Gulf Construction Online - Tabreed to cool UAE's armed forces

UAE Focus

Tabreed to cool UAE's armed forces

01 October 2004

Tabreed, the National Central Cooling Company (PJSC), has signed a Dh 240 million ($65.34 million) agreement with the UAE Armed Forces to equip their developments at some military camps and other armed forces facilities to enable them to receive district cooling services.

Commenting on the contract signing, Mohamed Saif Al Mazrouei, chairman, Tabreed, said: “We are proud to have been chosen once again by the UAE Armed Forces to extend our cooling services provided to their facilities. Tabreed will equip, operate and maintain the cooling equipment to ensure reliable and uninterrupted delivery of cooling services to the entire developments. The Armed Forces’ recognition and understanding of the energy-saving and environmental benefits of district cooling technology highlights their foresight and long-term commitment to continued development.”
“Adapting district cooling to the military facilities will not only increase efficiency of cooling but also bring out a reduction of 70 per cent of power generated in the grid. District cooling also maximises cost efficiency in maintenance and service as well as much improved security. The use of natural gas in powering the plants means a reduction of 80 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions,” added Al Mazrouei.
In another development, Tabreed has also announced the opening of a new micro tunnel connecting both sides of Sheikh Zayed Road. The tunnel will enable the company to augment its service capacity, and provide cooling services to buildings on the other side of the road.
Announcing the opening of the tunnel, Mohamed Al Qamzi, COO (chief operating officer), Tabreed said: “We already has an impressive clientele base on one side of Sheikh Zayed Road, including the Shangri-La Hotel, Towers Rotana, Tower Number One Suites, Noor Al Maarif School, Kharbash Tower and Park Place. The tunnel will help us mirror the success on the other side of the road and by the level of interest expressed in our services, success will be a reality.”
The tunnel is one of the longest in the region and is the second to be built by Tabreed, the first being in Abu Dhabi.
Al Qamzi adds: “The distinguishing feature of this tunnel is that it was constructed without disrupting the road or surrounding areas, unlike others in the region. Tunnel space and facilities can also be availed of by companies that wish to run power lines and fibre optic cables through it.”
The system consists of two tunnels, one supplying the chilled water and the other returning it to the district cooling station. The tunnel has been placed at a depth of six metres underground, with concrete sleeves of 1,200 mm inner and 1,490 mm outer diameter.
District cooling is widely used throughout the UAE and around the world, piping chilled water from a centralised plant to a range of residential, commercial and government buildings. Landlords are attracted to the maintenance-free, economic and environmentally-friendly cooling benefits of the technology, while tenants enjoy reduced ambient noise and better temperature control in their homes, making it the perfect solution to all cooling requirements, says a spokesman for Tabreed.
Tabreed has offered district-cooling services as a utility in the UAE for over five years, pioneering energy efficient gas-fired and electric-powered district cooling solutions in the UAE and across the region. Considered to be the largest district cooling service provider in the world, Tabreed offers customers quality service through an integrated energy system devised to help them optimise their energy usage and reduce power and maintenance costs.
Tabreed is a member of the International District Energy Association (IDEA), Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE), International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR), American Gas Cooling Centre, Inc. (AGCC) and the Dubai Quality Group.