PALM District Cooling (PDC), a subsidiary of Dubai-based Palm Utilities, has embarked on a mission to consolidate its presence in the GCC and other key international markets.

As part of these moves, it has drawn up a strategy for growth and launched a campaign to promote district cooling.
Managing director of PDC Shafiq Khoori comments: “Recent studies conducted by Middle East Economic Digest (Meed) predict that regional market will grow by up to 8.3 million tons of refrigeration (TR) by 2015 from just 1.8 million TR in 2007. Keeping this in view, PDC has chalked out a long-term growth plan and complementary awareness campaign to promote district cooling as an economical solution for the region’s air-conditioning requirements.”
PDC currently provides district cooling services to mega developments in the UAE, including the Gardens Residential Complex (25,000 TR), Jumeirah Islands (15,000 TR), Discovery Gardens (126,000 TR) and Palm Jumeirah Trunk (126,000 TR). Several developers across the region are likewise increasingly deploying PDC’s cost-efficient and environment-friendly district cooling solutions, he says.
Other high-stake projects that utilise PDC’s district cooling solution include The Jumeirah Lake Towers (167,000 TR), Palm Jumeirah Crescent (124,000 TR), Jumeirah Village South (255,000 TR), International City (125,000 TR) and Dubai Maritime City (100,000 TR).
Khoori adds: “PDC is focusing its efforts on creating a sustainable development plan that will help us overcome the ongoing economic challenges and maintain our long-term growth prospects.”
Khoori says the company’s new growth strategy aims to help clients improve utility costs and maximise energy efficiency, “which is one of the most important concerns among developers right now”.
PDC has also launched several initiatives this year to ensure consistently high-quality utility services, optimise water consumption and contribute in safeguarding the environment. As part of these measures, the company recently completed installation work for the Dolphin System on its Gardens plant, becoming the first company in the region to take advantage of the revolutionary water treatment technology.
The Dolphin System is an environment-friendly water treatment system that eliminates scale and the need for chemicals in water treatment and helps minimise water usage. The technology has been embraced by reputed utility firms from around the world and is widely recognised for its water-saving features and for eliminating hazardous chemicals used in cooling towers water treatment.
PDC units are also efficient and cost-effective, Khoori points out.
“Wherever water resources are scarce and expensive, PDC utilises treated sewage effluent (TSE) supplied by Palm Water (PW) – a strategic collaboration that results in reduced energy consumption, ultimately benefiting end-users and the entire community through lower utility costs and minimal environmental impact,” he says.