Gulf Construction Online - Wetex paves the way for sustainable growth

Events

HH Sheikh Mohammed, examines a model of Empower’s new plant at the event.

Wetex paves the way for sustainable growth

01 May 2013

WETEX 2013, the water, energy, technology and environment exhibition, successfully concluded with as many as 1,300 local and international exhibitors attending the 15th edition held in Dubai, UAE.

The three-day show, held last month (April 15 to 17) at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), showcased ground-breaking technologies in water, energy, environment, oil and gas and sustainability and included more than 34 workshops and seminars.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), which organised the event under the umbrella of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) with Unilever, LG Electronics and the Dubai Land Department at the event.

The MoU with Unilever seeks to accelerate the pace towards a sustainable environment and includes a commitment from Unilever to activate water conservation and energy-saving devices and encourage campaigns directed at schools and household sectors.

The MoU with LG Electronics sets out the general framework for promoting the concept of sustainability through environment-friendly electronic products and raising awareness of issues of sustainability while the agreement with the Dubai Land Department establishes a mutual commitment to raise the level of services by sharing information systems and exchanging expertise in the field of information technology.

A highlight at the event was district cooling company Empower’s new project planned in Business Bay, Dubai. As the first district cooling plant to conform to Dubai’s new environmental sustainability guidelines, the project promises to utilise the most environment-friendly technologies available.

The plant, which will utilise treated waste water sourced from Dubai Municipality, will only require 0.9 kW to produce one ton of refrigeration (TR) of cooling. Traditional non-district cooling systems consume up to double that amount – 1.8 kW of energy every hour – to produce one TR of cooling.