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The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) has announced its new ‘Water Management for District Cooling Plants’ policy, in line with its responsibility to regulate and ensure the sustainability of Abu Dhabi’s energy sector, and in line with international best practices and standards .
The policy aims to regulate the mechanism for identifying potential water sources for use by district cooling suppliers, such as recycled water, desalinated water and sea water.
This would allow the use of low-cost resources deemed to be of acceptable quality after evaluating their capital and operating economics, the DOE statement said.
It will also pave the way to assess their compatibility with drainage standards and environmental regulations to ensure their suitability for use in district cooling systems.
Under the new policy, water can be used for district cooling systems if it proves to be the most viable and cost-effective source.
This requires prior planning in accordance with relevant water regulations and ensuring the availability of the facilities needed to meet demand.
It added that the policy allows the mixing of water sources provided it meets the required quality level for district cooling plants to operate.
Ahmed Mohammed Al Rumaithi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy, Engineer Ahmed Mohammed Al Rumaithi said: “As part of our efforts to implement Abu Dhabi’s Demand Side Management and Energy Rationalization 2030 Strategy, we will continue to support energy efficiency and help protect consumers and the environment.”
District cooling is one of the most critical areas making a significant contribution to achieving energy efficiency, achieving an overall energy saving of 9% relative to the BAU baseline.
He noted that the policy “Water Resource Management for District Cooling Plants” helps to overcome water sustainability challenges through cooperation between relevant entities to find appropriate alternatives to support district cooling operations in the emirate.
Carlos Gascó Travesedo, Acting Executive Director of Energy Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy, said: “District cooling is known for its low electricity consumption, which reduces the pressure on the infrastructure needed to generate electricity. It also lowers the fuel, operation and maintenance costs of electricity stations. , ensuring a high degree of energy saving, cost reduction and environmental protection.”
“At the same time, these systems consume large amounts of water to compensate for water losses due to evaporation, droplet drift and cooling tower blowdown. Therefore, it is imperative for district cooling companies and suppliers to explore the most viable water sources that best suit their needs,” Travesedo noted .
He noted that Abu Dhabi has a district cooling capacity of approximately 600,000 RT (tons of refrigerant) and consumes 150,000 cubic meters of desalinated water per day (equivalent to 5 percent of the emirate’s total daily demand)
The use of reclaimed water and seawater will reduce the pressure on desalinated water. However, he added, there is a need to ensure recycled water is available wherever it is technically and commercially feasible.-TradeArabia News Service
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