Empower to help peers in the region to boost district cooling industry that is growing between 15 and 20% annually

Empower to help peers in the region to boost district cooling industry that is growing between 15 and 20% annually

Bin Shafar: Absence of long term planning is biggest obstacle facing District Cooling companies


Dubai, UAE, 16th January, 2011: Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower), the largest district cooling service provider in the region, has invited District cooling companies in the Middle East to benefit from EMPOWER’s experience and boost the growth of the industry that is growing between 15 and 20 per cent annually.

Shafar said district cooling industry is faced with obstacles like absence of long term planning. He said though the Middle East is still in its fancy in the field district cooling, the potential is great as government support is huge and new real estate projects launched over the past five years demand this technology. Further, this technology is environment friendly and is in line with government approach to energy conservation.

Bin Shafar pointed out that other challenges include lack of high caliber technical and marketing personnel which has led to financial issues. In contrast, Empower achieved a revenue growth of 27 percent in 2010, driven by a prudent policy.

Bin Shafar added: “We are ready to support our peers in the industry so that we can enhance the global competiveness of the Gulf district cooling industry. We have developed expertise that has been acquired through seven years of hand work and international collaboration.”

Bin Shafar said that the Gulf has a competitive edge compared to many other countries in the world because of its recent adoption of district cooling and this technology is seamlessly integrated into the real estate projects, unlike places in Northern America and Europe where the technology has to be added to existing projects.

Bin Shafar added that the UAE was the first in the Middle East to realize the importance of district cooling as an alternative to conventional cooling, compared to very modest usage in other parts of the Middle East.

Empower succeeded in adopting world class district cooling infrastructure to implement this system that is considered an ideal economic and environmental solution for residential and commercial units, offices and hotels. The operational savings in a residential unit compared to conventional AC technologies is remarkable.

Empower tops the list of companies providing district cooling service in the region. The company, owned by DEWA and TECOM, had adopted a clear strategy to preserve environment through aggressively disseminating this technology and conducting campaigns to highlight its strategic value in the short and long run to the people and the society in general.

About Empower:
Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) is a joint venture between Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone (TECOM) Investments and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), created to provide energy-efficient district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments. Empower plans to diversify into other energy efficiency and conservation services. Empower's district cooling systems (DCS) provide effective and efficient means of air conditioning. Water is cooled in central plants and distributed through a network of piping systems to individual customer buildings. DCS achieves economies of scale by using centralised plants instead of individual cooling units in each building. The centralised system results in reduced capital and operating costs, thus reducing air-conditioning set-up and energy costs per building. Empower is set to become one of the largest district cooling companies in the region.

Empower to adopt a conservative demand-based strategy in investing in new plants

Empower to adopt a conservative demand-based strategy in investing in new plants

Bin Shafar: This has been the company’s strategy since inception to ensure high return on investment

Dubai, UAE, 20th December, 2010: Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, the largest district cooling service provider in the region, revealed that the company has adopted a conservative strategy in investing in building plants based on actual rather than projected demand.

He said the company has adopted this strategy since inception so that the investments are done prudently, thus enhancing the financial status of the company and putting it on par with international companies in the domain of district cooling.
Bin Shafar added: “The decision of increasing the number of plants is based on the actual demand from customers for district cooling, driven by the actual consumption instead of anticipated consumption.”

He added: “Inspite of the 60 percent increase in the number of customers (16,000 by the end of this year), we plan to take a cautious approach. Our strategy is simple, we build permanent, semi permanent and temporary plants to ensure that our supplies meet the demand in the most feasible way possible in the short and long run.”
Empower increases its plants to meet the increased demand for district cooling systems as the main alternative to the traditional air conditioning systems in Dubai. This technology leads to energy saving and environment conservation, as well as lowering operations and maintenance costs.

The increase in the consumption of district cooling provided by EMPOWER has reached 45 percent, while the number of plants belonging to the company increased by 37 percent in 2010. The actual consumption for district cooling has increased remarkably due to the growth in the number of residential units that has entered into this service in projects served by the company like in Business Bay and the entire residential units of Mirdif.

Empower's cooling plants has increased to 29, including news ones in places like DIFC, Dubai healthcare City, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Business Bay.
Empower's district cooling systems provide effective and efficient means of air conditioning. Water is cooled in central plants and distributed through a network of piping systems to individual customer buildings. District cooling achieves economies of scale by using centralised plants instead of individual cooling units in each building.

Empower records 37 percent increase in district cooling plants in 2010

Empower records 37 percent increase in district cooling plants in 2010

Bin Shafar stresses the importance of investing in district cooling sector to reduce energy consumption in the UAE

Dubai, UAE, 7th November 2010: Empower has revealed that the number of its cooling plants has risen to 37, compared to 27 in 2009, an increase of 37 per cent.
Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, said: "The increase in number of plants was a response to the expanding operation plans of Empower and to cope up with the huge demand on the use of district cooling as an alternative solution to the conventional air conditioning systems.”

"The increase in the consumption of district cooling shows that Dubai is becoming more aware of the importance of using district cooling system and its instrumental role in saving energy and conserving the environment, as well as lowering operations and maintenance costs," he added.

Empower increased the number of its work stations to boost the use of district cooling systems which is ideal in reducing carbon footprint.
Bin Shafar added: “District cooling systems are better than conventional ones as they make use of the surplus heat in low-cost and effective cooling systems. Also, district cooling systems are environment friendly which save the natural resources.”
Empower's district cooling systems provide effective and efficient means of air conditioning. Water is cooled in central plants and distributed through a network of piping systems to individual customer buildings. District cooling achieves economies of scale by using centralised plants instead of individual cooling units in each building.

About Empower:
Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) is a joint venture between Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone (TECOM) Investments and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), created to provide energy-efficient district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments. Empower plans to diversify into other energy efficiency and conservation services. The centralised system results in reduced capital and operating costs, thus reducing air-conditioning set-up and energy costs per building. Empower is set to become one of the largest district cooling companies in the region.

Empower provides district cooling to Mirdif Gate Buildings

Empower provides district cooling to Mirdif Gate Buildings

Bin Shafar: “Our ROI is high because we study demand factors before venturing into new projects”

Dubai, UAE, 12 July, 2010: Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower), the largest district cooling service provider in the MENA region, has added Mirdif Gate Buildings project to its portfolio of district cooling services.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, a joint venture between Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and TECOM Investments, said the project was preceded by extensive studies before investing into central stations and networks to enhance ROI in the long and short run.

Bin Shafar said that Dubai was moving rapidly towards increased use of district cooling as an alternative to conventional district cooling because of its efficiency in rationalizing electricity consumption and conserving natural resources and reducing operating and maintenance costs.

With this project, Empower will provide district cooling services to Mirdif area along other areas in Dubai most notably Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai Healthcare City, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Business Bay and City Of Arabia.

Empower's district cooling systems (DCS) provide effective and efficient means of air conditioning. Water is cooled in central plants and distributed through a network of piping systems to individual customer buildings.

Bin Shafar added: “Empower’s world class plant in Mirdif will provide services to 59 buildings with a capacity of 320 refrigeration tonnes (RT). Mirdif station adopts world class techniques and provides customers with high quality services round the clock through hi-tech solutions and electronic systems.”

He added: “We are happy to complete this project in Mirdif. We conducted extensive research on the demand factor. Mirdif is one of the dynamic destinations of Dubai and it is becoming a very busy area. This area has developed remarkably and it offers customers a wide array of options. We have managed to create a large demand on our services from landlords and tenants at the same time”.

Empower’s network is scalable to cope with any demand that might occur at any time in any of its projects in Dubai.

Empower is very clear in identifying priorities and responsibilities and it focuses on enhancing performance through a group of management and operational teams.

Empower customer base to grow 60% by end of 2010

Empower customer base to grow 60% by end of 2010

Company has boosted demand for district cooling services through community outreach programmes

Dubai, UAE, 8 June, 2010: Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower) has projected that its customer base will reach 16,000 by the end of 2010, compared to 10,000 customers in 2009, an increase of 60 %.
With this, Empower will become the largest district cooling service provider in the region with regards to the number of customers. The company provides district cooling service to a wide array of projects in Dubai, including Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai Healthcare City, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Business Bay and City Of Arabia.
Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, said: “Empower has succeeded in boosting the demand for district cooling services through a well-rounded community outreach strategy. We have spread the message that this new technology delivers optimal results not only to customers but also to the society at a socio-economic level by reducing electricity and water consumption and conserving the environment.”
Bin Shafar added: “A clear evidence on the success of our strategy is the growth we have achieved in the numbers of customers whom we consider our partners regardless of the size of their adoption of our services.”
Empower's district cooling systems (DCS) provide effective and efficient means of air conditioning. Water is cooled in central plants and distributed through a network of piping systems to individual customer buildings. Empower which is a joint venture between Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and TECOM Investments has world class work stations being built on various locations in the Emirate of Dubai.

After 12 years of being adopted commercially, district cooling services providers in the UAE with Empower topping the list have developed a world class district cooling infrastructure and network. Against the latest equipments and solutions, the company has worked on enhancing the awareness of society to the importance of this technology in saving the operating and maintenance costs and its user friendliness and high level of conserving the environment.

The operational savings percentage in a residential unit compared with conventional AC technologies ranges between 40 and 45 per cent. The technology is considered an ideal economic and environmental solution for residential and commercial units, offices and hotels in the Gulf area.

District Cooling Service results in less capital and operating costs, thus reducing air-conditioning set-up and energy costs per building. This is encouraging more customers to demand the service.

Empower has achieved this big number of customers base at a time the company plans to diversify its services and provide more energy saving efficient solutions.

Empower has advanced centralized plants providing round the clock world class services based on fully automated electronic system.


About Empower:
Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) is a joint venture between Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone (TECOM) Investments and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), created to provide energy-efficient district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments. Empower plans to diversify into other energy efficiency and conservation services. Empower's district cooling systems (DCS) provide effective and efficient means of air conditioning. Water is cooled in central plants and distributed through a network of piping systems to individual customer buildings. DCS achieves economies of scale by using centralised plants instead of individual cooling units in each building. The centralised system results in reduced capital and operating costs, thus reducing air-conditioning set-up and energy costs per building. Empower is set to become one of the largest district cooling companies in the region.