The 7th IDEA International District Cooling Conference concludes on a high note

The International District Cooling Conference 2016 concluded yesterday (Tuesday, 15 November 2016) at Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai with the attendance of officials and key executives from the district energy industry, along with hundreds of visitors and exhibitors.

Held under the theme “A Climate Solution”, the conference was hosted by the Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (EMPOWER) and organized by the International District Energy Association (IDEA).

On the final day of the International District Cooling Conference 2016, the Danish Consulate organised a meeting between HE Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, and a delegation of Danish companies, with a focus on mutual cooperation in implementing best sustainability practices, and research and development.

 “The 7th IDEA Conference is held in Dubai that aspires to become a leading city in the field of sustainability and green economy. Energy and water consumption when rationalized help mainly in setting up eco-friendly policies and programs, this is only possible with smart solutions and high efficient systems like the ones Empower provides in district cooling,” affirmed HE Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower.

Dubai is in fact taking significant steps towards achieving low carbon goals and making the city sustainable. Launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 aims to transform the emirate into an international hub for clean energy and green economy. In support to this project, Dubai is working towards the implementation of the energy Demand Side Management strategy, which features nine programmes including district cooling that contribute to the sustainable development of Dubai.

The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and The Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence along Empower, all recognize the importance of good district cooling strategies as the region rises to the challenge of efficient use of energy and water resources to support sustainability goals.

“It is always a pleasure to come back to the UAE and see how Dubai evolves toward a participative model for the environmental and knowledge-based projects. This conference is a clear example of what is going on in the emirate. And I am happy that we could bring together all these experts under the same roof to experience peer-to-peer learning, share best practices and up to date technology innovations, and think together about how to overcome the challenges that we face in saving energy and water especially in countries with dry climate,” said Mr. Rob Thornton, President & CEO of IDEA.

 The closing sessions of the conference included panel of discussions focusing on the thermal energy storage, the district cooling sustainable design with examples from the Middle East, water treatment approaches, technical innovations and systems’ optimization.

After a networking session, the attendees took part in two technical tours to Empower’s Business Bay 2 plant and Command Control Centre. That was the opportunity for all to discover two of the large facilities of the company and their high technology installations and equipment such as TES and TSE. The latter is pioneered by Empower and was awarded the IDEA Innovation Award in 2013.

At the Command and Control Centre (CCC), the participants experienced   Empower’s another awarded project, which won the IDEA Innovation Award in 2015. The centralized control room can connect up to 100 district cooling plants across Dubai, which allows the operators to monitor, operate, optimize and identify a full range of parameters from the plant production cycle, to the distribution network, to the customer building interface, all the way down to the performance of individual air handlers in customer buildings.