Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) and Japan’s Yokogawa Electric Corporation have discussed enhanced cooperation and explored future partnerships in advanced district cooling solutions and technologies.
A high-level delegation from Yokogawa visited Empower’s headquarters recently and met Ahmad Bin Shafar, the CEO, and other officials.
Yokogawa is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, with more than 110 years of expertise across the power, water, oil and gas, and smart cities sectors. The company operates in 61 countries globally and has a strong presence in the Middle East and Africa for over 35 years.
In the UAE, it has partnered with leading district cooling providers to advance operational efficiency and promote sustainability within the sector.
Collaborations between Empower and Yokogawa has resulted in impressive results. The company was recently awarded a new contract to upgrade the legacy Building Management Systems (BMS) at Empower’s plants with advanced technologies.
A joint optimisation pilot study at one of Empower’s plants demonstrated substantial energy savings through Yokogawa’s system implementation. They also completed a pilot project for testing wireless vibration monitoring systems in the Palm Jumeirah plants, enhancing asset reliability for rotating equipment.
Bin Shafar commented: “This visit underscores the strong partnership between Empower and Yokogawa and reflects our shared commitment to leveraging cutting-edge automation and digital transformation solutions to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of the district cooling sector.
“At Empower, we operate with an ambitious vision aligned with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy, continuously investing in smart technologies and advanced infrastructure that help optimise energy use, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance operational performance.
“Our collaboration with Yokogawa is a key part of our ongoing efforts to expand the adoption of innovative systems across our plants and deliver measurable results in energy efficiency and asset reliability. We look forward to build on this successful partnership to explore new solutions that support Dubai’s transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy and strengthen Empower’s position as the world’s largest district cooling services provider and a global leader in innovation and sustainability.”
In the first half of the year, Empower signed 86 new contracts to supply more than 99,000 refrigeration tons (RT) to various projects and buildings across Dubai, raising its total contracted capacity to 1.86 million RT. Empower’s connected capacity also grew to over 1.6 million RT, while the number of buildings served reached 1,684.
