ADNOC AND TABREED COMMENCE OPERATIONS AT REGION’S FIRST GEOTHERMAL COOLING PLANT IN MASDAR CITY

ADNOC and the National Central Cooling Company PJSC (Tabreed) announced the start of operations at G2COOL, the first district cooling project in the Gulf region to harness geothermal energy. The landmark plant will further decarbonize the way buildings are cooled in Masdar City while diversifying the UAE’s energy mix in support of the UAE National Energy Strategy 2050.

The G2COOL plant produces naturally occurring hot water found underground through two geothermal wells. The hot water is fed into absorption cooling technology to produce the chilled water needed by Tabreed for its district cooling activities. The chilled water derived from this source of clean energy accounts for 10% of Masdar City’s cooling needs.

The cooling of buildings accounts for up to 70% of the UAE’s electricity consumption. District cooling offers a sustainable alternative to traditional cooling methods as it is around 50% more energy efficient in its standard operations. Integrating geothermal energy within district cooling operations can significantly reduce electricity demand for cooling from the grid.

The G2COOL plant is located in Masdar City, a sustainable urban community and world-class business-free zone and technology hub in Abu Dhabi.

Building on the success of the G2COOL plant, ADNOC is also working with several companies to maximize the contribution of geothermal energy in the UAE using the latest drilling and power generation technologies.