District cooling power problem

The biggest obstacle affecting the district cooling industry in the Middle East is a lack of power, according to Fouad Younan, CEO of district cooling utility provider City Cool.

The availability of power varies throughout the UAE reports Younan, with the biggest shortages in the northern Emirates. Younan said: "In Abu Dhabi they don't really have this problem because power is available; in Dubai it is a problem [due to the fast expansion rate of the city]; and in the northern Emirates it's a big problem.

If that is a problem for us, then it's definitely a problem for the developer because we go side by side." The issue of power shortages is the "biggest hurdle" the industry is facing stated Younan.

The situation may continue for some time before a solution is found Younan predicted. "It's a long-term process," he stressed. "So far I haven't seen anybody announce a permanent solution to the problem that we are facing."

Once a solution is found, it will take time to implement this he added. "By the time [anyone] comes up with something you can look for another three years at least [to pass] for that solution to be practical and implemented," predicted Younan.

"So there are going to be delays on some of the [future] projects because of this problem," he added.

Speaking to MEP Middle East at Cityscape Abu Dhabi, Younan explained that using district cooling can save as much as 50% on power needs compared to traditional air conditioning systems.

But he stressed that despite this reduced need the problem exists. "Even when we are saving half of the power needs still there is not enough power to provide [certain] projects," he stated.

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