, through its two primary divisions of Palm District Cooling and Palm Water, has been established to address the region's unique requirements in the distinctly critical areas of cooling and water. With its aim of sustained long-term growth, Palm Utilities intends to pursue new core business activities within other utilities, including domestic gas, power distribution, sustainable energy and environmental waste management.

Palm District Cooling renews partnership with Barrel Energy

Palm District Cooling renews partnership with Barrel Energy

Move underscores Palm Utilities' commitment to support the development of small and medium enterprises in the UAE

May 05, 2009
Palm Utilities (PU), the water and district cooling utility service provider established by government-owned investment firm Istithmar, a major investment holding and part of the Dubai World group of companies, has announced that Palm District Cooling (PDC) has recently renewed its partnership with Barrel Energy L.L.C., a leading Dubai-based fuel supply management and lubricants service company. The move underscores PDC's strong commitment to support the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders, a government program that facilitates the development of business and entrepreneurial activity among UAE nationals, of which Barrel Energy is a member.

Barrel Energy has supplied over AED 100 million or nearly 7 million IG (Imperial Gallons) of fuel to PDC and has also delivered logistics management services to PDC's district cooling station since 2007, supporting the temporary cooling service provided to customers. At its peak, Barrel Energy delivered up to 1 million IG of fuel a month to PDC; the company has also served most of its project sites including Palm Jumeira, Discovery Gardens, and Jumeira Lake Towers, and has also been a key supplier of other government and non-government entities.

Mohammed Abulhoul, Founder and Managing Director, Barrel Energy L.L.C. said: "It is certainly an honour for us to be a business partner of Palm District Cooling, which has distinguished itself as a world-class provider of district cooling services in the country. Barrel Energy is fully committed to support Palm District Cooling in its growing business ventures across the UAE market by maintaining the highest quality standards in the delivery of our products and services."

Shafiq Khoori, Managing Director, Palm District Cooling said: "Barrel Energy has been a very dedicated and quality-oriented business partner of Palm District Cooling. We are thus pleased to renew our partnership with them as their professionalism and strong work ethic are important qualities that will help us further raise the standards of our services and consolidate our portfolio of high-stakes projects."

PDC currently provides district cooling services to several prestigious mega developments in the UAE, including the Gardens Residential Complex, Jumeirah Islands, Discovery Gardens and Palm Jumeirah Trunk. PDC is also renowned for being a socially responsible company and a leading innovator in the district cooling industry.

Palm Utilities, through PDC and Palm Water (PW), has been established to address the region's unique requirements in the distinctly critical areas of district cooling, and wastewater treatment. PU has revealed that it is exploring possible joint venture initiatives for other utility projects in the Middle East, India and across Asia as part of its growth strategy for 2009.

Palm Utilities nominated for 'Membrane Desalination Plant of the Year' at GWI Global Water Awards 2009

Palm Utilities nominated for 'Membrane Desalination Plant of the Year' at GWI Global Water Awards 2009


Palm Water's Palm Jumeirah Crescent project cited for technological breakthrough that offers enormous potential for future projects in the region

March 17, 2009
Palm Utilities, a fully-owned subsidiary of Istithmar World PJSC, a major investment holding company incorporated in the Dubai World Group, has announced that Palm Water has been nominated for an award in the GWI Global Water Awards 2009, which will recognise outstanding achievers in 11 different categories during a special ceremony on April 27 at the Zurich Marriott Hotel, Switzerland. Palm Water's Palm Jumeirah Crescent project has been selected as one of the candidates of the Global Water Awards 2009's "Membrane Desalination Plant of the Year" category, having been recognised for its technological breakthrough and enormous potential for future seawater projects in the region.

The Palm Jumeirah Crescent project has been selected as one of the candidates for the prestigious award along with similar projects in Saudi Arabia, Australia and Spain. The nomination reaffirms Palm Utilities' strong reputation among its global peers after it was awarded the coveted "Water Deal of the Year" for Palm Water's Jumeirah Golf Estate project during last year's GWI Global Water Awards.

"Palm Water's nomination again reflects the successful growth strategies that Palm Utilities has implemented in 2008. Furthermore, it reassures our clients that we remain dedicated to provide world-class and premium-standard services and water solutions that are duly recognised and appreciated by our peers in the industry. This nomination is also an excellent way to recognise the efforts and hard work of all members of the Palm Jumeirah Project Team" said Mahmoud Al Hindi, Operations Director, Palm Water.

The Palm Jumeirah Crescent is the first of a pair of seawater reverse osmosis desalination plants in the Palm Jumeirah resort, which will have a combined capacity of 64,000m3/d. The project combines ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes in a design that has proven itself to be robust against tough environmental conditions.

The use of UF pre-treatment membranes for seawater desalination on a large scale in the Middle East was a significant technological breakthrough that was highlighted by the GWI Global Water Awards, as it offers enormous potential for future seawater projects in the region.

The GWI Global Water Awards recognises global efforts that address various challenges in the water sector. The winners of the Award are decided through free voting by subscribers of GWI, WDR and members of the International Desalination Association and International Private Water Association. Winners of this year's Awards will receive their prizes from former US Vice President Al Gore.

Other categories of the GWI Global Water Awards 2009 are Water Company of the year, Desalination Company of the year, Public Water Agency of the year, Water Deal of the year, Desalination Deal of the year, Water Project of the year, Thermal Desalination Plant of the year, Water Reuse Project of the Year, Industrial Water Project of the Year and Sustainability Award.

Palm Utilities, through its two primary divisions of Palm District Cooling and Palm Water, has been established to address the region's unique requirements in the distinctly critical areas of cooling and water. With its aim of sustained long-term growth, Palm Utilities intends to pursue new core business activities within other utilities, including domestic gas, power distribution, sustainable energy and environmental waste management.