Tabreed lines up new central cooling plants

26 May 2000
Power And Water

UAE

The local energy venture National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed) is to set up three new district cooling plants in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al- Ain. The new plants, estimated to cost a total of more thanAED 255 million ($70 million), will supply about 56,000 tonnes of chilled water for airconditioning to residential buildings in Dubai, a new shopping mall in Al-Ain and the new industrial city in the Mussafah industrial area in Abu Dhabi (MEED 18:6:99).

In Dubai, Tabreed has recently acquired a 40,000-square-foot plot of land on Sheikh Zayed road to build a 40,000-tonne capacity district cooling plant, which will cost more than AED 150 million ($41 million). The plant will cater to several new and existing residential and office towers in the area. The project, for which the US's Kattner is the consultant, will be built within 18 months in two-three phases.

In Abu Dhabi, two plants with initial capacity of 8,000 tonnes and 3,000 tonnes will be built to meet the requirements of the local centres at the new industrial city in Mussafah, being built by Abu Dhabi's General Industry Corporation (GIC). Tabreed is currently prequalifying consultants from the US and will select one to work as the project manager over the next two or three months. The two plants will cost about AED 70 million ($19 million) and will be expanded as and when additional capacity is required (MEED 14:4:00, 24:3:00).

The plant in Al-Ain, estimated to cost AED 35 million ($9.5 million), will have capacity to produce 5,000 tonnes of chilled water. It will cater to the Al-Jimi Shopping Centre. The Al-Ain Municipality has recently awarded a AED 42 million ($11 million) contract to the local Pivot Engineering & General Contracting Company to complete the refurbishment work on the Al-Jimi Shopping Centre by January (MEED 5:5:00).

Sources say that Tabreed is also in talks with Abu Dhabi Trade Centre, under construction next to the Beach Rotana Hotel, to set up a similar district cooling plant (see Construction, Banking & Finance). The joint stock company is also understood to be one of the frontrunners to meet the airconditioning requirements of the planned extension to the Corniche hospital in Abu Dhabi. Tabreed's other potential customers include the developments planned by the Sharjah government in the new lagoon area and the new and existing industries and warehouses at Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone.

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