The new plant will cost $42 million.
Empower, the largest district cooling provider in the Middle East, has awarded an $42 million contract to the UAE’s TransGulf for the construction of the first district cooling plant in the region built in line with Green Building principles.
The contract covers the construction of one building which will comprise district cooling infrastructure such as pumps, chillers, water tanks, cooling towers and office space. The plant will be built in two phases based on capacity distribution, with the majority of cooling load being available in phase one.
The district cooling plant, which is Empower’s second in Business Bay is expected to be complete by mid-2014 and will have a full capacity of 45,000 Refrigeration Tonnes (RT).
The plant has been designed to meet the additional cooling requirements of the buildings in Business Bay. It will also be the first district cooling plant in the region to be built in line with Green Building principles, and to follow the guidelines of Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) and Thermal Energy Storage(TES).
Green Buildings adopt measures which ensure the building is sustainable and energy efficient. These measures include reducing fresh water usage and carbon dioxide emissions, using more environmentally-friendly construction materials and integrating energy-efficient lighting
“The new Business Bay district cooling plant is an important milestone for Empower and a new addition to the plants we operate in one of the most prestigious areas of Dubai. We are delighted to have TransGulf as a strategic partner in this deal which saw a high level of interest and which reflects Empower’s strategy to offer the best district cooling services in the UAE,” said Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO, Empower.
Shoring and enabling works were completed by HSSG in May and the recommended excavation level of 12 metres has now been reached. Consultants, Allied, worked on the architectural design of the plant.