The UAE ranks high in global district cooling infrastructure, thanks to its valuable best practice insights aimed at helping accelerate the pace of industry growth, said global experts ahead of a major industry event.

International District Energy Association’s (Idea), the global district cooling conference, will be held in Dubai, UAE, from December 14 to 16. It will also include an exhibition featuring equipment suppliers, systems integrators and consultants from the district cooling industry.

The event will see experts share industry best practices and updates on technological innovations. It will also feature case studies related to utility-scale energy efficiency and water conservation techniques.

A key focus of the conference sessions will be on how to best incorporate global benchmarks in district cooling for the climate of the Middle East and North Africa.

The Idea president and CEO Rob Thornton said UAE was home to world-class district cooling facilities, thanks to the energy efficient and environmentally sound infrastructure of Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower).

Recognising Empower’s expertise in promoting the conservation of water resources in the delivery of district cooling services, Thornton said the emirates was an ideal location to host the industry and to bring people together, especially from the growing cities across Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region seeking urban scale solutions for water conservation and energy efficiency.

"Specifically, the scale of district cooling in Dubai provides valuable best practice insights to help accelerate the pace of industry growth, informing new benchmarks and developing more advanced techniques," he noted.

Thornton lauded Empower’s offer to “open their doors to the world” by including technical tours of the Business Bay and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) plants.

“By sharing their experience and know-how, Empower embodies the collegial and collaborative culture of IDEA and will help others learn highly valuable and practical information to apply in their cities and communities,” said the official.

“It is obvious that Empower, true to Dubai culture, is proud to share its success with the world. This is an approach we commend and urge other district cooling companies in the world to emulate,” he added.

To be held under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the chairman of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, Idea has acknowledged that Empower is playing a key role globally in the promotion of DC technology.

"Themed on 'Cleaner Energy, Greener Cities', the Idea global conference will shed light on latest trends in district cooling as well as share success stories of this rapidly growing industry," stated Thornton.

“Global benchmarks in district cooling, including those set by Empower, will also come up for discussion, as part of efforts to widen the footprint of this technology on the global and regional map,” he added.

Empower CEO Ahmad Bin Shafar said a global conference on this scale definitely offers a major platform for raising critical issues facing the world, including energy conservation, protection of water and natural resources, sustainable development and other topics.

"By hosting this major conference, Empower focuses on technology transfer and exchange of best practices. One way of doing this is by inviting peers to our two plants in Business Bay II and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC)," he added.-TradeArabia News Service