The 64-storey Al Wasl Tower, announced just before the UAE hosted COP 28 as the world’s tallest building to use ceramic fins as a renewable means to achieve energy efficiency, will become a part of Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) network.
The world’s largest district cooling services provider announced the commencement of connecting Al Wasl skyscraper to its district cooling network. The tower will be connected in two phases. The first phase has already started, and the other phase will commence by the beginning of the second half of 2024 to supply a total of 3,900 RT of environment-friendly district cooling energy.
Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, commented: “We are committed to serving Dubai’s premier real estate projects, providing world-class sustainable district cooling services for the residential, commercial, hospitality, healthcare and entertainment sectors in Dubai, to support the city’s pioneering role in reducing carbon emissions.”
Adding Wasl Tower to Empower’s portfolio
Bin Shafar said adding the Al Wasl skyscraper to Empower’s portfolio reflects the confidence of the major real estate developers and customers in the company’s reliable services and consolidates its role in providing higher-quality district cooling services capable of reducing energy consumption by up to 50 per cent compared to the traditional air conditioning systems.
Al Wasl Tower will have a unique structural system, consisting of centralised concrete walls with a distinctive ceramic facade in compliance with security and safety standards and environmental and economic requirements. The innovative structural system ensures better distribution of building loads to optimise its efficiency.
Solar thermal panels facilitate hot water access, while bronze-coated reflective glazing offers good thermal performance, which together with the ceramic fins lowers cooling loads, significantly reducing overall energy consumption. Passive facade design and lighting control combine to reduce perimeter zone lighting energy by 40 per cent.
When complete in the third quarter of 2024, Al Wasl Tower will have 229 luxury residential units, 258 hotel rooms operated by Mandarin Oriental Hotels, 185,345 square feet of office space, 11 levels of parking, and a helipad.
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