Empower Participates in Idea’s International Workshop on ‘District Energy for Warmer Climates’ in Vancouver, Canada

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, confirmed that district cooling systems have become an integral part of planning and designing modern buildings in new-age smart cities, especially in cities with warm climates. This took place at an international workshop held on the first day of the International District Energy Association (IDEA) Annual Conference & Tradeshow 2018, being held in Vancouver, Canada, from 11 to 14 June.

The workshop was specially organised on District Energy for Warmer Climates citing cases from cities and developing districts in the Asia Pacific region – Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, India, and China. The workshop was jointly organised by global agencies such as International District Energy Association (IDEA), Asia Pacific Urban Energy Association (APUEA), and UNEP ‘District Energy in Cities’ initiative.

During a panel discussion entitled ‘Perspectives from Expanding Markets’, Bin Shafar highlighted that the future of smart cities lies in the adoption of district cooling systems, which are characterised by great environmental and economic benefits and are the ideal solution for new real estate projects. District cooling systems have become very popular with real estate developers who have realised the importance of adopting district cooling services as it represents a huge and environmentally friendly technological advancement that contributes to reducing water and energy consumption in a more efficient and reliable way. Bin Shafar also cited examples from developing cities, which are adopting district cooling as part of UNEP global District Energy in Cities initiative, to which Empower is a partner.

Empower participated in another session, held on ‘Financing, Governance and Operations’. The session discussed funding enterprises, competing for and managing public / private capital, risk mitigation, optimizing rates of return, privatization strategies and monetizing assets, concession agreements and re-financing or re-capitalizing assets.

“Empower is an active partner of United Nations Environment Global ‘District Energy in Cities’ initiative, which was launched to promote district cooling solutions in developing cities around the world. Empower has taken steps on-ground, by transferring district cooling technologies and deploying sustainable solutions and energy management systems to several countries. We are committed to a strategy to reduce carbon emissions to contribute to the implementation of the Dubai Carbon Abatement Strategy and the Dubai Plan 2021. Reducing carbon emissions enhances the position of the UAE in green development and reduces costs, which in turn contributes to increasing profits,” said Bin Shafar.

This workshop featured global industry experts sharing experience from real-world cases, enabling deeper discussion on complex issues, with special emphasis on business models and strategies for successful development and financing of district energy systems and microgrids. The workshop included world-class representatives, global speakers, and experienced researchers in the areas of district cooling, energy, water, finance and investment and climate change specialists.

Empower currently operates over 1.34 Million RT, providing environmentally responsible district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments, such as Jumeirah Group, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai International Financial Centre, Business Bay, Dubai Healthcare City, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Palm Jumeirah, Discovery Gardens, Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai Design District and International Media Production Zone, among others.