Khaleej Times, Monday, Mar 20, 2023 | Sha'ban 28, 1444
Empower signs agreement with Sobha Realty
Emirates:
Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation PJSC (Empower), the world’s largest
district cooling services provider, signed an agreement with Sobha Realty, one
of UAE’s leading premium real estate developers, to provide environmentally
district cooling services to the developer’s mixed-use projects, most notably
the Sobha Hartland master community with a capacity of 17,000 refrigeration tons
(RT).
As part of the agreement between the two companies, Sobha Hartland will join
Empower’s extensive district cooling portfolio and Empower will provide
world-class district cooling services across eight buildings of Sobha Hartland
project by extending the distribution network from company’s Meydan district
cooling project. The agreement was signed by Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO of Empower,
and Francis Alfred, Managing Director of Sobha Realty.
Empower will start serving the first two buildings during the current year,
through a dedicated pipeline network to transmit and distribute district cooling
energy extending from Empower’s Meydan plant, which has a cooling capacity of
45,000 RT and uses advanced technologies. The Meydan plant is a part of the
Meydan master community district cooling project, which was acquired by Empower
in 2021 through an agreement to supply the Meydan master community with 382,000
RT district cooling energy, covering 750 buildings in the city. Empower had also
announced during the acquisition that it would build three new district cooling
plants and a pipeline network to meet the required cooling energy through a
total investment of more than Dh1.6 billion.
Sobha Hartland is an 8 million sq. ft waterfront community situated in the
iconic Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City, with access to world-class
amenities, restaurants, retail centres, educational and entertainment
facilities.
Ahmad Bin Shafar said: “Adding Sobha Realty projects to Empower’s portfolio
reflects the confidence of real estate developers and customers in our reliable
services, and highlights Empower’s role in providing high quality district
cooling services that save up to 50 per cent energy than traditional air
conditioning systems.” He explained that Empower focuses on serving landmark
real estate projects and aims to provide all sectors such as, residential,
commercial, hospitality, healthcare, and others in Dubai with world-class
environmentally friendly district cooling services, to support the pioneering
role of the emirate in reducing carbon emissions, in line with the directives of
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime
Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Commenting on the new collaboration, Francis Alfred said: “Our goal is to create
a portfolio of buildings that reflect our commitment to sustainably constructed
environment. In every phase of our projects, sustainability is a top priority,
right from incorporating eco-friendly practices, materials, and technologies
during the design stage to reducing carbon emissions and enhancing project
efficiency during the execution stage. This collaboration is in line with our
dedication to supporting the UAE’s sustainability-focused programmes, such as
the Net Zero Strategic Initiative 2050. Our vision and approach clearly echo our
unwavering commitment to imbibe key environmental and social metrics like
energy, water, waste, wellness, community development, climate resilience, open
spaces, among others, in all stages of construction. With this partnership, we
are ensuring that we offer sustainable district cooling services to the
residents of Sobha Hartland,” he added.