Empower and Yokogawa strengthen collaboration to Advance Efficiency and Sustainability in District Cooling Systems

H.E. Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation PJSC (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, welcomed a high-level delegation from Yokogawa Electric Corporation at Empower’s headquarters in Dubai. The meeting discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the two entities and explored prospects for future partnership in advanced district cooling solutions and technologies.

Bin Shafar highlighted Empower’s key achievements and its pioneering role in advancing the district cooling sector both locally and internationally. He emphasised that in the first half of the year, the company signed 86 new contracts to supply more than 99,000 refrigeration tons (RT) to various projects and buildings across Dubai, raising its total contracted capacity to 1.86 million RT. Empower’s connected capacity also grew to over 1.6 million RT , while the number of buildings served reached 1,684.

This visit marks a significant milestone in the collaboration between Empower and Yokogawa, which has yielded impressive results in a short span. Notably, Yokogawa was recently awarded a new contract to upgrade the legacy Building Management Systems (BMS) at Empower’s plants with advanced technologies. Furthermore, a joint optimization pilot study at one of Empower's plants demonstrated substantial energy savings through Yokogawa's system implementation. In addition, they successfully completed a pilot project for testing wireless vibration monitoring systems in the Palm Jumeirah plants, enhancing asset reliability for rotating equipment.

“This visit underscores the strong partnership between Empower and Yokogawa and reflects our shared commitment to leveraging cutting-edge automation and digital transformation solutions to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of the district cooling sector. At Empower, we operate with an ambitious vision aligned with the UAE's Net Zero 2050 Strategy, continuously investing in smart technologies and advanced infrastructure that help optimize energy use, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance operational performance. Our collaboration with Yokogawa is a key part of our ongoing efforts to expand the adoption of innovative systems across our plants and deliver measurable results in energy efficiency and asset reliability. We look forward to build on this successful partnership to explore new solutions that support Dubai’s transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy and strengthen Empower’s position as the world’s largest district cooling services provider and a global leader in innovation and sustainability,” Bin Shafar said.

Based in Japan, Yokogawa is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation, with more than 110 years of expertise across the power, water, oil and gas, and smart cities sectors. With a strong presence in the Middle East and Africa for over 35 years, the company operates in 61 countries globally. In the UAE, Yokogawa has partnered with leading district cooling providers, most notably Empower, to advance operational efficiency and promote sustainability within the sector.