His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and Chairman of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), visited the pavilion of Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling service provider, at WETEX 2019 in the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, where he was briefed on the latest developments and innovations in district cooling sector.

During the visit, His Highness listened to a detailed explanation by Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, about the achievements of the Company during the last period towards 2019, and the most important projects that have been completed based on the latest technologies in district cooling services, in addition to the aspirations of the Company for 2020.

Moreover, bin Shafar briefed His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid about the construction of the world’s first unmanned district cooling plant in Jumeirah Village Circle, Empower’s latest AI based project with a value of AED 250 million and a capacity of 50,000 Refrigeration Tons (RT). . It uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor and automatically adjust inflow and outflow of the chilled water the award-winning Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) and Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technologies to serve chilled water, which helps to reduce the burden on the grid during peak hours, thus ensuring a steady supply of electricity during periods when demand is strong, thereby contributing to a 50% reduction in carbon emissions in line with the aspirations of the wise leadership and the strategies of Dubai aiming at reducing carbon emissions. The plant’s operational efficiency will reach 0.89 KW/t, using water chillers running on 11KV of electricity.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, said: “We are delighted to have HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid honouring Empower’s stand at WETEX. This visit drives us to do more at Empower to harness our powers and potentials to create innovative district cooling solutions that improve people’s lives and contribute to environmental sustainability.”

WETEX 2019 highlights the latest technologies and equipment in energy, including air purification and cleaning equipment, calibration and protection systems. It also presents heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, together with firefighting equipment and systems, safety equipment, power transformers and electronic system monitoring solutions. When it comes to water, the exhibition provides an opportunity for visitors to learn about the latest water technology, treatment plants and desalination systems, as well as all kinds of water pipes, coolers, heaters and other equipment.

“Innovation is the foundation of Empower’s future to achieve its leadership goals and pioneering global indices, which will help ensure the sustainability of Dubai’s resources and upgrade its services to meet the aspirations of the wise leadership,” added Bin Shafar. He also emphasized that “The World Green Economy Summit and WETEX 2019 contribute to the development of eco-friendly services by bringing together manufacturers, service providers, officials, decision makers and buyers in the UAE and the region in general, thus providing an opportunity to know the latest technologies in this vital and important sector in the UAE.”

Noteworthy, Empower provides district cooling services to more than 1,090 buildings, catering to more than 100,000 customers. The company’s total cooling capacity stands at more than 1.43 million tons (RT), providing environmentally-friendly district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments, such as Dubai Waterfront, Bluewaters, Jumeirah Group, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai International Financial Centre, Business Bay, Dubai Healthcare City, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Palm Jumeirah, Discovery Gardens, Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai Design District, International Media Production Zone and others.