Minister of Energy and Industry H E Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada and the President of the Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari visiting the pavilion showcasing technology of district cooling system on the sidelines of th
Qatar will soon issue a law for regulating District Cooling System (DCS), an energy-efficient air-conditioning system that will help reducing electricity consumption by up to 40 percent and investment cost of commercial projects by around 10 percent, said Kahramaa Chief yesterday.
Essa bin Hilal Al Kuwari, the President of the Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) said that the law for regulating DCS is in in final stage and will be soon be sent to the State Cabinet for approval.
“This law, which will be the first of its kind in the region, will incentivise businessmen to invest in this technology and customers to switch from conventional air conditioning system to DCS,” said Al Kuwari, speaking with media persons on the sideline of the International District Cooling & Heating Conference (IDCHC) held at Ritz Carlton yesterday.
He said that the law will make DCS affordable for firms and consumers. The law will also have rules and regulation for contracts between service providers and consumers, said Al Kuwari.
DCS is a cooling system that works by producing and distributing chilled water from a central source through pipes.
IDCHC kicked off here yesterday in the presence of Minister of Energy and Industry HE Dr Mohammed bin Saleh Al Sada. The two-day conference is being organised by Marafeq Qatar in cooperation with Kahramaa and Euroheat & Power.
Addressing the conference, Kahramaa President said it was the first time that Qatar hosted this conference, and also the first time it is being held outside Europe. This reflects Qatar’s reputation at international level, he said. Al Kuwari added this international event is a scientific platform for exchanging ideas, visions and experiences on the latest developments in the cooling and heating sector.
The conference is a tool to expand and spread the use of district cooling and heating technology as one of the best energy efficiency systems for environmental conservation and sustainable economic growth, he said adding that this is in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.
Al Kuwari pointed out that the expansion in the use of district cooling and heating technology will contribute to the realisation of two pillars of that vision, namely economic development and environmental development.
“The importance of using district cooling and heating technology in the world is not only limited to rationalising electricity consumption and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, but also in reducing capital investments,” Al Kuwari explained, adding the use of district cooling techniques also improves the power factor which necessarily results in reduced losses in electrical distribution networks and will save about 10 percent of the investment cost of any business.
Conventional AC and heating systems consume around 60-70 percent of the total electricity. The DCS will help in reducing around 30-40 percent electricity consumption.
Given the benefits of this system, Qatar represented by Kahramaa had started implementing medium and long term strategies and plans several years ago to meet the needs of future cities of electricity, water and cooling, he said.
In his speech, Kahramaa President pointed out that Qatar and other countries in the region are striving to find alternatives to the use of potable water in district cooling projects, such as the use of treated water and seawater. He stressed that Kahramaa has succeeded in addressing this issue by issuing decisions that contribute to the preservation of safe drinking water.
The most important of which is its decision to prevent the use of desalinated water for cooling purposes and replace it with other available water sources such as treated wastewater, which will contribute to saving more than 72 million cubic meters of water by 2022.
He pointed out that this is among the biggest challenges facing the widespread use of cooling and heating technology to invest in this sector, taking into account the establishment of a fair tariff for the end user, especially in countries that subsidize the electricity sector.
“The conference represents an additional step in the field of development and meeting human needs and conserving resources while taking into consideration their sustainability now and in the future,” said CEO of Marafeq Qatar Ahmed A Al Ammari said.
He added that the cooling and heating sector has become an important sector for any development, noting that it consumes many electrical and water resources, especially in the case of cooling districts and cities.