UAE’s Emirates Central Cooling Systems (Empower) will develop a second district cooling plant with a capacity of 37k refrigeration tons (RT) in Jumeirah, according to a press release (pdf) released on Thursday. The UAE firm awarded a contract for the design of the plant and construction is expected to kick off in 1Q 2025.

What we know: The new facility will service residential and commercial areas, hotels, and other facilities within the 802 hectare Jumeirah Village development, the statement notes. Empower’s first 49k refrigeration tons (RT) Jumeirah plant serves 114 buildings. The company awarded several contracts for the development of a first district cooling plant in October 2023.

Part of a bigger plan for Jumeirah Village: Empower intends to establish a total of six district cooling plants to produce a total of 256k RT, the statement notes.

Empower has been active elsewhere: The company broke ground on its new 39k RT district cooling plant in Dubai’s Deira district last month, setting an operational launch for the first phase at the end of 1H 2025. The company also signed an agreement with Al Habtoor Group to supply Al Habtoor Tower with 7.2k RT of district cooling services which will commence in 2Q 2025.

And plans to expand regionally: The company expects to grow its capacity in the UAE and expand into neighboring countries as the global district cooling market — currently valued at USD 28.3 bn in 2023 — is expected to reach USD 51.9 bn by 2031. The firm holds an 80% market share in Dubai’s district cooling market.

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