Doha: Amid bolstering efforts to cut carbon emissions for addressing climate change and a sustainable economy in the country, demand for district cooling (DC) services in Qatar surged to a record 57 DC plants with a capacity of 1.1 million tonnes of refrigeration (TR) in 2022.
Director of District Cooling Services Department at Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) Eng Abdulaziz Al Hammadi said that following economic sustainability all initiatives were launched in the country, from district cooling to converting into green energy, among others serve to reduce carbon footprint significantly.
Economic sustainability refers to practices that support long-term economic growth without negatively impacting the social, environmental and cultural aspects of the community.
Speaking to Qatar TV recently, Al Hammadi said that all companies working in DC services sector are cooperating with Kahramaa which regulates DC services sector in the country.
He added that regular meetings are being held between Kahramaa and those companies to review the performance and monthly reports are being submitted by the companies and DC plants to the Department to ensure compliance with the regulations in place.
“We, District Cooling Services Department, are encouraging those interested in DC plants because of its economic sustainability and environmental benefits,” said Al Hammadi.
Kahramaa has succeeded in contributing significantly to the development of district cooling services in Qatar.
The number of district cooling plants reached 57 in the country in 2022 which are operating with a cooling capacity of approximately 1.1 tonnes of refrigeration (TR), according to a report issued by the Kahramaa recently.
The report said that 33 district cooling plants were converted to operate using treated water and other water sources for cooling, saving approximately QR129m from saving of desalinated water. The total consumption of treated water in district cooling plants amounted to 13.5 million cubic meters.
The report noted that the rates of savings in electricity demand using the district cooling system amounted to the equivalent to QR327m, which was reflected in the total savings in natural gas used in electricity generation equivalent to QR115m. The savings are mainly achieved through reduced power plant capacity, electricity distribution network capacity and gas consumption for generation.
To ease the clients, all district cooling services offered by the DC Services Department have become fully electronic and they are available on Kahramaa website. A new system has been introduced on the electronic platform for submitting reports on water quality of DC plants.
The growing use of district cooling system boosts Qatar’s commitment to reducing its carbon emissions.
The district cooling system is among the most modern and sustainable cooling systems available, and is expected to reduce carbon emissions hugely by 2030.
Air conditioning accounts for around 60 percent of Qatar’s total electricity demand and district cooling consumes up to 40 percent less energy than conventional cooling system, making huge saving. District cooling can bring economic, environmental and societal benefits significantly to Qatar.
