UAE-based Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) said it plans to complete the district cooling infrastructure network at Bluewaters Island, a Dh6-billion ($1.63 billion) mixed-use project being developed by Meraas Holding in Dubai, within record time.

Bluewaters Island is a man-made mixed use island located off the coast of Jumeirah Beach Residence. Ain Dubai, the world’s largest observation wheel, forms the unique centrepiece of this development.

Besides Ain Dubai, the island will also feature a five-star hotel and distinctive retail, residential, hospitality and entertainment zones.

One of the world’s largest district cooling services provider, Empower said it had signed, in last October, a contract to provide district cooling services for Bluewaters Island.

Under the agreement, Empower will provide Bluewaters Island with 25,000 RT of district cooling services to chill its residential units, retail stores, commercial buildings and hotels

"The contracted company carrying out the construction of the district cooling network of Bluewaters Island is deploying advanced technologies to build an underground piping network with 3-km-long trenches, which includes micro tunneling under the seabed," remarked Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower.

"The total length of the carbon steel pipes will be six kilometers. Empower is keen on completing the project in record time, where the first phase of that massive construction is expected to be completed by February 2017 while the second, that covers the area  outside the island, will be finished by June 2017," he stated.

According to him, the physical activities within Bluewaters Island began in August while deep excavations and pipe laying began early this month.

Approximately a kilometre-long trenche out of 3km within the Bluewaters Island has been excavated, he added.-TradeArabia News Service