Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) has commissioned a world-class 45,000-refrigeration-tonne (rt) district cooling plant for Business Bay Executive Towers (BBET), a mixed-use community development within Business Bay. The plant started supplying chilled water to the area since early June.

Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, said BBET was expected to be one of the busiest and dynamic business spots of Dubai. "International quality standards were adopted in commissioning this significant plant which will supply not only the 11 towers of this development, but also other developments at Business Bay in Phases One and Two serving through a 6 - 7-km-long network," he added.

"As district cooling is beginning to gain wider recognition in the region, we are optimistic about our growth prospects. The Business Bay project further consolidates our position as one of the largest district cooling companies in the region."
Empower, a joint venture between Tecom Investments and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), provides energy-efficient district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments.   It currently, provides 250,000 rt to a wide array of projects in Dubai, including Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Healthcare City, Jumeirah Beach Residence and City Of Arabia, in addition to Business Bay.

Bin Shafar highlighted the benefits of district cooling systems in reducing air-conditioning set-up and energy costs per building.

Comprising 11 towers including 9 residential towers, a commercial development, and the Business Bay Hotel, The Executive Towers is the first phase that has been launched in the multi-billion-dollar Business Bay development. The cooling plant will save up to 35 per cent energy consumption, Empower claims.