The second phase, which will double production to 60,000 tonnes, will start operating by the end of 2008. The entire project will be completed in the first quarter of 2009 and will produce a total of 130,000 tonnes of cooling, according to Qatar Cool’s general manager Fayad al-Khatib, speaking at MEED’s District Cooling conference in Dubai on 26 May.

“This will be the largest district cooling plant in the world when it is completed,” said Al-Khatib. A 7.7 million-gallon-a-day reverse osmosis plant and a 170-MW substation to feed the district cooling plant will also be built on Pearl Island.

Qatar Cool is 51 per cent owned by United Development Company of Qatar and 44 per cent owned by the National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed). The remaining 5 per cent is owned by private Qatari investors.