Business & Money | Wednesday 28 September, 2016 3:20 pm |

Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, said that it will finish constructing the district cooling infrastructure network of Bluewaters Island, a mixed-use project developed by Meraas Holding, in a record time.

 

“The contracted company carrying out the construction of the district cooling network of Bluewaters Island is deploying advanced technologies to build an underground piping network with approximately 3 kilometre-long trenches, which includes micro tunneling under the seabed. The total length of the carbon steel pipes will be six kilometers. Empower is keen on completing the project in record time, where the first phase of that massive construction is expected to be completed by February 2017 while the second, that covers the area  outside the island, will be finished by June 2017,” said HE Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower.

 

The physical activities within Bluewaters Island have commenced end of August 2016 while deep excavations and pipe laying commenced early September. Approximately one kilometre-long trenche out of 3KM within the Bluewaters Island has been excavated.

 

Empower has signed, in last October, a contract to provide district cooling services for Bluewaters Island,  an AED 6 billion project approved by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai in 2013. Bluewaters Island is a man-made mixed use island located off the coast of Jumeirah Beach Residence. Ain Dubai, the world’s largest observation wheel, forms the unique centrepiece of this development. Besides Ain Dubai, the island will also feature a five-star hotel and distinctive retail, residential, hospitality and entertainment zones.

 

Bin Shafar emphasised on the local technical and administrative capacity to complete this project in record time and with the highest efficiency adopting the most stringent international standards in terms of quality and safety. He also expressed his delight that Empower is a part of this huge project that is poised to become one of the world’s largest tourism hotspots.

 

The agreement between Empower and Meraas Holding entails providing Bluewaters Island with 25,000 RT of district cooling services to chill its residential units, retail stores, commercial buildings and hotels according to HE Bin Shafar.

 

“Providing district cooling services to Bluewaters Island stems from our leading position in district cooling in the UAE and worldwide. This project is very significant being planned as per the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to contribute in reinforcing the tourism capacity of the Emirate of Dubai,” concluded HE Bin Shafar.

 

Empower currently operates more than 1,100,000 refrigeration tonnes (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 and Dubai Design District, among others.