MIDDLE EAST NEWS UPDATE | 06

SOLAR POWER | 39
SITE VISIT | 42
REGION IN FOCUS | 49
LEGAL | 52
PRODUCTS | 54
Essential information
rmation for mechanical, electrical, plum
plumbing
um
mb
biiing
ng aand
ng nd
nd HVAC professionals An ITP Business Publication | February 2011 Vol. 6 Issue 2

SP
H
TEMPORARY

EC
IA
VAFO
POWER

L
CCUS
THE KWH TREND
LIGHTING
THE BIG LED DEBATE

T
PLA OP
Y
SHOW ERS
P
MIDD REVIEW
ELECTLE E AST
R IC I T Y

SHINING
STAR
Heath
H eath AAndersen
ndersen ffrom
rom
R amboll oon
Ramboll n tthe
he iimpact
mpact
ooff ssustainability
ustainability

ALSO: KHALED BUSHANQ FROM EMS ON ENERGY MANAGEMENT

 FEBRUARY 2011 VOLUME 6 ISSUE 2

CONTENTS

30

35

03 CONSTRUCTION WEEK 28-29 MIDDLE EAST ELECTRICITY 42-45 SITE VISIT

ONLINE A preview of the power in Carlin Gerbich on Qatar
dustry 8-10 February event at sewerage infrastructure
05 COMMENT the World Trade Centre
46-47 HVAC
06 UPDATE 30-33 TEMPORARY POWER The future of refrigerants.
11 EVENTS New challenges posed by
14 GLOBAL NEWS energy efficiency 49 REGION IN FOCUS
16 NEWS ANALYSIS and technology
52 LEGAL
22 MEP AWARDS 2011 35-37 LIGHTING
Urgent call to switch to sus - 54 PRODUCTS
25-27 THE BIG INTERVIEW tainable energy solutions
Ramboll sustainability and 56 THE LAST WORD
renewables director Heath 39 SOLAR POWER EMS CEO Khaled Bushnaq
Andersen on the impact of ESIA punts solar-power op is 2010 Legend in Energy,
due diligence portunities according to the AEE.

www.constructionweekonline.com February 2011 | MEP Middle East 1

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 CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM
M

IN PICTURES MOST POPULAR

• Jubail announces $30b mega projects

• March call for $11bn railway tenders
• Nakheel’s The World risks erosion
• Three dead, 11 injured in KSA accident
• Three more airports for Saudi Arabia

EDITOR’S CHOICE

SUKOON TOWER
The swift rise of the Sukoon Tower in Manama has been a strong start for developer and
contractor alike.
• ASHRAE’s green tips for data centres
For more galleries, check out www.constructionweekonline.com/galleries
• Daikin set to be world’s top air-con firm
• CIBSE UK calls for mandatory air-con
COLUMNS AND FEATURES inspections
GETTING REAL TIME FOR CHANGE
Orlando Crowcroft, Selina Denman, Editor, SPOT POLL
Editor, Middle East Commercial Interior
Architect Design What should be done with Dubai’s
Jeddah’s kilometer- The hospitality and partially completed buildings?
high Kingdom Tower retail industries
has gone quiet for a
reason.
remain “the most
conventional” when it
comes to the uptake
37.5%
The government should help
of new, sustainable developers to find a solution.
technologies. Hotels
needs to invest in in-
novation.
18.8%
Banks should free up funding
to help finish them.
RUNNING TO FOOD FOR THOUGHT
CATCH UP Stephen White, Editor,
Carlin Gerbich, Senior
Reporter, Construction
PMV Middle East
Greener and leaner
18.8%
Developers should be forced to
Week machines are coming make a decision on their future.
A tiny Gulf nation has our way – that is a
gazumped the US in
an ultimate David vs.
Goliath thrashing.
good thing, right?
18.8%
Tear them down.

6.2%
They should be sold on and as much cash
refunded to investors as possible.
For more comments, check out www.constructionweekonline.com/comments

www.constructionweekonline.com February 2011 | MEP Middle East 3

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 COMMENT

A place in the sun

MIDDLE EAST

G
Registered at Dubai Media City
PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE ood news for has taken place is a 2MW pilot project. Abu Dhabi
Tel: 00 971 4 444 3000
Fax: 00 971 4 444 3030 the solar-power also plans to become a regional hub for renewable
Web: www.itp.com
Offices in Dubai, Manama, Mumbai & London sector is the energy, which is where most of the media’s atten-
ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING
formation of the tion has been focused.
CEO Walid Akawi Emirates Solar Indus- Masdar City has evoked a lot of debate about re-
Managing Director Neil Davies
Managing Director ITP Business Karam Awad
try Association (ESIA), newable energy in the Middle East in general, and
Deputy Managing Director Matthew Southwell which recently held its the role of solar power in particular, especially in
Editorial Director David Ingham
inaugural meeting in such a hot (and humid) desert environment. On
EDITORIAL
Senior Group Editor Stuart Matthews
Abu Dhabi. The ESIA the construction level, the project continues to be
Tel: +971 4 444 3476 e-mail: stuart.matthews@itp.com notes that there are hugely important in terms of ongoing work.
Editor Gerhard Hope
Tel: +971 4 444 3305 e-mail: gerhard.hope@itp.com more than 70 compa- The latest contractor to benefit was Arabian Con-
ADVERTISING nies already involved in struction Company announcing a $204million proj-
Sales Director: Construction Yazan Rahman the sector, so it is criti- ect to expand the Masdar Institute of Science and
Tel: +971 4 444 3351 e-mail: yazan.rahman@itp.com
Advertising Director: Construction Andrew Parkes cal that some kind of overarching organisation give Technology (MIST) campus.
Tel: +971 4 444 3570 e-mail: andrew.parkes@itp.com
Sales Manager Zaid Hadi
voice to the main concerns and issues. This is also Masdar City was also in the news recently due to
Tel: +971 4 444 3779 e-mail: zaid.hadi@itp.com necessary if all the opportunities available are to the visit by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
STUDIO be exploited, and if the sector wants to continue to who lauded the cleantech and renewable initiatives
Group Art Editor Dan Prescott
Art Editor Simon Cobon
grow at a healthy rate. being undertaken by MIST.
PHOTOGRAPHY
The ESIA has highlighted a range of issues that A potential cloud on all the good news was the
Chief Photographer Jovana Obradovic need to be tackled first, however: these are mainly revelation that Masdar Power no longer aims to
Senior Photographers Efraim Evidor, Isidora Bojovic
Staff Photographers George Dipin, Juliet Dunne, Lester
the introduction of a regulatory framework, estab- manufacture solar panels locally as planned, but
Ali, Lyubov Galushko, Mosh Lafuente, Murrindie Frew, Ruel lishing the necessary government body to organise this is more a rationalisation than a step back.
Pableo, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav, Shruti Jagdesh, Stanislav
Kuzmin, Verko Ignjatovic the industry, and offering incentives for the private Hopefully the ESIA manages to put its strong
PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION sector to partake in the development of the indus- words into even stronger action, and galvanise the
Group Production & Distribution Director Kyle Smith try and to help the technology go mainstream. solar-power sector into becoming one of the most
Production Coordinator Devaprakash V A
Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn Incentives are probably the most difficult issue to important up-and-coming new industries in the re-
Image Retoucher Emmalyn Robles
Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell
tackle at the moment, given the high cost of entry gion. No doubt this will have massive spin-offs for
Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami into this sector, in addition to the highly subsidised the MEP sector as well.
CIRCULATION electricity prices throughout the region.
Head of Circulation & Database Gaurav Gulati While Abu Dhabi intends to generate 7% of its
MARKETING energy needs from renewables by 2020, other emir- GERHARD HOPE
Head of Marketing Daniel Fewtrell
ates are yet to come up with similar objectives. The Editor
ITP DIGITAL
7% target translates into 1,500MW of solar energy. gerhard.hope@itp.com
Director Peter Conmy
Of this amount, 500MW is earmarked for Abu Dha-
ITP GROUP
bi’s vaunted roof-top programme, which aims at
Chairman Andrew Neil
Managing Director Robert Serafin installing solar panels on all rooftops so as to gen-
Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies
Board of Directors K.M. Jamieson, Mike Bayman, erate ‘clean’ electricity.
Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin However, with no clear direction from the gov-
Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 444 3459 ernment in this regard, the only development that
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omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions
and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the
publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on
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information contained in this publication which is provided for general
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www.constructionweekonline.com February 2011 | MEP Middle East 5

UPDATE
$8 million Saudi HVAC plant for KAEC
New facility to manufacture air-conditioning products for the construction industry
HVAC
A new $8million facility to manu-
facture chillers, air-handling
units, fan-coil units, packaged,
split and window units used
in the construction and build-
ing material industry is to be
established at Industrial Val-
ley in King Abdullah Economic
City (K AEC). This follows an
industrial land lease agreement
signed by Emaar The Economic
City (EEC) and the Tadawul-
listed K AEC with Saudi Petra
Engineering Company.
The new facility will cater to
an increasing demand in both
the domestic and regional mar-
ket. It is expected to create more
than 300 new jobs and to train
and develop Saudi HVAC exper-
tise. Engineer Samir Al Fetiany,
GM of Saudi Petra Engineering
Company, pointed out that the
decision to build the new facility
at the Industrial Valley in K AEC
was based on an extensive fea-
sibility study to ensure the opti-
mum location for the project.
Saudi Electricity launches multi-billion plan
ELECTRICITY
Saudi Electricity Company (SEC)
has unveiled a comprehensive
investment plan for 2011 that in-
cludes the construction of 56HV
power stations to reach 309,000
new subscribers, as the state-
backed supplier races to meet the
country’s rising energy demand.
A building contract has already
been signed for projects in Ri-
yadh and the Eastern Province,
reports Construction Week.
In a flurry of notifications to
Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange,
the Tadawul, the company aims
to add 1,826MW to the King-
dom’s grid next year, the funding
for 567MW to derive from private
sector investment. This will see
21,000km of distribution lines
6 MEP Middle East | February 2011
KAEC has been selected as the site for a brand-new HVAC plant.
“The strategic location of
K AEC and the availability of effi -
cient port and road connectivity
to the local and regional markets
offers an array of logistical capa-
bilities and enables huge growth
potential,” said Al Fetiany. He
added that the new facility is part
added to its existing network at
a cost of $1billion, with work in-
cluding the strengthening of ten
transfer stations.
A $0.93billion contract has
been signed with an undisclosed
‘national company’ for the expan-
sion of a power plant in Riyadh
and a station village in the coun-
try’s eastern province. Exactly
6,510MW will come on-line from
2012, according to chairman Dr
Saleh bin Hussein Al Awaji after a
board meeting that saw the ratifi -
cation of the country’s budget for
the upcoming year.
A total of 12,752MW will be
added between 2012 and 2016, by
which time the company expects
its total subscriber base to have
increased to 7.9million.
of a long-term plan to improve
the competitiveness of Saudi Pe-
tra Engineering, and to uplift the
capacity of the local sector.
Ahmed Linjawy, president of
the industrial and city services
division in EEC, said: “K AEC
Industrial Valley is continuing
Saudi Arabia is aiming to ad-
dress a surge in demand for pow-
er on the back of a rise in both
population and industry as its
economy expands. Banque Saudi
Fransi estimated that the demand
is increasing 8%, with peak power
demand up 85% between 1999
and 2008, according to its latest
electricity sector report.
Around $0.27trillion is needed
to meet the country’s need by
2025, it added. Saudi Electricity
Company will finance the work on
the ten transfer stations through
a mixture of its own resources
and borrowing from the markets,
likely through debt issuance.
In July 2010 the country signed
a $1.5billion agreement with
Egypt to link the countries’ pow-
to attract reputable industrial
companies from Saudi and in-
ternationally in various sectors.
It offers business-friendly regu-
lations, distinctive facilities and
land area to host large projects
and to meet the requirements of
manufacturers and companies.
“The Industrial Valley is effi -
ciently integrated with the port,
which makes it a prime loca-
tion to serve international trade
between Europe and Asia and
reach 250million consumers in
the Middle East and North Af-
rica,” said Linjawy.
Founded in 1987, Petra Engi-
neering Industries is a company
that was established to manufac-
ture high-quality commercial
and industrial HVAC equipment.
It has 1,500 employees in total,
with over 300 engineers.
K AEC’s Industrial Valley
aims to be a social and eco-
nomic enabler for Saudi Arabia,
and encourage local and inter-
national manufacturers to open
large facilities there.
er grids. The two countries would
split the cost of the project – which
aims to exchange 3,000MW of
electricity between the countries
through direct current electrical
lines – based on the amount of
work on their land. Saudi Electric-
ity Company recently completed
the pre-qualification process for
the construction of a gas-fired
power plant in al-Qurayyah and is
inviting bids for the main contract
with a deadline of 28 February.
In other news, contracts worth
more than $32.8million for wa-
ter and sanitation projects in
the Eastern Province have been
signed. National companies will
execute the projects in various
parts of the province, according
to the Saudi Press Agency.
www.constructionweekonline.com
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UPDATE
ESMA mark for Carrier a UAE first
Quality mark from federal body for air-con units acknowledges technical standards
HVAC
Carrier has become the fi rst
HVAC manufacturer to be
awarded the ESMA quality
mark for air-con units sold in the
UAE market. ESMA (Emirates
Authority for Standards and Me-
trology) is a federal body, tasked
with developing and issuing
standards and technical regula-
tions in the UAE, and is the sole
reference in the country in terms
of quality standards.
Their certification covers the
complete range of Carrier’s resi-
dential air-con units manufac-
tured at its Saudi Air-conditioning
Manufacturing Company (SAM-
CO) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and
is applicable to ESMA’s Emirates
Conformity Assessment Scheme
(ECAS). Carrier, a unit of United
Technologies, is a global leader
in hi-tech heating, ventilation,
air-conditioning and refrigera-
tion (HVACR) solutions.
Presenting the award to Car-
rier, Eng. Mohammed Saleh
Badri, ESMA director-general
said: “HVAC has an important
contribution to make towards
HVAC has an important contribution
to make towards our quest for energy
efficiency in the UAE. “ Mohammed Saleh Badri
Eng. Mohammed Saleh Badri and Philippe Delpech.
8 MEP Middle East | February 2011
our quest for energy efficiency
in the UAE. We are glad to ac-
knowledge Carrier’s product
quality and safety standards,
demonstrably in full compliance
with our requirements. We see
this award to Carrier as making
a strong contribution in our ef-
forts to motivate all HVAC manu-
facturers to meet the requisite
ECAS thresholds.”
Receiving the award from
ESMA, Philippe Delpech, Car-
rier EMEA president, said:
“Carrier has a proud history of
being an integral part of several
prominent organisations all over
the world dedicated to quality
and sustainability, including the
Green Building Councils in the
US, China and India, Eurovent
and AHRI, to name a few.
“We have continued to dem-
onstrate our commitment to
Carrier’s core values of perfor-
mance, quality and environmen-
tal stewardship. ESMA’s efforts The certification covers the complete Carrier range manufactured at SAMCO in Jeddah.
will go a long way in ensuring
higher, and more importantly, available to the consumer in Carrier used its Middle East
consistent levels of quality UAE,” said Delpech. HVAC Engineering Conference
and sustainability in products A team from ESMA had vis- to introduce new products and
ited SAMCO for a fi rst-hand as- services that were focused on
sessment of the quality of Carri- sustainability and high-perfor-
er products manufactured at this mance building solutions.
facility. The team also evaluated A total of 16 speakers pre-
quality of manufacturing pro- sented solutions for improving
cesses and the factory overall, in energy efficiency to an audience
line with ESMA’s procedure of of nearly 300 building profes-
ensuring consistent quality in all sionals, demonstrating how to
products and factories certified drive sustainability forward in
under the ESMA quality mark. the Middle East region.
“We see the ESMA certifica- In his welcoming remarks at
tion as an endorsement of Car- the conference, Carrier presi-
rier’s continuous efforts to drive dent Geraud Darnis discussed
the highest level of quality and the company’s aim to work with
performance in the total product owners, design consultants and
range we bring to our customers contractors to tackle the issue of
in the Middle East region,” said energy consumption.
Carrier Middle East MD Paul “Few innovations have shaped
Fraipont. “The rigorous process modern life more dramatically
by which ESMA validates prod- than the ability to control the in-
uct quality and performance door climate, with buildings and
under ECAS will be of great ben- cities throughout the Middle
efit to the environment and the East ultimately made possible by
economy of the UAE.” Last year this invention,” said Darnis.
www.constructionweekonline.com
by johnson controls
UPDATE

Ducab HV factory nears completion

First dedicated high-voltage cable factory will supply the needs of the entire region
CABLES
Ducab HV, a joint venture com-
pany between Ducab, DEWA and
ADWEA, has announced that the
construction of its $136.15million
factory is on track for completion
in the early part of 2011, which
will be the fi rst dedicated high-
voltage factory in the region. The
news came during a celebration
marking the completion of the
factory’s 148-m-high tower, a new
landmark in Jebel Ali, which is
believed to be the highest indus-
trial tower in the GCC.
The official ceremony was at-
tended by Ducab HV board mem-
bers HE Saeed Mohammed Al
Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA;
Saeed Al Darmaki, deputy MD of
Transco; and Ahmed Al Shaikh,
chairman of Ducab. Also in atten-
dance were Khansaheb director
Tariq Hussain, representing the
main civil contractor, and Ducab
HV CEO Jon Vail.
The 44-storey tower, housing
state-of-the-art extrusion equip-
ment, is the most noticeable fea-
ture of the new Ducab-HV fac-
tory. It is designed to ensure that
Dignitaries at the celebration to mark the completion of the factory’s tower.
the very high voltage products
are manufactured to the highest
standards necessary to provide
faultless service. The tower will
also contain a series of clean-
room facilities in the top levels to
ensure no contamination of the
critical cable insulation. “We are
glad to announce the completion
of the vertical extrusion tower at
the Ducab HV factory in Jebel
Ali, which demonstrates that the
project is on track for comple-
tion in early 2011.
“These types of high-voltage
cables carry electricity loads
great enough to power an entire
downtown district and, as such,
we will ensure that the qual-
ity standards of our products
not only meet, but surpass, the
highest international standards
in the industry,” said Al Shaikh.
“Within one year of break-
ing ground, we are celebrating
this key construction milestone
thanks to the excellent work by
Khansaheb, and the great efforts
of the whole project team. We
are approaching the completion
of the civil works, and the fi rst
machines are already being in-
stalled. Commissioning will start
in early 2011, followed by rigor-
ous testing, and then production
of cables for the market later in
the year,” said Vail.
“We have enjoyed working
closely and successfully with the
Ducab HV team to deliver a qual-
ity contract in a very challenging
time frame,” said Khansaheb
operations manager Richard
Browne. “This unique project is
another great example of the com-
mitment of Khansaheb to provid-
ing quality construction services
to its clients during its 75th year
of operation in the UAE.”

MESC makes high-voltage cables in Jordan

CABLES
MESC has started trial produc-
tion of high-voltage power cables
at its premises in Mafraq, Jordan,
to supplement its product range of
LV and MV cables.
GM Ahmad Sallakh explained
that the company is ISO 9001 and
BASEC certified for both quality
management and product approv-
als. “Our product range has passed
type-test certification at KEMA
Labs BV, and has been approved
by such major regional customers
as Saudi Electricity Company, Qa-
tar Petroleum, JEPCO and Sonel-
gas,” said Sallakh.
The medium- and high-voltage
MESC is confident about future growth, says Sallakh. plant was established in May
2007 at a total initial investment of
$56.52million, covering 200,000m2
and supplementing the first plant
established on 1992. The MV
manufacturing facility has con-
tinuous catenary vulcanisation
(CCV) lines, extrusion equipment
and wire drawing for high-tension
power cables from 11kV to 132kV.
“MESC manufactures a compre-
hensive range of low- and medium-
voltage cables, aluminum conduc-
tors and building wires, covering
multiple product categories and
addressing a series of market seg-
ments from energy, oil and gas,
power plants and petchem plants
to infrastructure, telecoms and
construction,” explained Sallakh.

10 MEP Middle East | February 2011 www.constructionweekonline.com


Saudi Ceramics test run
New factory established to produce sanitaryware, water heaters
CERAMICS
Saudi Ceramics Company has
completed the construction and
installation for a new factory that
is expected to come on-line dur-
ing this quarter, reports Ben Rob-
erts from Construction Week. The
Riyadh-based fi rm is now start-
ing a pilot production for ceramic
tubes and is expected to have an
annual capacity of 60,000 tons of
clay pipes. The annual revenue of
the new factory is estimated to be
at $30 million.
Saudi DC contract is Havells India
awarded to DSWP
DISTRICT COOLING
Drake & Scull Water and Power
(DSWP), a subsidiary of Drake
& Scull International (DSI)
PJSC, has been awarded an
$79million EPCO (Engineering,
Procurement, Construction and
Operation) contract for a district
cooling plant in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia. “This latest contract win
is a step forward for DSI in fur-
ther establishing our presence
within Saudi Arabia’s growing
water and power industry,” said
CEO Khaldoun Tabari.
“With a proven track record in
this sector, we are able to deliver
quality services and projects to
our clients due to the niche en-
gineering capabilities offered
by our water and power busi-
ness stream,” said Tabari. The
contract includes the design and
build of the 35,000TR district
cooling plant. DSWP will also be
responsible for the operation and
maintenance of the project for a
period of ten years. The design
and build project is scheduled to
start immediately and will take
18 months to complete.
“We are confident that our
past technical and operational
www.constructionweekonline.com
The new facility has been
funded 50-50 by Saudi Ceram-
ics Company and subsidiary Ce-
ramic Pipe Company. It will be
overseen by its own management
and general manager. Saudi Ce-
ramics Company manufactures
tiles and bathroom-ware as well
as water heaters.
CEO Abdulkareem Alnafie told
Construction Week that the com-
pany had seen a gap in the Saudi
market as a big distruibuitor of
clay pipes, which will chiefly be
knowledge in the field, a strong
portfolio of prominent projects,
which includes two of the world’s
largest district cooling plants lo-
cated in Dubai, and our under-
standing of the complex Saudi
market dynamics, will support
us in achieving success in the
Kingdom and the region as a
whole,” said DSWP executive di-
rector Tawfiq Abu Soud.
As of September 2010, DSI’s
projects in Saudi Arabia contrib-
uted to 29% of the company’s to-
tal backlog, including the back-
log consolidation of recently
acquired Drake & Scull Inter-
national Saudi, although Tabari
said: “DSI aims to increase the
figure to 50% by 2011 by continu-
ing to focus our efforts and re-
sources on the MEP division and
in the Kingdom’s water and pow-
er industry, which has proved to
be highly lucrative.”
In other news, DSI has se-
cured a $70million loan facility
from BNP Paribas to fi nance its
recent acquisitions. The loan
from the French bank will have a
three-year maturity and will give
a boost to its aggressive expan-
sion across the Middle East.
used for water drainage from res-
idential buildings. “We hopefully
will be starting it in the fi rst quar-
ter, though it is a highly technical
product,” he said.
“Mainly it is aimed at the wa-
ter companies and government,
those working on water infra-
structure,” he added, though said
there is no limit to the product
being distributed internationally.
Saudi Ceramics already has cus-
tomers in Europe for its existing
product lines.
CABLES & WIRES
Electrical and power equipment
company Havells India has dou-
bled its cable and wire manufac-
turing capability at an investment
of Rs1.2billion. The company,
with a total market share of 10%
of the Rs12billion cable and wire
industry in India, has expanded
its plant at Alwar in Rajasthan.
“The capacity expansion will
help the company meet the grow-
ing domestic demand, and target
new emerging markets such as
the MENA region.
“Demand always follows with
capacity and, with the expan-
sion, the company would be able
to meet the domestic demand
as well as target the markets of
Middle East and Africa,” said
Sikka. The company expects the
demand for its cable and wire
products to hit Rs1.8billion by
2012, on the back of burgeoning
demand from the organised con-
struction sector and independent
home builders.
The wire and cable plant in
Alwar was fi rst acquired by the
company in 1996. The plant man-
ufactures various ranges of LT
(low tension), HT (high tension)
and EHV (electrical high voltage)
cables. The $1.2billion company
is present in 50 countries.
UPDATE
EVENTS
MIDDLE EAST ELECTRICITY
8-10 February
Dubai International Convention &
Exhibition Centre
MEE will feature around 1,000
national and international
exhibitors displaying products,
technologies and new innovations
from the field of energy.
www.middleeastelectricity.com
NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY
EXHIBITION
8-10 February
Dubai International Convention &
Exhibition Centre
International exhibition
on energy generation and
conservation.
www.biztradeshows.com
GULF GLASS
7-9 March
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition
Centre
Event for glass manufacturers
and end users in the Middle
East.
www.glassinthegulf.com
WETEX
8-10 March
Dubai International Convention &
Exhibition Centre
The exhibition will feature
companies pioneering new
technologies and solutions for
better management of water,
energy and environment.
www.wetex.ae
BUILDING MATERIALS &
MAINTENANCE
21-23 March
Sharjah Expo Centre
Comprehensive sourcing
platform for the construction
industry.
www.biztradeshows.com
ARABIAN CONSTRUCTION WEEK
28-30 March
Abu Dhabi National Exhibition
Centre
A three-day event for the
construction sector.
www.arabianconstructionweek.
com
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 11
UPDATE
York chillers for Oman sport event
Water-cooled hermetic screw chillers for the 2nd Asian Beach Games held in Muscat
CHILLERS
Johnson Controls supplied
York YR water-cooled hermetic
screw chillers for the 2nd Asian
Beach Games in Muscat, Oman.
“We are proud to be associated
with the Oman Olympic Com-
mittee and Oman Tourism De-
velopment Corporation in this
endeavor to establish Oman as a
destination for sport tourism in
the GCC,” said Magdy Mekky,
Johnson Controls VP and MD
for the Middle East.
“Oman remains an area of high-
growth potential. Since 2008,
we have established our own of-
fices in Shatti-al-Qurum, Mus-
cat. This allows us to focus on
our clients and offer unique so-
lutions based on innovation and
‘Epic’ water-management
WATER MANAGEMENT
A specialised water management,
irrigation and environmental
company has been launched in
the Middle East. EPIC Green So-
lutions offers innovative systems
and solutions for use in urban and
agricultural irrigation, stormwa-
ter management and bio-filtra-
tion of water. The international
company, which is based in the
UAE, uses patented technology
originally from the US.
According to EPIC Green’s co-
founder, Charlie Fleifel, “EPIC
Green Solutions is an innovative
environmental company that
boasts state-of-the-art systems
and solutions that can green the
region in a sustainable manner.”
The company’s systems and
solutions, designed by world-
renowned environmental experts
and manufactured in technologi-
cally-advanced laboratories and
factories, collect, filter, store and
channel ground and rainwater for
re-use in both public and private
spaces of varying sizes.
12 MEP Middle East | February 2011
our market leading technology,”
said Mekky.
Johnson Controls has worked
closely with the project
“Our efficient water system
is the only one of its kind in the
world and, we believe, is going to
drastically alter people’s percep-
tions,” said Fleifel.
EPIC, an acronym for Environ-
mental Passive Integrated Cham-
ber system, uses simple technol-
ogy, is low maintenance and is
designed to allow water savings
of up to 50% to 80%.
“Our subsurface irrigation
system is endorsed by leading
landscape architects and envi-
ronmental engineers. and can be
installed anywhere, from private
homes to hotels, government
buildings, schools, hospitals,
public parks, farms and more,”
said MD Bart Rehbein.
“Our systems aim to encour-
age people in the Middle East to
re-use grey water, which is essen-
tially water that’s generated from
domestic activities such as laun-
dry, dishwashing and bathing,
and which can be recycled on-site
for uses such as landscape irriga-
tion and constructed wetlands.”
development team of the Oman
Tourism Development Corpo-
ration to provide a world-class
cooling solution based on ultra
Elapco clinches deal
HVAC
Midea, a major manufacturer
of domestic appliances and air-
conditioning based in China,
has signed an exclusive market-
ing and distribution agreement
with Elapco covering the UAE,
Iraq and Sudan. “Our valued
customers will now have access
to a more comprehensive range
of green-compliant air-con prod-
ucts. In addition, the new range
also offers tailor-made solutions
as per environmental needs and
customers requirements,” said
Elapco Group MD Hasan Alami.
“Through this tie-up we aspire
to reach new prospects in these
emerging markets. Midea is a
top manufacturer of commercial
and domestic air-conditioning,
and we are happy to extend this
partnership to our customers in
the UAE, Iraq and Sudan,” said
Alami. The Elapco Group carries
the full Midea and MDV range,
from window, split and ducted
split to roof-top package, AHU,
VRF units and chillers. The
high efficiency York YR chillers
(used in many LEED-certified
green buildings) and 600 low-
noise, high-efficiency fan coil
units. The York YR chillers will
add to the comfort of residents
at the games village by supply-
ing 6,312 litres per minute of
chilled water under stringent
operating conditions at a high
part-load efficiency of 6.452.
“We are delighted that, due to
the efforts of the organisers, the
environment has emerged as
the true winner in these games.
The decision to use York high-
efficiency chillers has given a
boost to sustainable develop-
ment and reduced the carbon
footprint of the games facility,”
said Mekky.
products range from 1 ton (1.5
HP) to 2,000 tons (2,500 HP).
All the company’s products have
been awarded ISO 9001 interna-
tional quality certification.
The company’s solutions cater
for high-rise buildings, malls,
large and small-scale residential
and commercial developments.
The addition of the Midea prod-
uct line to Elapco’s existing Fujit-
su (Japan), Zamil Cooline (KSA)
and Sampo Copper products
(South Korea) will enable Elapco
to comprehensively address and
satisfy market demands for both
residential and commercial use.
“At Midea we are committed to
provide global consumers with
more energy-conserving prod-
ucts. We make sure we carry this
green philosophy throughout the
product lifecycle,” said Midea
HVAC president Peter Guan.
Key global projects that Midea
has recently supplied include
Beijing Capital International
Airport in China and the Dubai
Metro in the UAE.
www.constructionweekonline.com
 ask the experts

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GLOBAL NEWS

UNITED STATES
Siemens has been awarded a US$38.5 million project to improve the energy
efficiency of government buildings in the southwest US. The federal govern-
ment is the single largest user of energy in the US, but had been charged
by President Barack Obama to improve energy efficiency and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from its building stock. Siemens will implement
renewable energy and building automation systems including PV, HVAC
and lighting control systems. Improvements to buildings such as thermal
pane windows and insulation will also be installed during the 26-month
programme, along with water-saving plumbing and energy-efficient light-
p
ing. Once construction is completed, , the improvements
p p
are expected to
r, increasing to a projected $2.6million a year.
save $1.7million in the fi rst year,
Some retrofitting and building upgrades are already underway in some
facilities, and are scheduled forr completion in October 2012.

SPAIN
Two people died and 29 others became ill after
isease in Madrid
an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease
ity health depart-
towards the end of 2010. The city
on systems in the
ment said more than 230 air-con
tempt to locate the
capital were inspected in an attempt
source of the outbreak. Two menen died from the disease.
ere admitted to hospital.
Of the 29 people treated, 21 were
Legionnaires’ disease, named after an outbreak at an
American Legion convention in n 1976 where 34 people
died, is caused by a bacterium most often found in
sources of standing water and can be contracted by
breathing air contaminated by the bacterium. The
mmune systems or lung
elderly and people with weak immune
problems are most susceptible..

SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa has unveiled planss for what it claims will be the world’s biggest
solar power plant – a radical stepep in a coal-dependent country where one in
six people still lacks electricity.. The project, expected to cost up to R200bill-
ion rand, would aim by the end of its fi rst decade to achieve an annual output
ntly one-tenth of the country’s energy needs.
of five GW of electricity, currently
Giant mirrors and solar panels would be spread across the Northern Cape
province, which the government nt says is among the sunniest 3% of regions in
the world, with minimal cloud or rain. The government hopes the solar park
will help reduce carbon emissions ons from Africa’s biggest economy, which
is still more than 90% dependent nt on coal-fi red power stations. In April, the
World Bank came in for sharp criticism from environmentalists for approv-
ing a $3.75bn loan to build one of the world’s largest coal-fired power plants
in the country.

14 MEP Middle East | February 2011 www.constructionweekonline.com

 GLOBAL NEWS

FRANCE SOUTH KOREA

Alstom and EDP Renewables (EDPR), the third-largest wind energy South Korean consumer electron-
company in the world, have signed the Provisional Acceptance Certificate ics giant LG Electronics has re-
of the Le Mée wind farm in La Région Centre, France. The 18 MW farm ported a steep decline in quarterly
consists of six 3MW Alstom ECO 100 wind turbines. Alstom delivered, in- earnings, and offered a gloomy
stalled and commissioned the turbines, and is responsible for their opera- outlook. “Profits from air-con busi-
tion and maintenance for the next two years. Alstom has now installed and ness fell significantly on seasonally
commissioned 27 ECO 100 wind turbines for EDPR in the Centre region, weak demand, and mobile handsets
providing more than 80MW, the equivalent of about 50 000 households, widened its loss, which deterio-
the size of a city like Orléans. The French government plans to generate rated overall profit,” said CFO Jung
upp to 23% of its electricityy from renewable sources byy 2020. y
Do-hyun. The air-con business
was hit by the slowing pace of the
econom
economic recovery and the cut
in gove
government stimulus pack-
ages, LG
L said. Meager demand in
Europe and North Amerca led to
the air
air-con business’s $52.4billion
in oper
operating loss, compared with a
$10.6b
$10.6billion loss a year ago. LG said
the com
company expects to have hard
quarte
quarters ahead, due to soft global
deman
demand and intensifying competi-
tion fro
from rivals.

SINGAPORE
SINGA
Alstom has won an order worth
about €€260million to construct a
new power
po plant for Tuas Power
Genera
Generation Pte in Singapore. TPG,
owned by NYSE-listed Huaneng
Power International and one of
Singap
Singapore’s largest power genera-
tion co
companies, already operates
four ex
existing combined cycle power
plants and two oil-fi red steam
power plants. The order includes an
EPC cocontract for the construction
of a new
ne 400MW gas-fi red com-
bined cycle
c power plant CCP5, as
well as a six-year maintenance con-
tract. A
Alstom will provide the entire
power plant and all associated
eq
equipment, including a GT26
IINDIA
IND
INNDIA ga turbine, steam turbine and
gas
The Indian government is considering using revenue from a coal tax for a hea recovery steam generator.
heat
fund designed to minimise the risk of financing solar projects. “It is a risk
mitigation fund, in the range of a few billion rupees,” said Debashish Majum-
dar, MD of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency. India aims
to have 1 000MW of solar capacity connected to the electricity grid by 2013
and 2, 00 MW by 2022, from just 10MW at present, by offering financial in-
centives such as special tariffs.
tariffs Commercial banks say they are reluctant to
lend to project developers seeking to take advantage of the solar incentives
due to unfamiliarity with the new sector, said Majumdar.

www.constructionweekonline.com February 2011 | MEP Middle East 15

NEWS ANALYSIS
US’s first LEED Platinum natatorium
The energy-efficient design saves 43% of the 25,000 square foot facility’s energy costs
NATATORIUM
Philadelphia’s Kappen Aquatic
Centre at the Overbrook School
for the Blind (OSB) is the US’s
fi rst LEED Platinum natatorium.
The energy-efficient design saves
43% of the 25,000 square foot fa-
cility’s energy costs compared to
a conventional natatorium.
The majority of the savings
come from off-peak energy load-
ing, architectural building enve-
lope features such as insulated
concrete forms and a HVAC de-
humidification system that uses
heat recovery from its dehumidi-
fication cycle to partially-heat/
cool the space, while also provid-
ing free pool water heating to the
75-by-50 foot competition pool
and large therapy pool.
However, the $11 million proj-
ect for OSB’s 200 visually-im-
paired and handicapped children
was not conceived as a LEED
project. Instead, OSB officials
had simply requested a green,
energy-efficient aquatic facility
to replace the campus’s 102-year-
old former pool building. Halfway
through the project, the design
team realised there were enough
potential credits for LEED
16 MEP Middle East | February 2011
Platinum. “We were surprised to
discover our final design strate-
gies could accumulate 53 credits,
which would qualify it as the fi rst
LEED Platinum natatorium in
the country,” said Daley + Jalboot
Architects project manager Amie
Leighton. Other factors racking
up the total LEED credits were
water-efficient landscaping, low-
flow water-saving fi xtures, recy-
cled and local materials, low vola-
tile organic compound (VOC)
materials and 77% construction
waste recycling.
The HVAC portion of the de-
sign includes energy recovery
equipment and fabric ductwork.
The BAS system was also vital to
the overall energy savings.
The Dry-O-Tron model DS-
282 by Dectron dehumidifies
the space to 50% relative humid-
ity (RH) with its environment-
friendly R-134a dual refrigeration
circuits, heats or cools the space,
The majority of the savings come from off-peak energy
loading, architectural building envelope features such as insulated
concrete forms and a HVAC dehumidification system.“
has built-in exhaust, two-inch in-
sulated casing and uses a hot gas
heat recovery method to provide
both free air and pool water heat-
ing prior to any heat rejection to
the outdoor condenser.
An estimated 100,000 gallons
of recovered condensate from
the dehumidification process is
sanitised and returned to the pool
annually as a water conservation
strategy. One of several engineer-
ing requests was exhaust energy
recovery using the dehumidi-
fier’s glycol Smart Saver passive
heat recovery system. The use of
glycol as a thermal fluid allows
the Smart Saver system to save
substantial energy year-round
by pre-cooling or pre-heating the
outdoor air.
The locker rooms also received
special energy-saving equipment.
An enthalpy wheel-equipped
energy recovery air-handling
unit controls the locker room
An example of a
natatorium or aquatic centre.
environment. The 4,000cfm unit
has capabilities of pre-heating
11˚ to 58˚F or pre-cooling 93˚F
dry bulb/75˚ F wet bulb to 81.7˚F
dry bulb/68.4˚F wet bulb. Other
equipment includes nine 310
Mbh, 93% efficient boilers for do-
mestic hot water. All water-circu-
lating pumps are manufactured
by Bell & Gossett.
As touch and hearing are im-
portant to the school’s vision-im-
paired students, the design team
incorporated several non-energy
related features. The dehumidi-
fier, for example, was built with
the two fan/motor/blower as-
semblies on springs to isolate any
mechanical vibration from the
building structure.
Likewise, mechanical noise is
also an issue for blind students. A
low sound outdoor condenser was
specified to run at 560rpm and a
sound pressure rating of 62dba at
10 feet from the unit.
www.constructionweekonline.com
 NEWS ANALYSIS
Thermal chimneys for Zayed Museum
The towers act as thermal chimneys to draw the air up vertically through the galleries
DESIGN
Foster + Partners, the UK-based
architectural fi rm behind such
innovative designs as Qatar’s Lu-
sail Iconic Stadium and Masdar
City, has unveiled yet another
breathtaking concept with its de-
sign for the Zayed National Mu-
seum in Abu Dhabi. The design
comprises five wing-shaped solar
towers sculpted aerodynami-
cally to work like the feathers of
a bird’s wing and draw cooling air
currents through the museum.
Conceived as a monument and
memorial to the late founding
president of the UAE, Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the
wing-shaped design was chosen
to reflect Sheikh Zayed’s love of
falconry. The museum will be the
centrepiece of the Saadiyat Island
Cultural District with the five
lightweight steel towers sitting
atop a man-made, landscaped
mound and the museum’s galler-
ies placed at their bases.
Fresh air that is captured at
low level and drawn through bur-
ied ground-cooling pipes is re-
leased into the museum’s lobby.
As the towers heat up, they act
as thermal chimneys to draw the
air up vertically through the gal-
leries by way of the thermal stack
effect. The thermal stack effect,
also referred to as the chimney
effect, is driven by buoyancy
that occurs due to a difference
in indoor-to-outdoor air density
resulting from temperature and
moisture differences.
The greater the thermal dif-
ference and the height of the
We have sought to establish a
building that will be an exemplar of
sustainable design, resonating with
Renderings of the Zayed
National Museum
Sheikh Zayed’s love of nature and his
in Abu Dhabi.
wider heritage.“ Lord Norman Foster
www.constructionweekonline.com
2014
Estimated completion date
structure, the greater the buoy-
ancy force, and thus the thermal
stack effect. Air vents at the top of
the wing-shaped towers also take
advantage of the negative pres-
sure on the lee side of the wing
profile to draw the hot air out and
keep the structures ventilated.
The central lobby is dug into
the earth to take advantage of
its thermal properties, while the
interior spaces open up to an
outdoor arena for live displays
featuring hunting birds. There is
also a gallery devoted to falconry
as part of a wider focus on con-
servation. “We have sought to es-
tablish a building that will be an
exemplar of sustainable design,
resonating with Sheikh Zayed’s
love of nature and his wider heri-
tage,” said Lord Norman Foster.
Saadiyat Island is located 500m
off the coast of Abu Dhabi and is
the largest single mixed-use de-
velopment in the Arabian Gulf.
Arranged as seven districts, the
Cultural District will also include
the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Mu-
seum, the Louvre Abu Dhabi,
as well as a Performing Arts
Centre and Maritime Museum.
The Zayed National Museum is
already under construction and
will be the fi rst of the museums
proposed for the island.
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 17
NEWS ANALYSIS

Solar cooling tech for Qatar stadia

Arup reveals ambitious plan to keep stadia cool and sustainable even at summer peak
SOLAR COOLING
A lot of the criticism surrounding
Qatar’s bid for the 2022 World
Cup focused on the climate issue,
given that most of the games will
be played during the country’s
hottest months of the year.
However, Qatar plans to air-
condition its stadia, with engi-
neering giant Arup revealing it
is possible to keep the football
stadia both cool and sustainable
even at the peak.
The venues’ solar panels will
operate year-round, continuously
exporting electrical energy to
the grid. On a match day, the re-
sultant higher electrical demand
will bring electricity back into
the facility from the grid.
This electricity, together with
generators using biofuels, pro-
vide robust and reliable power
for both technical and general
power, so the events are assured
power during the World Cup.
The amount of electricity gen-
erated in this manner from the commissioned to demonstrate to
sun exceeds the amount of elec- FIFA and the worldwide audience COOLING CLAIMS FACE HEAT
tricity imported for events over that the climate over the summer
the year, making the facility zero months is not a barrier to hosting Qatar’s recent 2022 World Cup win has brought about a focus on large
carbon for electricity. global events. scale air-conditioning, particularly when summer temperatures in the
Qatar’s successful 2022 FIFA The showcase incorporates PV country regularly pass 40°C. Twelve stadia will be built in total, with
World Cup award was aided by to convert the energy of the sun several being ‘open air’. All will incorporate solar technology to generate
a 500-seater ‘demonstration’ sta- into electricity, and capturing electricity, and when not in use this will be diverted back onto the grid.
dium, used as a high-profile plat- and converting the sun’s heat into This arrangement is claimed to facilitate carbon-neutral stadiums.
form to refi ne technologies. cooling for summertime air-con However, this claim has been challenged due to the gas used in the
The Showcase stadium was using under-seat supply. actual A/C units, which will produce a degree of leakage into the at-
mosphere. Furthermore, the huge energy demands required to power the
facilities may not be fully covered by solar technology.
Writing in The Telegraph, Professor Graeme Maidment, South Bank
University, said: “Although the stadia claim to be ‘carbon neutral’, it is not
clear whether this assessment has included the impact of cooling gases;
10% of all greenhouse gases are from refrigeration and air-con; about
one third of this is from air-con.”
The amount of energy that will be used is immeasurable at the mo-
ment. However, David Butler of the Building Research Establishment
said: “Putting solar panels on the outside of the Qatari stadium will not
generate enough energy to cool it. They will simply run out of juice as the
amount of energy required will far outstrip the number of panels.”
Maidment suggests adopting a cooling cycle approach to harness
the heat. “We would encourage them to use adsorption and absorption
bridge technology, which means the cooling will be powered by renew-
A 500-seat ‘demonstration’ or showcase stadium has been built to refine the solar able means.”
air-con technology that will be deployed in Qatar.

18 MEP Middle East | February 2011 www.constructionweekonline.com


On the site next to the PV pan-
els is an array of solar heat col-
lectors. These have a series of
motorised mirrors that track the
sun, focussing the sun’s power
onto collecting tubes, which have
hot water circulating in them.
They collect this energy in the
form of heat, which is converted
into cooling for the showcase
environment, and electricity to
supply lighting, power and other
functions within the space.
The solar energy heats water
to 200°C, and is converted to
cooling water by absorption chill-
ers. The air-handling units sup-
ply this air to the area beneath
the spectator seats.
This cools the seating area of
the stadium, and flows down to
create cooling for the players.
Importantly, the surfaces of the
showcase are designed to remain
cool throughout the match to
help to stabilise the heat gains
from lights and people.
Terrain Drainage Seminar: Doha, Qatar
Wednesday 16th February 2011
For further information and to register your FREE attendance, please contact
Call: +971 (0)4 204 5258 Email: kat.valani@polypipe.com
For further information on our products and services, contact our local experts.
Contact us +971 (0)4 609 1371
www.polypipe.com
www.constructionweekonline.com
500
SEAT
Capacity of the ‘Showcase’
demonstration stadium
The canopy roof is a world-first.
Kat Valani, Marketing Manager
international@polypipe.com
NEWS ANALYSIS
The maximum temperatures
are below the relevant guidelines
set by the FIFA medical commit-
tee so as to avoid players suffer-
ing significant heat stress, and
also beat the ASHR AE comfort
standards for spectators. During
the FIFA visit to the showcase
stadium, with an outside tem-
perature of 44°C only two hours
www.polypipegulf.com
earlier, the temperature on the
pitch was 23°C.
Prior to any matches, the
showcase runs empty, and with-
out people for the day before
the event, will make best use of
the sun’s free energy to cool the
building and the pitch down.
The canopy roof, believed
to be the fi rst of its kind in the
world, moves to provide cooling
shade within the building and in-
sulates against the hot sun.
The canopy can be positioned
to protect from wind during
match times, and let spectators
and players take advantage of
natural ventilation.
The canopy roof can be closed
in the run-up to any soccer event,
so as to allow the cooling to work
at maximum efficiency. This will
cool down the total stadium vol-
ume ready for match time in the
summer evenings, at which point
the roof can be opened to reveal
the view of the sky.
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 19
NEWS ANALYSIS

World Cup a big challenge for Qatar

Huge additional demand for water supply and sewerage treatment due to tourist influx
INFRASTRUCTURE
The 2022 FIFA World Cup pos-
es a massive infrastructural
challenge for Kahramaa (Qatar
General Electricity and Wa-
ter Corporation, said Cognyst
International MD Dr Howard
Scott at the Smart Grids Middle
East conference in Dubai.
“Utilities worldwide have
decided to become smart. The
reason is very simple, as utili-
ties have to serve the advanc-
ing needs of their customers
and their countries. They must
gather much more data in order
to be able to do that, and then
they have to use that data to im-
prove the performance of their
services. This trend is happen-
ing everywhere. So the fact we
are seeing a significant increase
in interest in smart grids from
the Gulf is no surprise at all.
“This is the very fi rst time
there has ever been a World Cup
in this part of the world. Most of
the anticipated infl ux of visitors
from the Americas, Asia and Eu-
rope will never have been to the
region before, and will have no
idea how modern or diverse it
is. Hence it will become a global
showcase for the entire region,”
said Dr Scott.
“The end result is going to be
an astounding growth in infra-
structure in the region. This will
be advanced mainly by smart
grids and smart metering. The
reason for this is you cannot do
all that is needed in terms of
hosting such an event without
having the basic infrastructure
in place. Nothing runs without
electricity; people cannot sur-
vive without water.
“The huge number of people
coming here will challenge
what exists today. As a result,
utilities such as Kahramaa will
have to plan now what is going
An ecstatic HE Sheikh Mohammes bin Hamad Al-Thani,
to be needed for dealing with chairman of the Qatar bid, hoists the trophy after win-
that demand in 12 years,” urged ning the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Dr Scott. The massive demand

20 MEP Middle East | February 2011 www.constructionweekonline.com


posed for hotels and restaurants
means the grid and water infra-
structure have to be dramati-
cally expanded. “The challenge
for Qatar is that it will have to
be better than the previous
venue, and that is not so easy
to do, with South Africa having
set a very high standard. There
was little disruption to matches;
it did not have power outages
or shortages of potable water,
and so forth. It was an excel-
lent showcase for local culture;
there was superb improvements
made to the transportation sys-
tem; the stadia were magnifi -
cent. Qatar has to do all this and
much more,” argued Dr Scott.
“When the visitors leave,
they must be happy and praise
the region and its people, its
safety and its progress. This is
all easily doable – but you need
to start planning now.” Dr Scott
praised the solar-powered and
cooled stadia, while stressing
www.constructionweekonline.com
the importance of timing. “You
cannot really start building the
stadia now, because they will
be old by the time you host the
event in 12 years. One has to
balance the risk of when do you
start with are we going to be
ready in time.”
A requirement of such a ma-
jor international event is no
power outages or brownouts,
which meant South Africa had
to build two sub-stations for ev-
ery stadium. “Effectively each
of these stadiums became a mi-
cro grid. There was a primary
sub station, a ‘hot’ back-up, and
then if that went down, the host
city was the second back-up. It
was an astounding amount of
infrastructural development re-
quired,” said Dr Scott.
He pointed out that South
Africa did not have sufficient
time to implement energy effi -
ciency at its stadia, which poses
a huge opportunity for Qatar to
NEWS ANALYSIS
Kahramaa will be a role model for all
utilities. This is an opportunity to redefine
the industry. The real goal is to use the
World Cup to build for the future. “
showcase the latest technology “There were over three mil-
and design. “You will fi nd that lion attendees at the event in
with the modern stadiums to South Africa. The current popu-
be built in Qatar, they will think lation of Qatar is 1.6million. If
about this. They will want to you look at a similar six-week
make sure that people look upon time period of the event as in
them as real leaders. They have South Africa, you are going to
12 years to do that.” have at least 500,000 new visi-
Dr Scott also warned it did tors at any one time.
not make sense to concentrate “Kahramaa will be a role mod-
the necessary construction in a el for all utilities. This is an op-
“big blip towards the end. What portunity to redefi ne the indus-
make sense is to build up to the try. It is not that easy for such
event, as you are going to want a small country to hold such a
to start testing the infrastruc- huge event. Remember, this is
ture and be able to use all these a one-time only event. The real
hotels and restaurants in the goal is to use the World Cup to
run-up to the event. build for the future.”
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 21
MEP AWARDS

GET READY FOR MEP AWARDS 2011

The Web site for the MEP Awards 2011 will go live soon, with a full listing of
this year’s categories and details on how to submit nominations on-line.

Back: Sougata Nandi, TECOM Investments; James Keirle, BK Gulf Group; Richard Smith, Atkins; Ralph D'Souza, Voltas;
Navin Valrani, Al Shirawi U.S. Chillers; Shaukat Ali Mir, Voltas; Michael Berry, CKR Consulting Engineers; Anil Menon,
CKR Consulting Engineers; Front: Trevor Powell, Red Engineering; Paul Allen, Red Engineering; Gopal Sharma, Voltas;
Hassan Youness, DC Pro Engineering; Jeán van Loggerenberg, CKR Consulting Engineers.

ast year’s awards event was held at the out in the sector – especially in 2010, a year 2010 Awards had a record number of entries
Westin in Dubai, and celebrated the when, in the wake of the downturn, compa- over the previous year, reflecting the resi-
achievements of the MEP sector after nies had to take stock of their business mod- lience and tenacity of the sector.
what was billed as a ‘difficult year’. els and realign for future growth. “There is a saying that, when the going
The MEP awards, now in its fi fth Last year’s judges commented on an “as- gets tough, the tough get going. In the face
year in 2011, honours those indi- tounding” range of projects submitted. “It is of much adversity in 2010, the MEP sector
viduals, companies, projects, in- great to see many of them still being deliv- knuckled down to what it excels at: making
novations and achievements that have stood ered by excellent MEP professionals.” The buildings work,” said the judges.
“One of the dominant points in the project
MEP AWARDS 2010 WINNERS category was only one single consultancy
entry, with all the rest coming from contrac-
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR: BladeRoom tors and one from the supply/delivery chain.
ME HEALTH & SAFETY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: BK Gulf This just amplifies the depth of skills cur-
PROJECT MANAGER OF THE YEAR: D. Sampath – Voltas rently present in the Middle East.
YOUNG ENGINEER OF THE YEAR: Hassan Youness – DC Pro Engineering “The sheer scale of many of the projects
ENGINEER OF THE YEAR: Paul Allen – Red Engineering was also mind-boggling, although it may well
SUSTAINABLE GCC PROJECT OF THE YEAR: Dubai Studio City, TecomInvestments be this will not be seen again in the near fu-
OVERALL GCC PROJECT OF THE YEAR: Ferrari World, Voltas ture – which is a shame, of course, but we do
ME SPECIALIST CONSULTANCY OF THE YEAR: CKR Consulting Engineers have to build for the human scale, not just
ME SPECIALIST CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR: Al Shirawi US Chillers the Google scale!” said the judges.
ME MEP CONSULTANCY OF THE YEAR: Atkins www.constructionweekonline.com/
ME MEP CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR: Voltas mepawards

22 MEP Middle East | February 2011 www.constructionweekonline.com


SPECIALIST CONSULTANCY
TANCY 2010
SHORTLIST
Al Mashriq International Engineering
Consultancy
CKR Consulting Engineers
Red Engineering
Specialised Engineering Consultants
(SPeC)
KEO International Consultants
WINNER
CKR Consulting Engineers
T
he judges noted the exceptional ca-
pability of this consultancy “to drive
the best possible value cutting-edge
technology. This is key to the future
development of the MEP sector, es-
pecially given the huge emphasis placed on
these ser vices in the current hi-tech build-
ing automation arena.”
The judges also noted that CKR Consult-
ing Engineers “is probably one of only a
handful of consultancies in the world able
www.constructionweekonline.com
ll gamut of in-house ser vvices
to offer the full
letion, from tradi
from concept to completion, tradition-
ectronic and
al MEP works to high-end electronics
IT/integrated systems.”
Founded in Johannesburg, South Africa
in 1983, CKR established a Dubai division
in 2001. In a decade it has clocked up such
iconic projects as the Royal Mirage Resort,
Bab Al Shams and Madinat Jumeirah.
SPECIALIST CONTRACTOR 2010
SHORTLIST
BK Gulf Group
Drake & Scull International
Rental Solutions & Services
Trent Technical Services
Al Shirawi U.S. Chillers
WINNER
Al Shirawi U.S. Chillers
A
l Shirawi US Chillers won Middle
East Specialist Contractor of the
Year at the MEP Awards 2010, held
last night at the Westin in Dubai.
“Maintenance is an area of MEP that
is growing in importance, along with energy
efficiency. We are a heavy-tonnage chiller as
well as an energy solutions provider. We eat,
sleep and breathe chillers,” said Al Shirawi
U.S. Chillers director Navin Valrani.
“Our speciality is to offer and maintain
chilled water plants that beat the design
parameters set by the OEMs. With the cur-
rent economic climate, we see the scope for
retrofitting increasing in future. Business
is picking up, we are gaining market share,
and we are looking forward to a really good
MEP AWARDS
One of a handful of
consultancies able to offer the
full gamut of in-house services
from traditional MEP works to
high-end solutions.“ Judges
The winner utilises the
latest technology on behalf of its
clients.“ Judges
2011,” said Valrani. The judges commented
that this was probably the hardest category
to adjudicate, given the wide range of spe-
cialists represented and the broad scope of
services offered. Each submission demon-
strated a highly skilled and specialised area
of the MEP contracting business. There was
one Highly Commended nominee: the judges
praised BK Gulf for its initiatives to improve
prefabrication in the local market.
The winner “is not only a maintenance
company, but utilises the latest technology on
behalf of its clients. Trusted by many top-end
customers, it maintains an enviable reputa-
tion. The winner champions a customer-
focused approach to field engineering and
consultation services.
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 23
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Due
diligence
Ramboll sustainability and renewables director Heath
Andersen on the impact of increased due diligence on
consultants and contractors.
ndersen says “the award was
a fantastic win. We were very
pleased with that. It points to
the fact we are doing some-
thing right, and people ob-
viously appreciate that. It
does give some validation
to our direction and strat-
egy. Part of that has been
energy efficiency and
sustainability, but equally importantly, it has
been delivering quality service. It does not
matter what services we are delivering here,
it is all about the quality at the end of the
day. We are designers, and what we deliver
on is our reputation. It is probably our main
driver, and the key performance indicator of
the business.”
Towards the end of last year, Rambol an-
nounced it had clinched a slew of project
work across the region. The first project was
the new 200,000m2 Taj Halab development
in Syria’s northern historic city of Aleppo,
which Andersen says is expected to go out to
tender early this year. Ramboll has provided
full building design services for the four-star
150-room Key Novotel and three-star 129-
room Key Ibis, in addition to a convention
centre that will inter-connect the two hotels.
The second project was the design of the
new 285-room, five-star Hilton Hotel on Jor-
dan’s east coast, overlooking the Dead Sea.
The resort will feature seven restaurants, a
spa and one of the largest convention cen-
tres in the region. Ramboll has completed
the design, and this project is also due to go
out to tender, says Andersen.
www.constructionweekonline.com
THE BIG INTERVIEW
Closer to home, the third project
was a five-storey, 220-bed military hos-
pital in Sharjah, comprising two resi-
dential buildings for medical staff, a
mosque, emergency helipad, air-con
ambulance garage, armoury, chemi-
cal storage facility and security
gatehouse. The total built-up area is
75,000m2, with capacity for 3,000 vis-
itors, staff and patients. The fourth
project was the 300-bed, 95,000m2 Al
Maktoum Accident and Emergency
Hospital in Dubai.
Commenting on the challenges of
working in markets as diverse as the
UAE, Syria and Jordan, Andersen
says: “Most of these places have
their respective challenges. It is like
going into any market. Whether it
is Syria, London or Africa, you have
got to appreciate the local condi-
tions, and you either work with
them or you do not work at all.”
Ramboll does not have offices in
most of these areas, but instead
“if we have a good client with a
project there, we will go over with
them, and resource such projects
out of this [the Dubai] office.”
Piggybacking with clients in this
fashion “makes for a good team
at the end of the day that is fo-
cused and skilled.
“Of course, we want to build
new relationships, but it is the
existing relationships we value
the most, as we have worked with
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 25
THE BIG INTERVIEW
Shining Towers in Abu Dhabi is a pair of multi-storey towers (one 33, the other 42), that appear to lean in two
directions. Ramboll won Tower of the Year for its work on this project at the Construction Week Awards 2010.
these clients in the past, we know what they
are after and we have delivered. Our client
base is the company’s most important as-
set. Existing relationships will become a key
theme of the year ahead. It is a definite fo-
cus that is paying off in terms of continued
work,” says Andersen.
Returning to the company’s diverse spread
of work, Andersen says this is more of an
underlying principle of the company than a
conscious strategy in the wake of the down-
turn. “Dubai has never been our exclusive
focus,” he says. “That has helped us through
the lean times in a big way, as it is all about
key clients and going wherever they want to
go, if it is the right solution. I do see us car-
rying out more projects outside of the UAE
this year than last year,” says Andersen.
In terms of business going forward into
2011, Andersen notes: “It was surprisingly
26 MEP Middle East | February 2011
busy bid-proposal wise in the first two weeks
of the new year. It was quite active even over
the Christmas and holiday period. I think a
lot of this was people getting out of the gate
early in terms of Qatar’s successful 2022
FIFA World Cup bid. Some of it was specula-
tive retail stuff, which was interesting to see.
Our outlook for 2011 is probably similar to
2010. It is still going to be a tough year, I
think, but with a bit of growth, during which
we will concentrate on our core services
and then look to develop elsewhere in the
region,” says Andersen.
The current market is significantly differ-
ent to the ‘business as usual’ of the past. “If
you could get it done, they were prepared
to pay whatever and whoever, whereas now
there is so much more due diligence in the
process, and you work at it really hard. In a
lot of ways it is really good to see that. It is
40%-50%
Energy savings that can be effected
if consultants are incentivised to
produce better designs
tough; we are not going to say it is easy. But
it is good to see that, because I think we are
very strong at analysing a bid and then go-
ing on to deliver projects. We enjoy working
with other architects and clients who like
that as well, because for one it provides an
even playing field, one where we can show
that we can compete and deliver.
Looking at Dubai in particular, Andersen
says this particular segment of the UAE
market “is definitely quite flat. Construction-
wise we have still a few projects going at a
moderate pace. There are definitely some
more interesting sectors. This is for very
specific projects, not speculative office or
residential, but buildings built for a purpose.
They have got a client and a user base, and
they are the ones we are seeing in the mar-
ket right now. In a lot of ways that is prob-
ably Dubai maturing and moving onto the
next phase of its construction life, which is
what all cities do. It is interesting to see it in
Dubai. Construction-wise it has made it a lot
smaller market at the moment, which is fair
enough, as this is probably where it needs to
be,” says Andersen.
“Abu Dhabi is still moving along nicely,
which is good. It is probably more govern-
ment-driven, as there are not so many of
private investors. We still see quite a few
projects coming out of there.” In terms of
Ramboll’s regional spread, Andersen says
“we have a good feeling for 2011 once you
tally up Qatar, Saudi and Oman. I think over-
all as a region it is looking good. We serve
the region out of the Dubai office, and it will
keep us busy, I think.”
Another interesting market that Ramboll
is attempting to crack is Libya, where it has
a project office. “This is a difficult market,
dominated by Chinese, Korean and Turkish
companies. A lot of getting Libya right has
meant working with a local partner effec-
tively, making sure we have a good relation-
ship in place and building on that. They can
help us out with local authorities and other
issues, and we can help them with the world-
class technical skills. We have a good part-
ner there so it has been working well for us.
But there are lots of challenges, that is for
sure,” says Andersen.
www.constructionweekonline.com

In terms of current challenges, Andersen
says that payments and liquidity have eased
quite a lot due to the banks lending again. “It
is more focused now on the clients who have
the confidence to go ahead with a project and
are serious about it. There probably were a
few more speculative projects a few years
ago. We are now carrying out due diligence
as much as the client is before we take on a
project so as to ensure it is the right project
for us and the client.” Andersen says clients
are also becoming more sophisticated and
demanding. “A consultant is probably 1% to
2% of the total cost. If you give him a little bit
extra, they will come up with designs which
that will impact on 40% to 50% of the total
cost. If you give them a little extra time and
incentive, they are bound to deliver a better
product. Clients are slowly starting to real-
ise and appreciate that, he says.
“Probably one of the better things about
the bigger, government-type organisations
is they do have a long-term strategy. They
understand the operational costs over the
lifetime of a building, and are more keen to
explore those through lifecycle assessments
The region is on an upward curve, says Andersen.
CONTRACTORS FOCUS ON DESIGN, BUILD
Ramboll has entered into a unique research
project with Samsung Construction to develop
a regional database of sustainable construction
materials. “We see the market moving a little bit
more towards design and build, so we have been
developing our relationship with key contractors,
Samsung being one of them,” says sustainability
and renewables director Heath Andersen.
“We have worked with contractors in the
past, but in the last year we broke it down into a
couple of key ones we really wanted to develop
relationships with, including Samsung, which
www.constructionweekonline.com
THE BIG INTERVIEW
I personally would like to see the same standards
applied throughout the UAE. “
and various other techniques to prove that
the project’s options will pay for themselves
or will be of value over the entire life of the
project. It is good to see more and more
clients doing that. As for niche markets for
consultants, I still think there are opportuni-
ties to show those skills around energy ef-
ficiency and sustainability.”
These issues are becoming more and more
important as clients evolve. Andersen adds
that Abu Dhabi’s “Estidama [rating system]
has been a great initiative. It is a tool for the
new decade. It is the evolution of the sustain-
ability tools, and it is great to see the Urban
Planning Council pushing that through, so
let us see where that goes.” Commenting on
Abu Dhabi’s new building code, Andersen
applauds the unification. “We have designed
to British and US standards, and mixes of
both which people require, but it is good
to see them consolidated into one consist-
ent code. I think this is not just good for
the industry, but for the end client as well.
In many ways this should deliver a more
efficient design process, because you go in
knowing exactly what the codes are, rather
than having to have discussion and analysis
beforehand. This clarity it provides the de-
signer will give even better direction, so he
can focus on delivering a quality project for
the client. I think it is a great step forward.
“I know Dubai has been working on its
own green standards as well. I do know the
emirates get together and discuss these
things. I personally would like to see them
have the same standards throughout the
UAE. Again it would save the clients and the
government money, if it is consistent across
the board, and I am sure they are driving to-
has been involved in LEED projects around
the region. They are looking to helping their
specification ad procurement departments a
bit more. What we are actually doing is we are
working with Samsung to develop a sustainable
materials databse specifically for their projects
for procuring and bidding in the Middle East.
“We are looking at China, Singapore, India. It
is a research project; it is not something where
they are trying to make money. It is not only
about developing relationships, it is also about
trying to give something back to the industry.”
Heath Andersen
wards that. The sooner it comes into play the
better it will be for the industry and the end
user,” says Andersen. “It takes some of the
vagueness out of the process, and it ensures
the client gets a building that does what they
want it to – and that is what they are after in
the end. Building that deliver the needs they
have been designed to fulfill.”
In terms of latest developments, Andersen
says the licence for the new Saudi office “is
in process. We are putting some enquiries
out through different avenues; a lot of our
projects will go through together with an
architect. We have also been doing our own
direct marketing, to build awareness among
clients. Of course, Saudi Arabia is an impor-
tant focus for the company. It is a big market
with a lot of potential and desire to grow, so
we see that as a key part of our strategy in
the years going forward.”
Andersen says that staffing levels have
not yet been finalised. “We are doing a few
small projects here and there, but once we
get some real traction, then we will make
some decisions. There are obvious HR is-
sues we have to deal with, such as visas,
which is tough. I can see it being a project
management office where we staff it with
project managers and do a lot of the design
work in our Dubai office, which is similar to
us doing some work out of Europe, depend-
ing on the project. We have already been do-
ing a couple of projects where the specific
skills needed, for example, are in Sweden,
and then we have project managers on the
ground delivering it.”
Looking at the job market, Andersen says
“I think it is still probably an employers’
market, though salaries are not going down
and have definitely stabilised for a while,
but it would not take much to turn to an
employees’ market. A lot of companies are
also looking at different business models for
this part of the world, which changes where
these resources are required.
“There are always some tweaks going on
in any business. It is a constant challenge
to ensure we are maintaining the business
constantly, as being a consultancy, our prime
resources is our staff.
“Making sure we have the right skills
and they are in the right frame of mind is
a large part of delivering a quality product.
It is tough in a tight market as well,” says
Andersen.
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 27
MIDDLE EAST ELECTRICITY 2011
Power
debate
Local, regional and international experts will attend Middle East Electricity
from 8 to 10 February at the Dubai World Trade Centre
o keep pace with a rapidly-
growing economy, as well as
a burgeoning population, it is
imperative that regional govern-
ments not only expand, but im-
prove, their power infrastructure
to meet future residential, com-
mercial and industrial demand.
MEE 2011 exhibition director
Anita Mathews commented: “Smart grids
use existing technology that can efficiently
deliver reliable energy, as well as integrating
clean and renewable energy, increasing effi-
ciency and reducing carbon emissions.”
By tracking the growth in peak demand,
energy-management systems can allow the
integration of higher ratios of cleaner ener-
gy sources, such as wind and solar, into the
system. Smart grid technologies also help to
manage variances in output and streamline
reliability giving a more balanced and sus-
tainable supply. “Managing energy through
forecast models along with integrated fore-
casting technologies which predict the re-
newable energy available allow power plants
to operate more efficiently,” said Mathews.
Scott Minos, senior policy and communi-
cations specialist at the US Department of
Energy, will discuss how the Obama Admin-
istration is taking a different energy path to
that of George W. Bush, and what the GCC
Smart grids use
existing technology that
can deliver reliable energy
efficiently.“
Anita Mathews
28 MEP Middle East | February 2011
can learn from its efficiency models. “Na-
tions can take steps to manage energy more
productively; this means managing demand,
supply and footprint,” said Minos.
Elsewhere on the programme, Alan Shin-
gler, Chair of Sustainable Futures Group,
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA),
will look at energy conservation through a
building-design approach. “It is pointless em-
bracing energy efficiency if poor or outdated
building design is going to consume exces-
sive electricity and produce surplus carbon
emissions,” added Mathews.
Other speakers include Dr. Maher Cheb-
bo, smart grids Chairman of WG3, Europe-
an Union, who will present a case study on
smart grids, and Dr Dave A. Cartes, direc-
tor, Institute for Energy Systems, Economics
and Sustainability. MEE, the region’s largest
trade show for the power and energy sector,
is now in its 36th year, and focuses on the
latest developments in the power generation
sector in the region.
An example of such developments is the
1,221TWH
Oman Electricity Transmission Company BMI’s Middle East and Africa power-
(OETC) undertaking a major expansion of its generation estimate for 2010
transmission infrastructure aimed at, among
other things, connecting three new power
schemes to the national grid. Agreements
totaling $301.7million have been signed re- EXHIBITORS OF NOTE
cently for the execution of a number of con-
tracts that will pave the way for a substantial Ducab Hall 7, Stand E10
upgrade of the power grid, also known as the 3M Gulf Zabeel, Stand J01
Main Interconnected System (MIS), owned,
operated and managed by OETC.
AEI Cables Zabeel Stand W70
Atlas Copco Services ME Hall 4, Stand G30
The lion’s share is earmarked for the con-
struction of new grid stations and transmis-
Cummins Hall 4, Stand A10
Cooper Industries Hall 7, Stand B10
sion lines designed to evacuate power from Fluke Europe Atrium, Stand 219
two new Independent Power Projects (IPPs) PTL Solar FZ LLC Hall 8, Stand E19
under development at Barka and Sohar on Leroy Somer Hall 3, Stand F50
the Batinah coast. Dubbed Barka-3 and So- Eaton Corporation Hall 7, Stand D10
har-2, the new IPPs will contribute around
www.constructionweekonline.com
 MIDDLE EAST ELECTRICITY 2011

1,500MW of new power-generation capac- scheme to be evacuated to the grid. Like-

ity to the grid. The most significant by far
is a contract for the construction of a new
grid station that will connect a giant power
scheme planned at Sur in the Sharqiyah re-
gion to the power grid.
At 2,000MW, the Sur IPP, currently un-
der tender, is set to be the Sultanate’s big-
gest greenfield power project. To evacuate
power from this massive IPP, OETC is com-
mitting $86million towards the construction
of a 220kV grid station at Sur, as well as an
associated overhead transmission line that
will run 129km from Sur to Jahlut in Mus-
cat Governorate. A further $65million is be-
ing earmarked for the construction of new
220KV grid stations at Barka and Misfah
(near Rusayl in Muscat Governorate).
The two grid stations will be linked by
53km of 220kV overhead lines and 10km of
underground lines. When completed, the
new transmission network will allow for
power from Barka-3’s new 744MW power
wise, OETC is investing $36.4million in a
separate contract involving the installation
of a 220kV double circuit connecting the So-
har 220kV grid station to Seeh al Makarim.
This key project is designed to connect the
new Sohar-2 power scheme (also boasting a
maximum generation capacity of 744MW) to
be connected to the national grid.
Other regional developments include
Saudi Electricity Company unveiling a com-
prehensive investment plan for 2011 that in-
cludes the construction of 56HV power sta-
tions to reach 309,000 new subscribers, as
the state-backed supplier races to meet the
country’s rising energy demand. A building
contract has already been signed for projects
in Riyadh and the Eastern Province.
Saudi Arabia is aiming to address a surge
in demand for power on the back of a rise in
both population and industry as its economy
expands. Banque Saudi Fransi estimated
that the demand is increasing 8%.

INTERPLAST ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS

Interplast Electrical Products, with its diverse
product range, offers a one-stop solution to
the construction industry for all its electrical
products requirements in the low-voltage
management segment. Interplast is a flagship
company of the Harwal Group, with global
offices and operations spread across the
Middle East, UK, France, the US, Cyprus,
Armenia and Russia.
Interplast manufactures electrical products
under its own brands. The company has
manufacturing facilities spread across the
UAE an Saudi Arabia. These brand names
comprise the following product ranges:

Decoduct: conduits, trunking, accessories

and industrial cable management systems in
uPVC and metal.
Edison: Various ranges of switches, sockets
and electrical wiring devices and accessories
under four series, namely Dura Finish,
Designer, Royale and Nano.
Intergard: Offers PVC, HDPE and LDPE cable
covers, boards and tapes for warning and
protection of all kinds of cable distribution
systems.
Decovolt: A new range that includes lighting,
switchgears and metal enclosures.

Visit us at the Middle East Electricity

Exhibition at Stand 6A50 in Hall 5.

www.constructionweekonline.com February 2011 | MEP Middle East 29

TEMPORARY POWER

Power
source
The temporary power market is adapting to new
market challenges and increasing customer focus
on energy efficiency and technology trends.

lectricity demand in the Mid- region every summer, particularly in the

dle East is on an accelerating UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.
upward curve, peaking dur- Moreover, MENA in general is experiencing
ing the hot summer months power outages all year round. This is particu-
when total demand comes larly true in Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria,
perilously close to outstripping Jordan, Egypt and Algeria due to the lack of
generation capacity. “Sum- power infrastructure,” says RSS GM: power
mer is a demanding time. As projects Peter den Boogert.
the temperature soars, so of Of course, utilities are not the only sectors
course does the use of elec- making use of temporary power. “There are
tricity. We regularly work with utility compa- three major sectors that propel the rental
nies in order to ensure that sufficient power
is readily available and supplied consistently Peter den RSS has supplied iconic Dubai proj-
throughout the season,” says Aggreko MD Boogert. ects such as Meydan Racecourse
and and Dubai Metro.
Phil Burns.
An example of Aggreko’s proactive ap-
proach to helping utilities cope with the
summer peak demand has been its project to
supply the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC)
with 100MW of temporary power. Under the
scope of the contract, Aggreko supplied pow-
er to six sites in the Qassim region, north of
the capital Riyadh, with 80MW being sup-
plied at 13.8kV and 20MW at 33kV to suit the
requirements of the local substations. The
company has also supplied the Oman Power
and Water Procurement Company (OPWP)
with 117MW across five sites during the
three months of the peak summer period.
Another benefit of this situation has been
that supplementing generation capacity due
to outages as a result of the peak load, espe-
cially in the northern emirates. For example,
Rental Solutions & Services (RSS) has sup-
plied additional power to the Hail power plant
in Saudi Arabia, staving off potential power
cuts. “There are power outages in the Gulf

30 MEP Middle East | February 2011 www.constructionweekonline.com

 TEMPORARY POWER
power business in the region: utilities, con-
struction and oil and gas,” says den Boogert.
The construction sector has taken a beat-
ing during the economic downturn, even if
strong declines in some places were offset
by government investment programmes
in countries such as Saudi Arabia. “Before
the recession, the construction industry
was our second-largest sector in the Mid-
dle East. Difficult economic times meant we
had to move away from this market, as many
projects came to a standstill and were can-
celled,” says Burns.
IMPACT
Aggreko is not the only company that has
felt the impact of the global financial crisis.
Cummins GM Wassim Abou Shaar concurs
that the impact was, indeed, marked, as con-
struction accounted for a sizeable chunk of
its overall revenue. “Our sales went down by
30% year-on-year in 2009,” says Abou Shaar.
“But now we are catching up quickly.”
“The construction industry in the Middle
East is definitely seeing an upturn,” confirms
www.constructionweekonline.com
Burns. “Of course, with Qatar having staged
a successful bid for the 2022 FIFA World
Cup, we anticipate a busy few years in Qatar
as it begins construction on the many stadia
and hotels needed to host the event.”
“I hope that the evolution of gensets and
engines over the last decade continues on
the same scale during the next 12 years lead-
ing up to the World Cup, so we are able to
offer achievable solutions to Qatar,” says
den Boogert.” Apart from the genset side, a
couple like RSS is also able to offer its cool-
ing expertise. “We have the ideas, we have
the assets and we have the experience to as-
sist with the air-con for these large types of
outdoor events.”
The prevailing economic situation has
not been entirely bad for rental companies,
points out Burns. “Rental power became a
popular option for companies in all industries
during the downturn, as companies tried to
prevent large capex.” Another consequence
of this trend has seen rental companies
pushing ever further afield, with Cummins
for example focusing on US military instal-
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 31
TEMPORARY POWER
A 40MW temporary power project supplied by Aggreko.
lations in Iraq. Based in the harsh desert cli-
mate of Iraq and Afghanistan without access
to a reliable grid, US and coalition forces
have a huge demand for small-scale power
plants and machine engines. “We cater for
almost the entire Middle East market from
our headquarters in Dubai, so if the market
slows down a little in the UAE, for instance,
we can pick up the slack in Afghanistan and
Iraq,” notes Abou Shaar.
“The region is very important to us,” af-
firms den Boogert. “2011 will be focused
mainly on moving further afield. We are
keeping the door open for countries like Af-
ghanistan. Iraq and Yemen, which
are in dire need of power infra-
structure. We are also look-
ing into Africa and South
America.”
RSS is one of the newest
rental companies in the sec-
tor, having set up shop in
the Dubai in 2007. “The in-
spiration behind the com-
pany was people involved
Wassim Abou Shaar
from Cummins.
32 MEP Middle East | February 2011
with the manufacture of cooling equipment,
who hit on the idea of chiller rentals. The
idea behind this was that, with chillers hav-
ing to run off motors, gensets would have
to be supplied as well,” explains den Boog-
ert. Thus RSS progressed from cooling to
gensets and then ultimately temporary pow-
er supply, with den Boogert newly-appointed
to oversee the growth and development of
this fledgling division.
“An ancillary focus of power is, of course,
water. We are able to pack a reverse osmosis
installation into a container for easy transport
and install it on-site for water provision.” An
overarching focus is what den Boogert
terms ‘consultancy services engi-
neering’. “The good thing about
such an expanded focus is that
if you have to maintain overall
customer assets, then you can
bring in your assets as well for
emergencies.
24/7 BUSINESS
“Rental is a 24/7 business; it is
fulfilling customer needs in a
very short period of time,” says
den Boogert. Another key differ-
entiator is that the com-
pany retains the
assets after the
rental period is
over. This might
seem like stat-
ing the obvious,
but it is a major
focal point that
underlines every
aspect of the
business. “Our
Phil Burns from Aggreko.
sales managers get the assets back after the
rental period, whereas when a dealer closes
a sale, the transaction, project and process
is finished. So we have a 24/7 model, which
is appreciated by a lot of our customers, as
we can deliver services on a continual basis.
This is not an exceptional undertaking for
us; it is an ordinary requirement. That as-
pect of the business is becoming ever more
interesting,” says den Boogert.
In terms of major cooling projects, RSS
supplied all the temporary air-con needs for
the Dubai Metro Red line, and will be doing
the same for the Green line. “I prefer the
term semi-permanent rather than temporary
solutions. It is a lot like Portacabins in that
everybody requires them for a couple of
months, and then if you look back, they stay
for years and years and essentially become
part of the infrastructure.”
This segues neatly into the topic of inde-
pendent power plant (IPP), as opposed to
temporary solutions, which den Boogert
explains is integrated with a substation-like
structure. “These power plants, consist-
ing of generators, fuel tanks, cables and a
transformer are very sophisticated pieces of
equipment that can be considered as substa-
tions, as they have all the main features inte-
grated into them, including safety and secu-
rity. We can guarantee the same parameters
as an installed substation. All we need for
the transformers is a power grid somewhere
that we can connect directly into.”
These IPPs are transported directly to
site in 20 to 40 foot long containers. “That
is the good part about them, as they can be
installed in a very short space of time,” says
den Boogert. “What this is essentially is dis-
tributed generation, bringing the power gen-
www.constructionweekonline.com

eration closer to the end customer, which is
the main problem today, particularly in the
remote areas of the Middle East. Even in
other areas like Asia, Africa, South America
and even Europe, growth has been higher
than expected, both in population and power
consumption, meaning that the infrastruc-
ture has not coped with the demands being
placed on it.”
AIR-CON
A big culprit in the Middle East has been the
large-scale application of air-con to maintain
Western-style comfort levels. “Today the
power peaks are in the summer due to air-
con being freely available to the masses. If
you look at the proportion of air-con to in-
frastructure in a place like Bangladesh, it is
clearly not sustainable,” argues den Boog-
ert. “I believe that distributed generation is
the best solution to these types of problems,
even here in Dubai, where the high voltage
corridors were standalone areas three to
four years ago, but have now been almost
totally encroached upon by urban and indus-
trial development.” Distributed generation
is the way to go, maintains den Boogert.
www.constructionweekonline.com
TEMPORARY POWER
“It comprises small, relatively small power
units that comply with the highest emission,
sound and grid safety requirements. Prior to
joining RSS I had my own consultancy. What
I have seen in the last five years is a brutal
increase in the demand for power.
Five years ago a 30MW to 40MW power
plant was enormous; our temporary IPPs are
contracted in the range of 250MW. This is
becoming more and more the issue. There
are countries, both in Asia and South Ameri-
ca, where the use of temporary power plants
are increasing, but also the scale of power
demand is increasing dramatically.”
This has resulted in the rental sector adopt-
ing new business models, with RSS leading
the way in being proactive in terms of both
customer requirements and overall market
trends. “You do not talk anymore about rent-
ing generators and transformers; now you
are talking about generating power for utili-
ties. You get into another ball game entirely.”
Den Boogert, formerly of Europe, has been
with RSS in Dubai since September.
“We are installing and purchasing our as-
sets with this new phenomenon in the mar-
ket in mind, this upscale, in order to give us
the capability to sell kWh rather than renting
purely what we call ‘iron’ into the market.
This also brings another type of organisation
with it than before. Our people pretty much
become operators of large power plants
rather than technicians to maintain and in-
stall generators.” A major outcome of this
approach is a dramatic reduction in overall
costs for customers.
“It is becoming ever more critical not to
overlook costs, not only our internal costs,
but also the cost to the customers. Fuel is
becoming more and more important in the
total kWh price, and our assets have been
purchased with that in mind. For us, fuel is
probably the number one parameter decid-
ing which type of equipment is bought and
how it is configured,” argues den Boogert.
“If I look at some fleets from three to four
years ago when I first came to the region,
and I see the huge fleets that are common
now, there is a huge leap forward in terms
of technology. What customers demand is
more flexibility and better efficiency. What
counts at the end of the day is what solutions
you can bring to a customer’s business,” con-
cludes den Boogert.
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 33

Smart lights,
BRIGHT SAVINGS
Sustainable energy solutions could brighten the regional lighting market
ighting represents 22% of
electricity usage in the
Middle East – a much
higher statistic than any-
where else in the world.
If GCC consumers switch
the lights in their homes
to more efficient
solutions, this will
save up to $400mil-
lion and 5.1 megatonnes in carbon
dioxide emissions annually.
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
are often touted as the most effi -
cient lighting solution for today’s
energy issues. “The future of
lighting will soon see a wide-
spread adoption of this solution,”
says RWN Trading marketing
director Carol Prince. However,
Fagerhult GM Gary Turner ar-
gues: “There is unfortunately
no ‘silver bullet’ approach to
providing a low-carbon lighting
www.constructionweekonline.com
NEWS ANALYSIS
solution. Even the much-hyped
LED cannot do that on its own.”
LEDs are available as small,
solid lightbulbs, or in cluster form
with diffuser lenses, which are
ideal for the home. These cluster
beams can use as many as 180
bulbs per cluster, which means
that the light is spread evenly.
“A recent addition to the market
is an LED that can be dimmed to
the zero position and that emit no
energy, unlike their traditional
counterpart that still emit energy
loss even at zero,” says Prince.
At present, the drawback to
switching to LED is the initial
cost, but the efficiency and cost-
effectiveness of LED lighting sys-
tems will drive demand for more
affordable LED lights. Further-
more, even with the high capex
at present, there are still tremen-
dous financial and energy savings
to be achieved. Prince points out
that the operational life of white
LED lamps is 50,000 hours. This
is more than ten years’ continu-
ous operation. “The long opera-
tional life of an LED lamp is in
stark contrast to the average life
of an incandescent bulb, which
is about 5,000 hours.” The long
lifespan of the LED naturally has
a direct impact on reducing main-
tenance requirements.
“The true expense of incandes-
cent bulbs is in the cost, labour
and time needed to replace them.
These are important factors when
considering lighting options for
an office, as maintenance costs
to replace bulbs can be enor-
mous. These can be virtually
eliminated with the LED option,”
says Prince. The key to switching
to LED lighting is reducing the
overall power consumption. With
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 35
LIGHTING
correct design, an LED circuit
will realise about 80% efficiency,
meaning 80% of the electrical en-
ergy is converted to light energy.
The remaining 20% is lost
through heat. Incandescent
lamps operate at about 20% ef-
ficiency, with a staggering 80%
lost as heat. Furthermore, LEDs
do not cause heat build-up, pro-
ducing only 3.4 British Thermal
Units (btu) per hour, compared
to up to 88btus for incandescent.
Comparing LEDs and incandes-
cents financially, take a 100W in-
candescent in use for 12 months,
with the electrical cost at 33fils/
kWh, at a total cost of AED290.
Using the same example for an
LED with 80% efficiency, the elec-
tricity cost would be AED44 per
12 months – a saving of AED246
over the period.
“The true savings are actually
much higher when you take into
account that traditional lamps
need to be replaced more fre-
quently, usually within a year,
and this involves labour and
maintenance costs. Also, some
areas will remain unlit if tradi-
tional lamps lose their power, due
to contractual obligations. Many
buildings do not allow repairs to
be carried out when public areas
are open, so maintenance must
be carried out within set periods
and limits,” says Prince.
“RWN Trading recently con-
ducted research on lighting for
a carpark that had 900 incan-
descent four-foot tubes on for
LED cluster beams can use as many as 180 bulbs per cluster.
36 MEP Middle East | February 2011
The architectural and engineering community can have a
massive impact in ensuring that the initial lighting design is
correct, and stil provide the end user with a stimulating and
visually-attractive environment.“
24 hours. Most last one year,
and some last no more than six
months. When the company
conducted the survey, 30% of the
lamps had blown and had yet to
be changed. The results showed
very clearly the huge savings by
swapping from the standard 40W
lamp to an 18W LED. You need to
look at the bigger picture when
analysing the true cost of energy
saving with LEDs. The obvi-
ous figures start with the lights
themselves, but further savings
can be made in reduced cooling
expenses, which naturally adds
to the reduction in overall pow-
er consumption,” says Prince.
“Companies have a responsibility
to reduce their consumption and
carbon footprint.”
Turner says the modern build-
ing environment is a significant
user of electrical energy, and
lighting can account for about
40% of a building’s total energy
consumption. However, he argues
that LEDs must be seen as one el-
ement of an overarching process.
This process comprises five es-
sential steps which he terms ‘A
Guide To Crossing The Carbon
Mike Thompson
Bridge’. “Step 1 must begin with end-user with a stimulating and
the design process. By following visually attractive environment.
the guidelines recommended by Designing to meet both the na-
the world’s best engineering and tional and local requirements, and
technical brains, the GCC can by combining this with best light-
dramatically reduce the amount ing practice, will provide benefits
of energy needed to create the in reducing the carbon output by
perfect lit environment.” up to 10%,” says Turner.
“By eliminating over-design Step 2 recognises the instinc-
and harnessing the abundance tive capability of people to hit a
of natural light that is available to switch when light is needed …
us in the region, the architectural but then to forget to switch off
and engineering community can again. “By ensuring that every
have a massive impact in ensur- building has a lighting control
ing that the initial lighting design strategy, we can ensure that
is correct, and still provide the lights are switched on and off
BETALED FROM RUUD LIGHTING
Ruud Lighting Arabia, a provider of industry-leading LED luminaires,
is showcasing its energy-saving BetaLED products, recognised
for advanced engineering, innovative design and excellence in
manufacturing. These outdoor LED luminaires can reduce energy use
by up to 60%.
BetaLED’s total systems approach is a comprehensive engineering
method that integrates best-in-class LEDs, driver technology, optics
and style into each product. BetaLED’s patented NanoOptic product
technology delivers up to 96% optical efficiency. A direct-contact
refractor sealed to the LED chip package provides a level of optical
control that is not possible to achieve with optical systems developed
for traditional light source technology. The result is uniform illumination
placed precisely where it needs to go.
The NanoOptic refractor system offers superior light control with
more lumens delivered in the target area, improved uniformity ratios,
controlled high-angle brightness and over 20 optical distribution
patterns to choose from. BetaLED luminaires are a controls-ready
lighting solution designed for compatibility with protocols for wireless
and power-line carrier technologies.
It offers optional integrated photocell and occupancy sensors that
can further reduce energy use through ambient light and motion
detection. The luminaires have the capability to be dimmed to one-
third total power, while maintaining 50% lumen output. Compared
to traditional HID lamps like metal halide, the system can reduce a
facility’s annual energy and maintenance budget up to 80%.
BetaLED is committed to developing and manufacturing quality
LED luminaires that meet industry lighting standards and guidelines
set forth by organisations and agencies such as the Illuminating
Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), International Dark-Sky
Association (IDA) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
www.constructionweekonline.com

The drawback to switching to LED remains the initial cost.
automatically as required. This
can be a very simple step that al-
lows for a detector in every room
that switches lights off when the
ambient daylight is sufficient, or
when the room has been vacated.
www.constructionweekonline.com
As much as 12% of an installation’s
carbon output can be reduced by
simply installing such controls,”
says Turner.
Step 3 refers to emergency
lighting. All projects require the
installation of emergency lighting
in order to facilitate safe escape
from the space in the event of a
fi re or power failure. Installa-
tions tend to either use an
option of standalone bulk-
head fittings with integral
batteries, or a maintained
emergency conversion
option to the standard
Thierry Burot from
Switch Made.
equipment with integral batter-
ies. In the latter case, this could
amount to converting up to 25% of
the standard luminaires.
Step 4 refers to the importance
of ongoing R&D. “Major lamp
companies have invested millions
in ensuring a continuous drive to
increase the amount of lumens
that come out of a lamp, while re-
ducing the amount of Watts of en-
ergy that goes into the lamp. This
measure of efficiency, LM/W, is
a basic way of understanding how
to compare lamps. Thankfully we
have available to us today, and in
fact have for many years, lamps
that are very long-lasting, give a
fantastic amount of light and use
very little energy.
“Beware the simple compari-
son that some LED-biased com-
panies make with regard to stan-
dard lamps and tubes. Nowadays
modern standard lamp technol-
ogy means long life, high lumen
output and low energy usage.
Due to the scale of the previous
investments, the lamp companies
will continue to drive the technol-
ogy forward. New ‘eco’ lamps are
available, and by utilising these
sources, we can achieve a further
10% reduction in total carbon out-
put,” says Turner.
Step 5 focuses on the LED
itself. “The good news is that
we are now entering an era of
LIGHTING
‘affordable’ LED lighting. As a
replacement for low voltage halo-
gen and lower wattage metal ha-
lide lamps, payback periods are
now within two years. As LED
prices fall dramatically, and is-
sues such as colour temperature
and consistency are addressed,
they will become a viable lighting
solution for more areas in a build-
ing,” concludes Turner.
Switch Made Middle East CEO
Thierry Burot says the light-
ing market in the Middle East
is complicated by the different
awareness levels of contractors,
consultants and end users. “The
construction market is still very
price-sensitive. The problem is
that contractors are not the end
users, and thus specify the cheap-
est solutions. We often find that
the end users are more aware of
technology and other issues than
the contractors themselves.”
This means that Switch Made
Middle East approaches every
project on an individual basis.
“The potential cost and energy
savings through lighting are
huge. However, it is important
to remember that every project
often requires a different solu-
tion, and the practicalities of the
space involved,” says Burot. For
example, while refurbishment is
a major focus, the LED products
here are limited at the moment as
the technology advances.
Another problem with the
general adoption of LED in the
lighting market is the generally
conservative nature of the con-
struction industry. “Many com-
panies do not want to be the fi rst
adopters of new technology in
case it does not work out.
“This is combined with a gen-
eral reluctance to opt for the lat-
est technology. We overcome
such problems by raising aware-
ness and discussing all these is-
sues with the entire construction
chain, from contractor to interior
designer,” says Burot.
“Many of the projects under
construction today were speci-
fied up to two years ago. At the
moment there is a shortage of
new projects going out to tender,
which has created a lull.”
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 37
 SOLAR POWER

Solar energy
A HOT TOPIC
The inaugural meeting of the Emirates Solar Industry
Association (ESIA) concluded that, while solar energy is a
hot topic in the region, a lot still needs to be done.

urrently there are

more than 70 solar
companies operating
in the UAE,” said En-
viromena Power
Systems
CEO Sami Khoreibi.
“The UAE has all the
elements for develop-
ing a successful solar
power industry,” said Karel De
Winter from Alsa Solar Sys-
tems.
However, participants agreed
that certain key steps need to be
taken to kick-start this industry,
namely: introducing regulation
and frameworks, establishing
the necessary government body
to organise the industry and of-
fering incentives for the private
sector to partake in the develop-
ment of the industry.
The successful breakfast
meeting attracted close to a 100
attendees. It was held at the Yas
Island Rotana in Abu Dhabi in
early January and moderated by
Jon Nash from Vinson & Elkins.
The panel also comprised Mas-
dar Power director Frank Wout-
ers and Petroleum Institute of
Abu Dhabi associate professor
Dr Lisa Lamont.
The meeting noted that,
while Abu Dhabi has set the
objective of generating 7% of
its energy needs from renew-
ables by 2020, other emirates
A CSP plant is being built at Masdar City near Abu Dhabi. are yet to come up with similar

www.constructionweekonline.com February 2011 | MEP Middle East 39

SOLAR POWER

‘SMART’ SOLAR CONTROLLERS FROM SOLAHART

Solahart from Australia, represented in the UAE
by Ecoval Trading, is showcasing an automatic,
easy-to-use control system that offers the
capability of deriving real-time data from solar
thermal systems. The uptake of solar thermal
technology in the UAE has been hampered by
high initial capex costs and the lack of reliable
energy-gain data. “There are a lot of competing
claims as to capabilities and benefits, but little
in the way of backing up such claims,” said
Denis Avery from Solahart of Australia.
“Our smart solar controller allows our
customers to manage their capex so they are
in a position to be able to budget for solar
thermal and acquire good-quality equipment
with the payback period calculated clearly,”
said Avery. The data derived from the smart
solar controllers can be reformatted into
spreadsheets, tables or graphs, and used to
calculate energy gains or even actual money
saved. An added benefit is the capability to
troubleshoot from a remote location, said
Solahart technical manager Rob Meesters.
The smart solar controller is an integral
component of a total solar solution from
Solahart based on its unique ‘drainback’
principle, which prevents solar collectors from
overheating – a perennial problem in the Middle
East, where collectors from Europe or China are
often unable to cope with the peak summertime
temperatures.
“What we offer is a unique concept called
‘drainback’. In this part of the world, collectors
can overheat very easily with non-use. Our
solution comprises a cylinder with a pump
running a control system. The glycol heat
transfer fluid passes through the collectors,
reaches its optimum temperature, and then
just drains back, as opposed to overheating,”
explained Avery.
“Quite simply, the pump will shut off, and all
the fluid in these collectors will start reversing
back down so you do not get the problem of
overheating, and the pressure equalises, so the
system becomes inert. This is a unique concept,
and we are the only solar thermal company
offering this,” said Avery.
“In order to compensate for overheating,
companies in the Middle East will undersize the
total system by cutting down on the number
of collectors, which ultimately negates the
benefit of opting for solar thermal energy in
the first place, as instead of getting a 80% to
90% energy saving, only 40% to 50% is being
realised.
“What happens though is people do not
realise this until they start paying their
electricity bills. So we try and give them
an optimum advantage. Our system is fully
automated and controllable through the smart
solar controller, which is the brain behind
the system,” said Meesters. The system
can interface with any computer, or even an
iPhone or iPad by means of an easily-acquired,
customised app.
“We can go into this data logger anywhere
in the world. We have systems running in
Germany, for example. If you cannot do it, our
engineers can log in and have a look to see
what has been happening. This allows one to
simultaneously monitor a number of systems
all over the globe. If a sensor broke or a pump
stopped, it will communicate automatically
to the engineer and also to us. So rather than
waiting for cold water, the problem is flagged
instantly, either by a flashing light or even
a different ringtone on your mobile,” said
Meesters.

objectives. The 7% target trans-
lates into 1,500MW of solar en-
ergy. Of this amount, 500MW
is earmarked for Abu Dhabi’s
vaunted roof-top programme,
which aims at installing solar
panels on rooftops to gener-
ate clean electricity. However,
with no clear direction in this
regard from the government,
the only development that has
taken place is a 2MW pilot proj-
ect. “Without the governmental
strategy, it will be impossible to
realise the full potential of solar
energy in the UAE,” said Vahid
Fotuhi from Solar BP.
In addition to plans on sourc-
ing a sizeable chunk of its elec-
tricity needs from renewables
in the form of solar power, Abu
Dhabi plans to become a region-
al renewables hub. Steps taken
in this regard include setting up
the Masdar Initiative and host-
ing the International Renewable
Energy Agency.
These were seen as impor-
tant, bold steps in the right
direction. Yet these steps have
resulted in the development of
just 12MW of solar power (Abu
Dhabi’s total current capacity is
10,000MW), in addition to the
100MW Shams 1 project cur-
rently under development.
Even with such projects under
Global installed capacity
GWp
Source: Solar cost data, Solarbuzz
1.7 2.1
1.3
2000 01 02
way, the absence of an appro- would enable further develop-
priate framework (such as the ment of the solar power sector
feed-in tariff system in Europe) in the emirate.
would hamper the development On the subject of subsidies,
of the solar power sector in the participants agreed that the
UAE. Although projects such as current subsidy for conven-
Shams 1 were developed without tional energy is one of the main
any framework, such framework factors impeding the growth of
19.4
15.4
9.8
7.0
5.3
3.8
2.7
03 04 05 06 07 08 09

40 MEP Middle East | February 2011 www.constructionweekonline.com


The 10MW solar plant at Masdar City near Abu Dhabi.
The solar industry is a priceless
opportunity for the UAE economy to
become more technology based. “ ESIA
the renewable energy industry
in the UAE. “When factoring
in the cost of the subsidy, one
would realise that PV solar pow-
er is already on par with conven-
tional energy,” said Browning
Rockwell from Sunedison. “The
subsidy distorts the true cost of
energy at the end of the day.”
Rockwell agreed that con-
centrated solar power (CSP),
another type of solar power
which uses the heat from the
sun to generate electricity, is
still more expensive than photo-
voltaic (PV) solar power, which
uses sunlight to generate elec-
tricity. However, the solar pow-
er industry is undergoing con-
stant development, and hence it
is only a matter of time before
the cost of electricity generated
with CSP will be equal to that of
conventional power.
www.constructionweekonline.com
The advantages for develop-
ing a solar power industry are
compelling. The cost of solar
power has been decreasing
steadily owing to developments
in technology and supply-de-
mand factors, with solar cell
production capacity projected
to increase by 39% to 23.8GW
in 2011. As a result, the average
selling price of solar panels is
expected to drop by 15%. With
the price of oil increasing again
in the wake of the fi nancial cri-
sis, each barrel of oil saved due
to solar power, which would
have been burnt at subsidised
prices, can be sold on the mar-
ket at non-subsidised prices.
“Given the UAE’s early start
in the sector, it must retain its
position in developing this in-
dustry,” said Soudki Atassi from
ACWA Power.
SOLAR POWER
SOLAR NOT VIABLE FOR DUBAI
Large-scale solar energy is unlikely to play a major role in DEWA’s
attempts to boost its electricity generating capacity, said DEWA
senior manager: business excellence Mohammed Al Jariri at an
energy management seminar at the World Trade Centre organised
by Bureau Veritas. “Renewable energy cannot drive the power
growth that Dubai needs. As a technology it is promising, but it is
unlikely to form a significant component of our power mix.”
Asked as to the possibility of DEWA adopting a feed-in tariff to
be able to accommodate distributed generation, Al Jariri said “this
depends on the feasibility and practicality, for example, of large
industrial premises being able to place PV panels on their roofs to
generate power and then feed this into the national grid.” Al Jariri
said the issue of feed-in tariffs for distributed generation was the
remit of the newly formed Supreme Energy Council, which has to
look at all forms of alternative energy supply, including nuclear.
“One of the issues associated with solar farms, for example, is
the vast amount of space they require, and land is at a premium in
Dubai,” said Al Jariri. “Energy management requires a cohesive,
integrated strategy not only on the part of DEWA, but together with
all its end users.” Al Jariri added that the responsibility for energy
management was largely shifting from utilities to end users.
He said that many other factors impacted on energy
management, including adapting the current building code to cut
down the use of glass and increase thermal insulation, which
reduces the cooling load and thus total electricity consumption.
Speaking at the seminar, Richard Smith from Atkins commended
the utility “for addressing such a timely and important topic.”
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 41
SITE VISIT

Digging
DEEP
Infrastructure works are some of the
most technically demanding construction
projects. The $2.2billion Doha sewage
mega project has challenged designers

42 MEP Middle East | February 2011 www.constructionweekonline.com


here’s no doubt about it:
Doha’s star is rising. With
a booming economy fuelled
by the gas industry, the capital’s
rapid expansion over recent years
has been both a formidable and
impressive accomplishment.
With expansion comes pres-
sure and, in Doha at least, the
government has embarked on an
unprecedented level of infrastructure spend-
ing to help alleviate the extra stress the coun-
try’s growing population is placing on basic
services such as roads and sewerage.
Over the next four years, Qatar will spend
more than $140billion on infrastructure
projects, dedicating 43% of its budget for that
period on major public works.
One of those major projects is the Doha
North Sewerage Treatment and Associated
Works – a $2.2billion project that includes a
suite of contracts to bolster the city’s sewer-
age treatment capabilities. Doha is currently
served by two treatment works, Doha West
and Doha South: the latter built in the 1980s
and which has had a number of extensions
and refurbishments.
As Kevin Richards, the Public Works Au-
thority’s (Ashghal) Senior Project Engineer
for the Doha North scheme, explains: “The
situation has developed due to the ever-grow-
ing population in the country. Everytime you
finish one phase of expansion, it is like play-
ing a catch-up game of football: the popula-
tion growth is such that you always need an-
other expansion, another programme.”
“The city’s current expansion is in the
north which, geographically-speaking, is
best served by the Doha West treatment
plant. However, the plant is unable to realis-
tically handle the amount of pressure large
developments like Lusail and the Pearl Qatar
would place on it, once they are fully devel-
oped,” he says.
The Doha North Project is designed
to pick up flows from Lusail, the Pearl
catchments and Gharaffa, West Bay
General project manager area, as well as alleviate some of the
Christian Tricoire, of Vinci pressure placed on the existing Doha
Construction Grands Projets. West Sewerage Treatment Works
(STW) catchment.
THE PROJECT
The Doha North Sewerage Treatment and
Associated Works project consists of four con-
struction packages, all started at different
times and designed to come on stream at
around the same period.
At $1billion, the STW is the big-
gest ticket item. Awarded to Kep-
www.constructionweekonline.com
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SITE VISIT
pel Seghers Engineering Singapore, the
30-month contract covers the design, con-
struction and operation of new plant which
has been designed to handle 245,000m3 of
sewage daily, catering for a population of
around 900,000 during its first phase of devel-
opment. The treatment works will be expand-
ed to cope with up to 345,000m3 of sewage at
a later stage.
Work began on the project in March 2008
and was due to be completed in August this
year, but it is unlikely to be completed before
work on the upstream $490million pumping
station (PS70) and pumping mains has been
finished. The contract for PS70 and the pump-
ing mains was awarded to a joint venture led
by Vinci Construction Grands Projets, with
Qatari Diar Vinci Construction and Entrepose
Contracting. The 33-month contract is due for
completion by 20 December 2011, and Vinci
says it is determined to hit its deadline.
Construction of the gravity-fed intercep-
tor sewers which feed PS70 is another major
component of the project. Work began on the
$360million project in March 2008 by contrac-
tors Ultra Construction and Engineering, and
includes 33km of micro-tunnels of different
diameters and 107 shafts, which pick up the
gravity flows, primarily from the southern
part of the Doha north project. That contract
is due for completion in March 2011.
The fourth contract of the total project cov-
ers the construction of a return pumping sta-
tion and twin 1,600mm diameter mains that
will send treated effluent from the STW to
an existing TSE ring main for irrigation. The
project is running concurrently with the con-
struction of the STW and is being carried out
by the Marubeni Corporation.
PS70 AND THE PUMPING MAINS
Though it is a part of the wider Doha North
Sewerage Treatment and Associated Works,
PS70 and the triple rising pumping main
is a significant project in its own right. The
project not only calls for the construction
of several complicated structures on a 200
x 200m site that must also blend in with the
residential area when completed, but also for
a triple 1,600 mm pumping main to feed the
900,000
Number of residents the Doha North
Sewerage Treatment works will serve
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 43
SITE VISIT
Doka formwork was used to create the walls of both the screen chamber and lift pumping station shafts, and construct the operational heart of each of the structures.
new Doha North STW, 25km away. It is, by
far, the most technically demanding of the
four construction projects.
The pumping station consists of a screen
chamber: a 40m deep, 20m diameter cham-
ber which filters the incoming waste flow
and before feeding it to a lifting pumping
station, which draws the wastewater to the
surface and on to a forwarding pumping sta-
tion where it is pumped to the STW via three
1,600mm diameter pipes.
As Richards explains: “When people talk
about PS70, they think of a pumping station.
It is actually two pumping stations which are
in one site. The lifting pumping station is a
circular pumping station split in to two, with
two separate wet wells and two separate dry
wells. It is basically like the wheel of a car,
with the outside, the tyre, being the wet well
and the centre portion, the hub, being the dry
well where the pumps and the pump motors
are housed.”
“You have got five delivery pumps and
five discharge pipes from each half of each
lift pumping station wet well which then dis-
charge at high level to the forwarding pump-
ing Station which then connects in to the dis-
charge mains which pumps to the treatment
works at Doha North, out in the desert.
“It is a very confined site, so being able to
fit in a screen chamber, a lift pumping station,
a forwarding pumping station, an odour con-
trol building, admin building, everything, that
was a task in itself,” Richards says.
44 MEP Middle East | February 2011
The sad thing for the pipeworks engineer is
that most of his work will never be seen because
it is all underground. “
Project manager Christian Tricoire of
Vinci Construction Grands Projets says: “It
is a tight project. The critical part of it is the
pumping station which consists of civil works,
electrical and mechanical works and a lot of
pipeworks. It is a small area to work in, so the
sequence of work and activity on-site has to
be carefully looked at; so that was one of the
keys for us.”
“The tough thing for us was the excavation
of the two shafts through hard rock. As soon
as you touch the ground in Qatar, you are
straight into limestone. You have something
like 40cm of sand with stone, and after that it
is hard rock, so we had to play with blasting
activities and a rock breaker,” he says.
“At the very beginning of the project we
had 27 excavators with rock breakers to start
the excavation work, then we moved to ex-
plosives, then came back to rock breakers,”
Tricoire adds.
Vinci extracted 12,630m3 of earthworks for
the screen chamber and 44,610m3 for the lift
pumping station shaft. “Was it tougher than
we thought? Not really. We knew we had geo-
Christian Tricoire
logical information given at the tender stage
and, lucky for us, QDVC was already working
in Doha two years before on other projects,
and we had the opportunity to look at their
projects to see what problems we could
face.” Another problem encountered was the
high water table. Tricoire says that Vinci hit
groundwater just 8m down in to the excava-
tion – giving them more than 30m of ground
water to deal with.
Vinci is dewatering the area by using sev-
en drawdown pumps which discharge into a
small surface lagoon where it is then taken
and pumped deep into the ground, further
away from the site.
As Vinci dug and blasted its way into the
rock, it treated the exposed surfaces with
shotcrete to secure the face of the excavation,
before lining the surface with a geotextile wa-
terproof membrane.
“We then started from the bottom up, to
construct the walls of the chambers. For the
outer wall, we used a single face formwork
from Doka, 1.2m thick, with the formwork
facing the excavation,” Tricoire said.
www.constructionweekonline.com
 SITE VISIT

To anchor the shafts, 17 ‘toes’ had to be
constructed to reinforce the area to stop if
from collapsing while workers poured the
concrete for the toes.
But the overriding challenge on the site,
and particularly work in the two shafts, has
been access. Everything used in the con-
struction of the screen chamber and lifting
pumping station has had to be lowered over
the side which, Tricoire says, presents safety
issues with workers below.
“We have a weekly toolbox meeting where
we have a HSE officer come on-site and go
through what is to happen; we have a safety
induction and we do have translators. We or-
ganise trials on-site; we stage accident (sce-
narios) on-site, and show people what to do.
Even if they cannot understand, they can
physically see what to do.
“We do it for any new activities, most of the
major activities. We have what we call a pre-
construction meeting to remind every
single person who will be involved
in these works who is going
to manage, who is going to
monitor the crane, who is
going to give the instruc-
tion as to the lifting operation, and what are
the dangers.”
Tricoire says that the project has not hit any
major snags, though it did begin its midday
summer work ban a month earlier to accom-
modate Qatar’s hottest summer on record.
“Wind is a fact of life when you are work-
ing in Qatar. In February, March, April,
when you are working in
the desert, wind plus
Kevin Richards, senior
project engineer for the
Doha North Scheme,
Ashghal.
sand is not always a pleasant way to work,” he
explains. The pipeline also presented logisti-
cal challenges because it was built alongside
a stretch of the new North Road. The triple
rising main had to be cut and laid through a
13m wide, 8.5m deep corridor before the road
and bridge abutments could be finished. At
the same time, Kahramaa – Qatar’s General
Electricity and Water Corporation – was lay-
ing a major arterial water mains to replace an
existing one.
Richards said: “In some cases, we could not
lay our pipes because the new pipelines being
constructed under the road were in conflict
with ours, so we could not decommission the
existing water main before the North Road
contractor had supplied the new pipelines, so
that the old pipelines could be taken out and
our lines could be run through it. It was an
absolute headache.”
Tricoire says the project has been a chal-
lenging one for his team – but also technically
interesting. For the young engineers on site,
this job has everything: complex building de-
sign, micro tunnelling, big excavations – eve-
rything that you might run into in other jobs
in isolation, here on one site.”

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www.constructionweekonline.com February 2011 | MEP Middle East 45

HVAC
The future of refrigerants
Mike Thompson, global leader of refrigerant strategy and environmental affairs
director at Trane, gives insight into the current state of the refrigerant phase-out.
hompson says re-
frigerants might
seem a tangential
or even uninteresting
topic, but it is one that
has his attention for a
decade and counting.
“There is an interest-
ing dynamic in the
industry that is not
visible, as to why Trane does what
it does and how the future is go-
ing to be. What is certain is that
the future will be different. That
is okay, as we have handled such
changes in the past.”
The issue of refrigerants is
critical “because there is a lot of
misinformation in the industry,”
says Thompson. “Refrigerants
are quite often used as a selling
tactic, and quite negatively. My
job is to educate customers be-
cause there is way too much mis-
information on this refrigerant
issue.” Thompson adds that the
facts he disseminates, in turn,
are all derived from third-party,
peer-reviewed documentation.
The fi rst important fact is that
“Trane develops does not develop
refrigerants, and does not want to
sell refrigerants either. It wants
to sell high efficiency and reliabil-
ity, which is important to ensure
you have good-quality products.”
The refrigerants used over the
lifetime of these products is an
ancillary issue, says Thompson.
“I think R-134a and R-123 will
be available for the life of those
machines. On the other hand, I
do not think R-123 or R-134a will
be long-term refrigerant choices
in our industry, and that in ten
years from now, we will all be us-
ing different refrigerants than we
are today in centrifugal chillers.”
Thompson says that while such a
change is imminent, it is equally
46 MEP Middle East | February 2011
important to note that the tradi-
tional refrigerants will remain OPTIONS FOR HVAC REFRIGERANTS
available well into the future.
There are two categories of re-
frigerants, namely fluorocarbons
and natural refrigerants. Fluoro-
carbons are divided further into
ozone-depleting chemicals and
non ozone depleting chemicals.
“The ozone-depletion chemicals
were addressed in the interna-
tional treaty known as the Mon-
treal Protocol. The Kyoto Pro-
tocol is the international treaty
related to global warming. A lot
of people use these interchange-
ably, but they are very different,”
says Thompson.
The Montreal Protocol has
Class 1 and Class 2 categories
of ozone-depleting substances.
Class 1 comprises CFCs, which
were phased out in most of the “If you look at all the phase-
world in the 1990s. Class 2 com- What is important over outs to date, there has never been
prises HCFCs, which are still be- an instance where a refrigerant
ing used in developing countries. the life of a chiller? has been unavailable. These are
“Their ozone depletion is dramat- reasonable transitions, and we
ically lower than CFCs, but their
ozone impact is still greater than
zero,” says Thompson.
94.5% are going to see more in the fu-
ture.” Thompson says that 2010
was a big date in the US, as this
CFCs were officially banned in
Cost of energy was the year when new equip-
developed countries in 1996. This ment using R22 could no longer
meant halting the production of be manufactured. “The phase-
equipment using CFCs, and cur-
tailing CFC use in its entirety.
5.18% out of CFCs in 1996, by contrast,
was a pretty blunt affair. The
“CFCs are no longer produced
First cost HCFC phase-out was different:
anywhere in the world, but you new equipment manufacture was
can still buy them from recovered halted in 2010, but refrigerant for
and/or recycled stockpiles. At the
time it was cited as a major disas-
0.25% service will still be produced for
another decade, until 2020. This
ter, that you would never be able Cost of initial charge of is known as a service tail,” ex-
to buy these refrigerants ever refrigerant plains Thompson.
again, and that the prices would “After 2020, it will be just like
skyrocket and availability for when CFCs were phased out in
older equipment be affected. The
technology using CFCs would ef-
fectively be dead; 14 years later,
0.04% 1996. I can still use the equipment
and refrigerants; it is just that the
refrigerant has to have been
Refrigerant added over 30
you can still buy these refriger- manufactured before 1 Janu-
ants, and at prices that are cheap- years ary 2020. This makes for
er today,” says Thompson. a much easier transition.”
www.constructionweekonline.com

Thompson points out that R123
has a phase-out date in the US
of 2020 for new equipment, but
this CFC will still be available
until 2030. “In the Middle East,
I can use R-123 in new equipment
until 2030. The refrigerant will
continue to be produced for ser-
vice until 2040. So you have ten
years more than we do in the US,
and so you are on an even easier
schedule. How long after 2040
will R-123 be available? Again we
think that availability will not be
an issue. Certainly there is no
cause for panic. Many of you are
told to panic due to competitive
issues.”
Trane is arguably the biggest
centrifugal chiller manufacturer
in the world, and dominates
North America, the most compet-
itive global market, with its R-123
products. York, McQuay and Car-
rier, on the other hand, all use
www.constructionweekonline.com
In the Middle East, R-123 can be used in new equipment
until 2030. The refrigerant will continue to be produced
R-134a in their products. “Is Trane
that smart, or are we that stupid?”
questions Thompson. “Do people
buy our chillers because they pre-
fer R-123? They buy our chillers
because they care about reliabili-
ty and efficiency. They care about
what matters, namely the techno-
logical advances of the products
themselves. I do not want to sell
you a refrigerant, I want to sell
you a technology.”
Thompson alleges that the re-
frigerant debate has been used as
a smokescreen. “What happens
if your technology is not as effi -
cient, or your leak integrity is not
as good? You scare people about
the future availability of refriger-
ants, about safety and toxicity;
that is your selling strategy.” The
real issue is not what refriger-
ant the equipment uses, but the
technological advancements it
brings to the table.”
An important issue for the
industry is what is likely to
replace the Kyoto Protocol.
“Kyoto is important because it
laid the groundwork. It created
those six categories of gases
for service until 2040.“
to be eliminated or reduced due
to their GWP. Carbon dioxide is
the obvious one. HFCs such as
R-410a and R-124a have to be re-
duced as well. It is important to
understand there is a big target
on HFCs right now. HCFCs have
a GWP, but are covered under
the Montreal Protocol,” explains
Thompson.
“The Middle East uses a lot of
HFCs due to the large amount of
air-con employed. Carbon diox-
ide is not practical at all in this
region because it uses twice the
amount of energy. Given the size
of the applications out here, this
is not an option.”
Instead the industry is mov-
ing towards hydro fluoro olefins
or HFOs, as they are commonly
known. “We loved the CFCs be-
cause they were so remarkably
stable, and today we hate the
CFCs because they just stay in
the air forever to trap GWP gas-
es. HFOs use the same elements
on the periodic chart as HFCs,
but bind them together differ-
ently. They have a weaker chemi-
cal bond and a much shorter
TIMELINE OF REFRIGERANT USE
HVAC
Mike Thompson
atmospheric life.” Thompson says
that HFOs were developed origi-
nally to replace R-124a use in the
automotive air-con industry. The
fi rst HFO to grab the attention of
the HVAC industry is HFO123yf.
This is a refrigerant similar to R-
134a, but it has an atmospheric
life measured in hours and days,
with a GWP of 5 or 6. Will this be
the R-134a replacement for cen-
trifugal chillers?
Thompson says HFO123yf
does have a potential problem in
that it is slightly flammable, not
highly flammable like propane
or butane. “There is a lot of dis-
cussion about flame propagation.
There might be some things we
may have to do for chiller applica-
tions, so there is a lot of develop-
ment going on.
“HFOs make great low-pres-
sure refrigerants, but do not
make great high-pressure refrig-
erants. A number of solutions are
being proposed. This is going
to be a big issue over the years,
especially in the Middle East,
where performance is an issue
with high ambient temperatures.
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 47
 GENERATING SET
FROM 1 to 5000 kVA

UAE LEBANON KSA QATAR IRAQ EGYPT NIGERIA SUDAN IRAN

SUPPLY PARTNERS www.sakr.com

Can also be powered by Cummins® engines
Cummins® is a registered trademark or trademark
of Cummins Inc.and/or its related companies
UAE: Jebel Ali Free Zone (South)
P.O.Box 18051, Dubai, UAE
T +971 4 886 2010, F + 971 4 886 2011 - dubai@sakr.com
LEBANON (HQ): Kartaba Main Road
P.O.Box 98 Jbeil, Lebanon
T +961 9 442 000, F + 961 9 445 444 - lebanon@sakr.com

TOP CONTRACTORS
We take a closer look at a few of the top MEP contractors operating in Kuwait
DSK
DSK is a prominent player in MEP
contracting in Kuwait, and has
been awarded two contracts worth
over AED90 million within the edu-
cation sector in Kuwait City. These
are the fi rst wins for DSK since
Drake & Scull International (DSI)
PJSC acquired 75% of DSK in late
December 2009.
EMEM
EMEM is a division of the Engineer-
ing Group, Bader Al Mulla & Bros.
Co. WLL, Kuwait. It is located in the
Shuwaikh industrial area, and of-
fers a complete range of electro-me-
chanical services for the rewinding
and repair of large AC/DC motors,
generators, transformers and com-
pressors with Class ‘F’ insulation.
The company is certified to ISO
9001:2000, and is a member of the
Electrical Apparatus Service Asso-
ciation of the US.
ESCO KUWAIT
Esco Kuwait Est. is an ISO
9001:2000 certified company es-
tablished in 1996 as a supplier and
service provider of industrial engi-
neering items and building automa-
tion systems. It is on the approved
vendor list for the Kuwait National
Petroleum Company, Kuwait Oil
www.constructionweekonline.com
Company, the Ministry of Electricity
and Water, Joint Operations, Equate
Petrochemicals, Petrochemical
Industries and various Ministries
in Kuwait. It has customers in the
government, public and private sec-
tors, in addition to developing new
business opportunities with techni-
cal experts and strengthening alli-
ances with new manufacturers and
suppliers.
Esco Kuwait offers a complete
line of high-quality products for an
array of engineering applications. It
focuses on an integrated approach
that encompasses planning and
development through to sales and
maintenance. It can enhance on-site
engineering and service capabilities,
while simultaneously reducing costs
through improved efficiencies. Esco
Kuwait is a total solutions provider
that also supplies energy-saving
products and services. It has custo
KHARAFI NATIONAL
Since it was established in 1976,
Kharafi National has developed
from a local contracting company
into a world-class pan-Arabian in-
frastructure project developer, con-
tractor and FM service provider ca-
pable of undertaking a wide range of
challenging projects. Today Kharafi
National is an international, multi-
REGIONAL LEADS
FOCUS
disciplined company with diversified undertaking projects in Kuwait.
operations in: infrastructure project Its references include multi-storey
development, EPCM, construction, commercial and residential build-
FM and fabrication services. ings, luxury villas, showrooms, fac-
tories, coldrooms and warehouses,
ranging from the private to public
sector. It has a team of qualified, ex-
Kuwait’s growing perienced architects, engineers and
draughtsmen using state-of-the-art
population is making computer software such as Auto Ar-
chitect, 3Ds, SAP 90 and 2000 and
demands on the ETABS. The company also main-
country to expand tains an in-house database of propri-
etary project information.
its infrastructure,
healthcare, and FOUR YEAR PLAN
real estate sectors, Kuwait has announced a
US$104 billion four-year
so we see a lot of economic stimulus plan.
potential there. “ The plan includes spending
on major infrastructure
development throughout
– DSI CEO Khaldoun Tabari Kuwait, including the building
of roads, airports, hospitals
and schools – estimated to
be worth over US$20 billion
GULF ENGINEERING & in contract revenue – in
CONSULTANTS addition to the residential
Gulf Engineering & Consultants is a and commercial projects that
leading architectural and engineer- will be needed to meet the
ing consultants in the Gulf. Estab- demands of the country’s rapid
lished in 1982, it has offices in Dubai population growth.
and Sharjah and Oman, as well as
February 2011 | MEP Middle East 49
PROJECT UPDATE

UNDER CONSTRUCTION
MEP reviews a collection of its most recent site and
plant visits to keep you up-to-date with project progress
WANT TO UPDATE YOUR PROJECT'S PROGRESS, OR HAVE IT INCLUDED HERE? Email: gerhard.hope@itp.com

DURRAT AL Named after the 'most perfect pearl' in

BAHRAIN the Gulf, Durrat Al Bahrain is a $6 billion
Location joint development owned by Bahrain's
Bahrain government and the Kuwait Finance
House. At present, three of the petals and
Visited four of the atolls contained finished villas.
January 2011 The rest remain areas of bare reclaimed
laind. There are about 150 to 160 villas on
each atoll. Construction was undertaken
by five contractors from 2006 to 2007.
Phase two is close to completion.

SUKOON The Sukoon Tower is located in Juffrair, a

TOWER suburban hub of the capital Manama. The
Location 45-storey twin residential tower will be the
Manama, Bahrain highest point in the area when completed,
standing at 38 storeys at the time of visit. It
Visited will comprise 598 apartments. Syrconsult
January 2011 Consulting Engineers provided initial
architectural advice to developer Tashyeed
Properties, and construction began on
October 2008.

44 wer is
storey to dustrial
DUCAB
HV CABLE
With a total built-up area of 11,000 m2,
Ducab HV Cable Systems will be able to
manufacture enough high-voltage cables
highest incture SYSTEMS to meet the demands of the entire UAE.
stru Location The $136 million project features what is
in GCC Jebel Ali believed to be the highest industrial tower
in the GCC, a 44-storey VCV tower. There
Visited is an adjacent factory and a smaller 40m
December 2010 CCV tower.

50 MEP Middle East | February 2011 www.constructionweekonline.com

LEGAL
The role of
FIDIC LAW
Dennis Brand from Traprain Consultants looks at the
role of FIDIC law, particularly in securing government
contracts in Abu Dhabi.
iven the growing interest of con-
struction and engineering com-
panies, as well as professional
consultancies in Abu Dhabi and
the various high-profile projects
taking place there, particularly
government projects planned
for the overall development of
the Emirate, I thought that it would be useful
for those interested in securing contracts with
the various departments of the Abu Dhabi
government to draw attention to what has, for
the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, become known as
‘FIDIC law’, the official title being Law No. (21)
of 2006 on Construction Contracts and Agree-
ments in the Field of Civil Contracting.
FIDIC law requires that all contracts in the
field of civil contracting to be entered into by
government departments be concluded in the
appropriate form approved by the Executive
Council. Government bodies having an inde-
pendent legal personality – i.e. government
corporations – are exempt from this law. How-
ever, there are numerous projects planned to
be undertaken by government departments to
which FIDIC law will apply.
The Executive Council, in its Decision 1 of
2007 supplemented FIDIC Law by not only
confirming that specific forms of contract had
to be used, but it also attached copies of the
contracts, namely Standard Form No.1 (Con-
struction Contract) and Standard Form No.2
(Design & Build Contract).
At the time there were media reports to the
effect that the Abu Dhabi government had
adopted FIDIC 1999 for all its projects; news
that was well received by many who were
pleased, if not relieved, that FIDIC 1999 was to
be used, a form of contract that was known and
considered to be fair to both the employer as
well as the contractor. In point of fact it would
be wrong for any potential tenderer to expect to
see a copy of either the Conditions of Contract
for Construction 1999 (‘Red Book’) or Plant and
Design-Build Contract 1999 (‘Yellow Book’) in
a call for tender package issued by or on behalf
52 MEP Middle East |February 2011
of the government of Abu Dhabi; what they will
receive is a modified form, which is considera-
bly more than FIDIC 1999 with the odd tweak,
necessary for use in the public sector. While
there is no real alternative to a full and detailed
review of Standard Form No.1 (Construction
Contract) or Standard Form No.2 (Design &
Build Contract) in the following paragraphs I
will, by way of example, describe some of the
changes that have been effected.
FIDIC 1999 provides for the General Condi-
tions to be modified by the inclusion of Special
Conditions, as well as incorporating guidance
notes on how to prepare Special Conditions.
The Standard Form Contracts contain no such
provision, which adds weight to the argument
that the Standard Form Contracts cannot be
modified other than as provided in the Appen-
dix to Tender. Indeed, it is generally accepted
that, if any changes are sought to be made to
the General Conditions, changes which fall
outside those project specific provisions of the
Appendix to Tender, then such changes have
to be made the subject of an application to the
Executive Council.
Both Standard Form Contracts have retained
the form of Appendix to Tender as included in
FIDIC 1999. However, some of the provisions
in the Appendix to Tender have periods or
percentages already determined – i.e. not left
blank for the parties to determine themselves.
Examples of these are:
a) Clause 1.1.3.7 – Defects Notification. In-
stead of the parties determining the period,
it is stated as one year (for construction) and
three years for M&E work.
b) Clause 1.4 – Ruling Language. The Ruling
Language is stated as Arabic, which for some
charged with administering or interpreting the
contract will be a problem unless they are able
to read and understand Arabic fluently.
c) Clause 8.7 – Delay Damages. The maximum
percentage is stated as 20%, which is twice the
generally accepted maximum.
d) Clause 14.3 – Retention. The amount of re-
tention to be deducted per invoice is fixed at
5%, which is not unreasonable, but there is
no limit on the total retention that can be ap-
plied.
There is an argument that, as the Standard
Forms have periods and percentages already
defined, the parties are not able to agree any-
thing different, even though this may be de-
sired. The purpose of the Appendix to Tender
is to allow the parties to make the Conditions
of Contract project-specific, which for the
above examples is no longer the case.
The Standard Form Contracts contain other
departures from FIDIC 1999, some of which
are quite radical – for example, Standard
Form Contract No.2 that the contractor shall
be responsible for any design prepared by the
employer, even if it contains errors. In addi-
tion in relation to termination, the employer
can terminate upon giving 14 days’ notice,
whereas the contractor cannot terminate for
a period well in excess of 100 days.
These examples and others might be de-
scribed as more obvious departures from
FIDIC 1999, but there are other more subtle
changes, such as the erosion of the traditional
role of the engineer, with the employer having
a greater involvement in the contract.
In summary, what might be described as
the fair and balanced provisions of FIDIC
1999 have been changed in the Standard
Form Contracts to where greater responsibil-
ity has been placed on the contractor.
It has been suggested that the reasons for
this is to align FIDIC 1999, which is based on
common law principles, with the civil law and
Shari’aa law principles of UAE law.
While that may be true, it is also true that
the Civil Code as part of the governing law of
the contract contains provisions – for exam-
ple, Article 880 (Decennial Liability) which as
a matter of strict liability overrides any limita-
tion that FIDIC 1999 may have included in its
original form.
I leave the reader to make up his/her own
mind.
Dennis.Brand@traprain.com
www.constructionweekonline.com
PRODUCTS

NEW ELECTRIC
MOTORS
WEG’s new NEMA W22 range of high and
premium efficiency three-phase electric mo-
tors offer the highest levels of energy-efficient
performance, reducing losses by between 10%
and 40% when compared with competitive mo-
tor types.
Designed in 2, 4, 6 and 8-pole configurations,
the NEMA W22 motors exceed the require-
ments of the new IE2 (EFF1) high efficiency
and IE3 (premium) efficiency classes. Key to
their improved energy performance is a new
aerodynamic frame that increases airflow and
reduces operational temperatures, and also a
repositioned motor terminal box that optimises
airflow over the motor.
The W22 NEMA range of 60 Hz motors is
initially available in frame sizes from 364T to
587T, with progressive introductions of smaller
frame sizes, providing a package that delivers
significantly lower energy consumption, lower
noise and vibration, higher reliability, easier
maintenance and lower cost of ownership.
The redesigned cooling system at the heart
of the W22 not only improves energy perfor-
mance across the life of the W22 motors, but the WEG has launched its new NEMA W22 range of high and premium efficiency three-phase electric motors.
increased airflow it generates across the motor
also means fewer hotspots and therefore higher (FC-200) frame, which is the same class as high mechanical stiffness and easy alignment,
reliability. flameproof, and offers high resistance to cor- while a reinforced fan cover provides higher
In addition, lower temperatures further rosion. The frame is designed to improve heat impact resistance. Maintenance of the product
enhance the benefits of WEG’s unique WISE in- exchange and provide high levels of mechanical is simplified through features such as longer
sulation system (international patents pending), strength to cater for the most critical applica- lubrication intervals and a fast-on fan assembly.
which offers high resistance to temperature deg- tions. Another innovation introduced by the W22 is
radation. The WISE insulation system increases In addition, protecting the motor is WEG’s the terminal box. Positioned at the front of the
the dielectrical resistance of the W22 windings, new WSeal, which offers improved protection frame to improve airflow, the box has also been
allowing VFD operation up to 575 V, without any through a V-ring with double lip and metallic redesigned to allow easier cable handling, bet-
requirements to modify the W22 motor. cap. The motor casing, for example, is con- ter connection and flexible mounting (top/side).
The lifetime of the W22 motors is also structed from cast iron FC-200. The product It also provides more space for accessories.
improved through the use of a robust cast iron also features solid integral feet which offer www.weg.com

WATERPROOFING MATERIALS FOR CONSTRUCTION

Mapei, a leading global manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and chemical
products for buildings, is showcasing a range of its products, some of
which were used in the construction of the iconic Ferrari World on Abu
Dhabi’s Yas Island.
Mapei supplied waterproofing materials that covered 25,000m2 using
Mapelastic Smart, which is a two-component, high-flexibility cementitious
coating for waterproofing concrete surfaces in permanent contact with
water. Mapei additionally utilised Mapenet 150, which is an alkali-
resistant fibre glass mesh used to reinforce waterproof protection layers,
anti-fracture membranes and cementitious smoothing and levelling layers.
However, to provide full integrity, corners and penetrations received
Mapeband, a rubber tape with alkali-resistant fabric specifically designed
for cementitious waterproofing systems and liquid membranes. The
waterproofing system was finally overcoated with Elastocolor Waterproof,
a flexible, water-based acrylic resin-based paint to provide the aesthetic
appearance required.
These materials were used mainly for water-feature waterproofing. In
addition, Mapei supplied the project with more than 16 other products,
including adhesives and grouts that were used in different application
types such as marble, ceramic, glass mosaic and porcelain.
Mapei is well-known for its range of adhesives and grouts used to
install ceramic and natural stone, while the company has also been
gaining momentum with its other products, including adhesives for
finishes such as wooden, PVC and sports flooring, and also its building
line, which includes some of the most technically advanced mortars on
the market.
Aside from Ferrari World, Mapei has also been involved in some of the
most challenging construction projects in the region, including the Armani
Hotel in Burj Khalifa, Emirates Palace Hotel, the Grand Mosque, Qasr Al
Sarab Resort, Atlantis Hotel on Palm Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab and Dubai
International Airport’s Terminals 1, 2 and 3.
www.mapei.com

54 MEP Middle East | February 2011 www.constructionweekonline.com

THE LAST WORD
ENERGY
legend
Energy Management Services International
(EMS) CEO Khaled Bushnaq has been
named ‘2010 Legend in Energy’ by the
Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).
he AEE is a global
organisation of more
than 13,000 certi-
fied energy engineering
professionals worldwide
across over 80 countries.
The announcement was
made at AEE’s 33rd World
Energy Engineering Congress held
in December 2010 in Washington
DC, US. Bushnaq’s spearheading
role in energy management has
been earlier acknowledged by the
AEE with the ‘Special Recognition
Award’ at its 16th World Energy
Congress in 1993.
The ‘Legend in Energy’ title is a
special mark of distinction accord-
ed to global leaders in the field of en-
ergy engineering and management.
It acknowledges the pioneering role
Bushnaq has played in establishing
regional benchmarks for conduct-
ing energy feasibility studies, en-
ergy surveys and strategic audits,
and for comprehensively evaluating
the needs of energy providers and
users in the Middle East.
EMS, under Bushnaq’s steward-
ship, has partnered with companies
and organisations for such pres-
tigious projects as Qatar’s FIFA
showcase football stadium and the
Burj Khalifa in Dubai, as well as de-
velopments led by EMAAR Proper-
ties, Nakheel and various residen-
tial and commercial towers.
“AEE is pleased to provide Bush-
naq with the 2010 Legend in Energy
Award. Bushnaq has been a mem-
ber of AEE for almost 20 years,
and is now an AEE Life Member.
56 MEP Middle East | February 2011
We are honoured to have him as a
dedicated member of our organisa-
tion for so many years, and to now
provide him with this lifetime des-
ignation as a Legend in Energy,”
said AEE executive director Albert
Thumann.
PIONEERING
“It is now almost two decades since
EMS commenced its pioneering
journey in energy management in
the Middle East region. While our
team has crossed major milestones,
in this period we are ever mindful
of the long road that is yet be trav-
elled in our quest for a sustainable
future. The honour bestowed upon
me by the AEE is an added impetus
for EMS to progress towards new
frontiers,” said Bushnaq.
“Many companies, municipali-
ties and individuals are now on the
sustainability bandwagon. As long
as meaningful and extended com-
mitments are made and kept, this is
great news for our society and our
planet. EMS has been committed to
finding more environment-friendly
ways of constructing and operating
buildings, using water and creat-
ing power for well over a decade,
and doing so in a region that is still
very new to these concepts. As
others catch up to where we have
been, our challenge is to keep mov-
ing forward with more ambitious
sustainability goals for ourselves
as a company and in the solutions
we provide for our clients. This is
a goal we relish, and which helps
to define who EMS is and will con-
The creation of green buildings is
now a mandatory science and has already
entered the mainstream of civil engineer-
ing in our region.“ – Khaled Bushnaq
tinue to be,” commented Bushnaq.
Bushnaq, who has a bachelor’s de-
gree in Electrical Engineering from
the University of Salford in the UK,
founded EMS in 1991 in Jordan. He
continues to be the propelling force
behind the company’s vigorous ex-
pansion across the GCC.
EMS is a leading energy-savings
company in the Middle East, with of-
fices in Jordan and Dubai. Founded
in 1991, the company was created as
a response to the growing market
need for technologically-advanced
solutions to efficiently manage and
conserve resources like electricity
and water. EMS has worked with
leading clients in several industries
across the region to reduce their
consumption and cost of energy.
RANGE OF SERVICES
Its range of services includes en-
ergy audits, implementation of en-
ergy savings program, installation
of energy-efficient solutions and
project management. The company
was the recipient of a Special Recog-
nition award by the World Energy
congress in the US in 1993.
EMS has also just signed an
agreement with the Jordan office of
United Infrastructure Projects (UI
Projects) as the LEED certification
and commissioning consultant for a
US Navy satellite fire station project
in Djibouti, rendering it eligible for
LEED NC 2.2 Silver.
“The creation of green buildings
is now a mandatory science and has
already entered the mainstream of
civil engineering in our region. Our
ASHRAE certification, backed by
the EMS expertise garnered over
two decades worth of regional expe-
rience, puts us in a superior position
to render state-of-the-art green so-
lutions,” said Bushnaq.
www.constructionweekonline.com