Ahmad Bin Shafar, the CEO of Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the largest provider of district cooling services globally, welcomed a distinguished delegation from Yokogawa Electric Corporation at the company’s headquarters in Dubai. The discussions focused on enhancing collaboration and exploring future partnership opportunities in advanced district cooling solutions and technologies.
During the meeting, Bin Shafar highlighted Empower’s significant achievements and its leading role in advancing the district cooling sector both locally and internationally. In the first half of the year, Empower secured 86 new contracts to supply over 99,000 refrigeration tons to various projects and buildings in Dubai, increasing its contracted capacity to 1.86 million tons of cooling and raising the delivered capacity to over 1.6 million tons. Empower now serves a total of 1,684 buildings.
This visit marks a new step in the cooperation between Empower and Yokogawa, which has already led to several quality achievements within a short period. Notably, a new contract was awarded to Yokogawa for the replacement of Building Management Systems (BMS) with advanced systems in Empower’s stations. Additionally, a joint pilot study at one of Empower’s facilities demonstrated that implementing Yokogawa’s system contributes to energy savings and includes innovative monitoring systems for asset health at the Palm Jumeirah stations, aimed at improving reliability and performance.
Bin Shafar stated, “This visit reflects the depth of the partnership between Empower and Yokogawa, as well as our mutual commitment to utilizing the latest automation and digital transformation solutions to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of the district cooling sector. At Empower, we operate under an ambitious vision aligned with the UAE’s 2050 Climate Neutral Strategy by continuously investing in smart technologies and advanced infrastructure, aiming to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions while improving operational efficiency. Our partnership with Yokogawa is part of our efforts to broaden the application of innovative systems in our plants, achieving tangible results in energy efficiency and asset reliability. We look forward to continuing this fruitful collaboration to explore new solutions that support Dubai’s transition toward a sustainable low-carbon economy, solidifying Empower’s position as the largest provider of district cooling services in the world and a global reference for innovation and sustainability.”
It is noteworthy that Yokogawa, headquartered in Japan, is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, boasting over 110 years of experience in sectors such as energy, water, oil and gas, and smart cities. Yokogawa has maintained a strong presence in the Middle East and Africa for over 35 years and operates in 61 countries worldwide. The company has formed multiple partnerships in the UAE with leading district cooling companies, including Empower, to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability in the sector.