January 22, 2018 - Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, has stressed on supporting UAE’s efforts to become one of the leading smart cities in the world.

In line with this, Ahmad Bin Shafar, Empower CEO, recently welcomed Honeywell President George Koutsaftes, to explore opportunities to improve energy efficiency in the region , as the UAE cities gear up to become the leading smart cities in the world. The meeting between the two companies focused on the latest environment-friendly refrigerant solutions in cooling buildings that could help Empower further conserve energy in its operations.

The two leaders exchanged knowledge and shared latest innovations, like the low-global-warming-potential (LGWP) refrigerants focused on energy efficiency. Energy efficient refrigerants not only help us improve energy efficiency, but also meet environmental targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Empower expressed interest to visit the Honeywell Geismar, Louisiana production facility in the U.S. as part of its plans to further explore opportunities in sustainable refrigeration.

The GCC countries are the key signatories of the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which is focused on phasing down the use of high-global-warming hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

Earlier this year, Empower announced the purchase of 60 advanced, eco-friendly EcoWise™ chillers, one of the largest trade deals in district cooling, with a total RT of 200,000 which helped the company drive toward its carbon emission reduction goals.

Bin Shafar said, “There is an increasing awareness among global businesses to address the harmful impacts of greenhouse gases (GHG) in various industries and Empower welcomes Honeywell’s efforts to explore collaboration opportunities regarding eco-friendly alternative refrigerants as well as some of the innovative concepts in managing district cooling that could further enhance UAE’s smart city initiatives. Empower supports all efforts that would push the country towards achieving its global commitment to phase out harmful gases from industries and build a sustainable city.”

Honeywell is a world leader in the development, manufacture, and supply of refrigerants that are sold worldwide under the Solstice® and Genetron® brand names for a range of applications, including refrigeration, building and automobile air conditioning. Honeywell and its suppliers have completed a $900 million investment program in technology development and new capacity based on Honeywell’s HFO technology, which helps customers lower their carbon footprint without sacrificing end-product performance.

Honeywell presented its diverse range of refrigerants aimed at reducing energy consumption and thereby cutting GHG emissions. The range of products include a smart city concept, which combines district cooling and heating applications, as well as energy efficiency solutions for supermarkets, food transport and storage for companies looking to meet their energy targets.

Speaking at the discussion Koutsaftes added, “Honeywell is committed to developing next-generation technologies that help meet the global goal of conserving energy, as well as eliminating GHG emissions that contribute to global warming. With annual, average energy usage in the UAE projected to increase to 5 percent through 2020, there is a strong demand for these types of solutions. Together, Empower and Honeywell are working to help customers to meet regional goals of sustainability and energy efficiency.”

Empower CEO commented: “We have been proactive in finding better solutions that meet global standards. It is important that we continue to engage and partner with companies that share the same agenda towards the implementation of environmentally sustainable operations and business practices and we value this meeting as another step towards meeting that goal in line with the UAE’s vision to become a global leader in building sustainable and smart cities.”

Empower provides environmentally responsible district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments such as Jumeirah Group properties, Business Bay, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai International Financial Centre, Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Ibn Battuta Mall, Discovery Gardens, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai World Trade Centre Residences, and Dubai Design District, among others.