Empower Secures Two Additional Guinness World Records for Business Bay District Cooling Innovation
Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation has achieved international recognition for its thermal energy storage capabilities, bringing the Business Bay project's total world records to four.
Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), recognised globally as the world’s largest district cooling services provider, has secured two prestigious Guinness World Records for its Business Bay district cooling project, cementing its position at the forefront of thermal energy storage innovation. The company received official certification during the 28th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX 2026), organised by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The newly achieved records recognise Empower’s extraordinary engineering capabilities: the ‘Largest cumulative thermal energy storage tank capacity at a single district cooling facility’, boasting an impressive capacity of 94.65 megawatts (154,000 refrigeration tons), and the ‘Most thermal energy storage tanks in a single district cooling facility’, comprising six advanced storage tanks within the Business Bay system. These accolades bring the total number of Guinness World Records held by the Business Bay project to four, reflecting the project’s exceptional significance on the global stage.
The Business Bay district cooling project represents one of the world’s most extensive installations of its kind, operating as a model of sophisticated thermal energy management. The system ingeniously stores chilled water during periods of optimal efficiency, then deploys this stored resource during peak demand hours, substantially reducing electrical consumption during high-demand periods whilst elevating operational efficiency across cooling plants. This approach delivers considerable benefits through enhanced energy utilisation, strengthened infrastructure resilience, and meaningful progress toward resource sustainability objectives.
The Business Bay project previously established two additional world records: the ‘Highest Capacity District Cooling Plant’, currently delivering 293,862 refrigeration tons of connected capacity, and the ‘Largest Cooling Plant Coverage’, presently serving 211 mixed-use buildings encompassing residential, commercial, hospitality and service establishments. The comprehensive infrastructure comprises nine district cooling plants, with four currently operational and two in development stages, supported by an extensive pipeline network exceeding 53 kilometres in length and serving a total of 325 buildings.
Ahmad Bin Shafar, Chief Executive Officer of Empower, observed that these international accolades represent a significant milestone demonstrating that leadership transcends mere scale, instead reflecting the capacity to deploy transformative technologies that enhance efficiency and deliver enduring sustainable value. He emphasised that thermal energy storage technologies prove instrumental in optimising district cooling operations by managing energy demand with greater sophistication and maximising plant capacity utilisation throughout varying periods. The Business Bay project, he noted, exemplifies how advanced infrastructure can simultaneously support urban development and economic growth whilst championing environmental stewardship.
Empower continues expanding the Business Bay project’s capabilities, having signed a contract in 2026 for the fifth plant design, featuring production capacity of up to 44,000 refrigeration tons, with construction anticipated to commence in the fourth quarter of the year as the company responds to escalating demand for high-efficiency district cooling services throughout Dubai.
Source: WAM