District cooling services provider, Empower signed an agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd. this week to supply energy-efficient water-cooled centrifugal chillers.
Under the agreement, the second between the two, MHI Thermal Systems will supply 18 chillers with a total capacity of 56,250 RT starting from 2025 for Empower’s various district cooling projects in Dubai, including the Deira Waterfront Development (DWD), Jumeirah Village and Al Sufouh.
The agreement also includes a provision allowing Empower to increase the order up to 31 December 2024, which it said would potentially increase the total capacity to 100,000 RT.
According to Ahmad Bin Shafar, Empower’s CEO, the deal offers both parties an opportunity to advance the district cooling sector and accelerate efforts toward a carbon-free future through energy-efficient solutions.
Bin Shafar noted that the agreement supports Empower’s goal of upgrading its plants with “innovative technologies” that promote efficient, energy-saving production processes.
Yoshihiro Ito, President of MHI Thermal Systems, noted that Empower’s implementation of its solutions aligns with the Dubai government’s long-term strategies, aiming to reduce energy and water consumption by 30 per cent by 2030 and the UAE’s broader carbon emissions reduction strategy.
Global energy demand for cooling is expected to triple by 2050, while emissions from cooling are set to roughly double.
To target this rise, at COP28, the Global Cooling Pledge was adopted. This pledge committed participants to reducing cooling-related emissions by 68 per cent globally, relative to 2022 levels, by 2050, significantly expanding access to sustainable cooling by 2030, and increasing the global average efficiency of new air conditioners by 50 per cent, among other commitments.