Qatar Cool Celebrates the Anniversary of its First Cooling Plant
When Qatar Cool began its operations in 2003 it was hard to image the company would grow into the success it has become today. Qatar Cool has not only become Doha’s premier provider of district cooling it has become one of the largest cooling providers in the region.
During the time of Qatar Cool’s birth, the capital was rapidly expanding with authorities seeking innovative solutions that might help the country in its goals to be even more efficient and ecologically conscious. Although the West Bay district was untouched in terms of developments at this time it was important to look ahead and utilize the space in the best possible way for the future.
In September 2006 the cooling plant would make its debut, as the first large scale district cooling system in the state of Qatar, a day to celebrate for Qatar Cool. The cooling plant would see a considerable demand for is environmentally friendly technology, leading to the growth of the company. Qatar Cool began planning for its second cooling plant in the district shortly after plant ones debut; it became operational in 2009, with a cooling capacity of 37,000 tons of refrigeration to meet the growing demand. The growth of the West Bay district over the last decade has meant the demand for district cooling has too increased. At present Qatar Cool is constructing a third plant in the district, which will connect to the existing pipe distribution network along with its sister cooling plants. The new cooling plant is designed to have a capacity of 40,000 tons of refrigeration and is planned to be operational in 2017.
District cooling was a new concept in Doha during this time; it was a technology which was either unknown or under-estimated, the West Bay district would be the first development to introduce the technology on a vast scale. The capabilities of district cooling would soon spread throughout the state and many new developments would consider the technology in their plans. The rapid demand of the cooling solution in the West Bay district, over the first few years, was astounding with more than thirty towers signed to the system.
To date the two operational plants in the West Bay district serve more than 53 towers with a cooling capacity of 67,000 tons of refrigeration. It is estimated that the number of connected towers is to increase by 26% once the third plant is operational.
