District cooling firm Empower awards Dh190m worth of contracts for new Dubai plant

The plant will have a total cooling capacity of 50,000 refrigeration tonnes

Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai is one of the neighbourhoods serviced by Dubai district cooling firm Empower.. Satish Kumar / The National

Dubai-based district cooling provider Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) awarded contracts worth Dh190 million to construct a new district cooling plant in the Business Bay area of Dubai.

The new plant, which will have a total cooling capacity of 50,000 refrigeration tonnes and chilled water production, will begin by the third-quarter of 2021, according to a statement from the company on Monday.

“Empower is currently providing district cooling services from its three permanent plants in Business Bay with a total cooling capacity of 135,000 refrigeration tonnes, serving more than 62 per cent of the total number of buildings in the area,” Ahmad bin Shafar, chief executive of Empower, said. “The expansion works that Empower is carrying out in Business Bay reflect the increased demand for district cooling systems, not only in this district, but all over Dubai as well.”

Set up in 2003, Empower is a joint venture between Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and Tecom Investments.

The company provides district cooling services to over 1,180 buildings in Dubai including Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai International Financial Centre and Dubai Healthcare City with a total cooling capacity of 1,530,000 refrigeration tonnes.

“Dubai’s economic developments have no stoppage and always regain momentum amidst ... any challenges. Empower’s district cooling infrastructural development plans are implemented in a way that contributes to the economy as well as protecting the environment,” he added.

Empower reported a net profit of Dh871m in 2019, up 8.3 per cent compared to the previous year. Revenue grew by 7.9 per cent to Dh2.19 billion, according to a statement by the company in March.

Last year, the company awarded contracts totalling more than Dh1.1bn for the construction and operation of new district plants in Dubai.