Empower awards AED 120 million contract to Overseas AST Company

Overseas AST Company LLC has already completed the piling works and construction commenced in the last week of April.

Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, said: "This marks the beginning of our major venture at City of Arabia; Overseas AST was selected to execute the project because of their track record in commissioning large projects without time slippage. The company's services also conform to the highest international quality standards.

Energy-efficient district cooling at major real estate developments assumes special significance as it is more environment-friendly. The plan also mirrors Dubai Government's sustainable development policies."

District cooling systems have a power consumption of about 0.9 to 1.0 KW/ton up against 1.5 to 1.7 KW/ton for traditional air cooled chillers and split/packaged units. The system also results in substantial reduction of capital cost for individual buildings, leading to a centrally managed and cost-effective maintenance procedure.

Empower recently connected up to 60,000 refrigeration tons (RT) of district cooling to the Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) - one of the single-largest district cooling plant in the region catering to a massive development of 36 high-rise residential towers, servicing a community of up to 25,000 people.

Cost benefits for the tenants at JBR include substantially lower charges on electricity usage and reduced maintenance. Empower plans to expand its coverage in Dubai, offering these advantages to tenants in more buildings.