The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has signed a MoU with Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) to explore, develop and enhance opportunities for collaboration in delivering district cooling services across the Northern Emirates. 
 
This initiative aims to improve quality of life, reinforce the UAE's leadership in adopting future industries, and make significant advances in sustainability, environmental and resource protection, energy conservation, and building the future, said Empower in a statement.
 
The main focus of the MoU is on achieving national interests and citizens' well-being, it stated.
 
It emphasizes on strengthening the strategic national partnership between both parties, reflecting their commitment to joint efforts in conducting technical and economic studies to expand the environmentally-friendly district cooling systems to more cities across the UAE, particularly in the northern emirates. 
 
The MoU underscores the significance of this bilateral cooperation between the Ministry and the world’s largest district cooling provider, marking a substantial step toward sustainable development and supporting the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 Strategy, it added.
 
It was signed by Engineer Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, at Empower’s headquarters in Dubai, in the presence officials from both parties.
 
Emphasising the Ministry’s commitment to collaborating with local stakeholders to achieve sustainability goals, Al Olama said Empower was a valuable national partner with a strong commitment to environmentally-friendly practices 
 
This MoU, he stated, was an important step in decarbonising the utility sector and will contribute to the UAE’s 2050 zero-emission target.
 
At the meeting, Empower reaffirmed its full support and commitment to collaborating with Ministry’s staff to work towards the UAE’s energy goals, particularly in clean energy, and to aid sustainable transformation within the energy sector. 
 
This newly signed MoU aligns with the shared ambition of meeting the UAE’s goals, as highlighted in COP28, and achieving climate neutrality by 2050, said Bin Shafar.
 
This national collaboration, he stated, aligns with the UAE’s vision and strategic plans for comprehensive sustainability, particularly in energy and its efficient use. 
 
"Empower continues to develop its unique business model, which has enabled the company to play a vital role in providing environmentally-friendly district cooling services, contributing to resource and environmental conservation in Dubai, the UAE, and worldwide," he added.-TradeArabia News Service