Kahramaa converts Qatar Foundation cooling system into energy-efficient

Qatar Foundation cooling system

Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) has announced the successful completion of a groundbreaking initiative to convert the central cooling stations at Qatar Foundation (QF), boasting a cooling capacity of 152,000 tonnes, into an energy-efficient system powered by treated water.

The cooling system in QF’s Educational City is considered the most energy-efficient, said Kahramaa in a statement yesterday. This transformation enhances sustainability by contributing to the protection of natural resources, reducing electricity consumption, and lowering the country’s carbon footprint.

Led by Engineer Jamal Youssef Aldarbasi, Director of District Cooling Management, Kahramaa’s team monitored the transition, emphasising the move’s significant contribution to natural resource protection, reduced electricity consumption and a lowered carbon footprint.

The cooling capacity of these main stations exceeds 152,000 tonnes, which are equipped with the latest devices, smart control and monitoring systems, and high-energy efficiency, linked to a control system with power centres in the Education City, providing greater flexibility in operation and control.

Qatar Foundation also owns three other cooling stations with a capacity of 33,000 tonnes for emergency cases, raising the cooling capacity of the Education City to 185,000 tonnes.

The operation of district cooling stations depends on supplying cooled water from power stations to a number of distributed power transfer centres through a network of cooled and insulated water to all facilities in the Education City, adapting these facilities to sustainable and efficient cooling services with high reliability.

Cooling devices consume about 65% of the electrical energy used in buildings. Therefore, adopting the district cooling system is considered the most effective and energy-saving system, providing about 40% electricity savings. Consequently, it reduces natural gas consumption, leading to a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, compared to traditional cooling solutions, thereby reducing Qatar’s environmental footprint.

Kahramaa through the regulation and monitoring of central district cooling services aims to provide electricity and potable water, ensure water resource sustainability, preserve the environment, and keep pace with the use of new technologies in district cooling services in line with the goals of Qatar’s National Vision 2030.