Understanding and unlocking the potential of District Cooling in Asia Pacific

6 June 2014, Kuala Lumpur: In Asia Pacific and Middle East, the shift in the electricity demand and supply balance, has paved the way for deployment of district cooling which allows the utilities and developers to balance power supply and effectively manage usage. District cooling has taken Asia and Middle East by storm and is being promoted as a way of addressing energy shortages, energy demand and global warming. There has been an evaluation of district cooling as a feasible, affordable and attractive option for private developers. The DC industry is gaining traction in South-East Asia. By pooling the demand for cold air in dense urban areas, District Cooling is more cost efficient over the long term than conventional cooling options at the individual building level.

According to a recent report by Asia Development Bank (2013) based on the technical structures, Malaysia has the potential to triple the scale of its district cooling industry to a built-up capacity of 575,000 tonnes of refrigerants from the current approximates of about 200,000-tonne capacity. ADB currently invests more than US$2.3bil (RM7.29bil) per year in clean energy projects across Asia. However, the awareness of district cooling technology is still low level in most of the urbanised Asian countries. Malaysia for instance had district cooling technology 15 years ago in the Petronas Twin towers KLCC complex, yet the number of feasible projects have not seen a considerable rise. The newly opened KLIA 2 airport in Kuala Lumpur is the latest in the league of district cooling initiatives.

In the wake of increasing focus on sustainability and the 'go green' movement across the globe there has been a call to the District Cooling industry to promote this feasible technology. The 3rd Annual Asia Pacific District Cooling Conference, organised by Fleming Gulf Conferences from 26 to 28 August in Kuala Lumpur will focus on the key issue of district cooling becoming a solution. It is essential for every investor to understand barriers and challenges to develop a strong foundation for DC. The Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water, Malaysia, Y.B Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Maximus Johnity Ongkili, will present the honorary address. The keynote address will be presented by Ith Praing the Secretary of State, Ministry of Energy and Mines, Cambodia. This event will bring together distinguished personnel from utilities, ministries, developers, contractors, district cooling providers, consultants, master planner developers and technology leaders to discuss and benchmark crucial issues on how to seize new opportunities and make it effective for the region. District cooling technology is of key importance in buildings and infrastructure projects, as it offers central cooling for multiple buildings effectively while saving about 25 per cent on electrical costs.

There has been an array of new end-users like airports, religious site, sports complexes and religious facilities deploying the DC technology. It is estimated that US$11bil of investment in end-use efficiency is needed by South-East Asian countries by 2020 to meet their national targets for energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reductions. For district cooling systems to be successful, their components must be designed to function as an integrated system. In addition, it is important to understand the functioning of the entire system and the large investments that are involved for the district cooling systems to remain efficient life long. The 3rd annual district cooling event is a must attend event for district cooling providers, master developers, master planners contractors, consultants and government stakeholders. It is crucial to understand the predicament of DC from the perspective of the plant owners and building owners. A range of imminent issues in DC will be addressed at the conference including the growth of DC projects in Asia-Pacific, evaluation of DC as a feasible, affordable and DC becoming an attractive option for private developers. Today the district cooling technology has been seen as a green ray of hope for the development of smart cities and energy efficient technology for large scale projects.

About Fleming Gulf Conferences:

Founded in 2005, Fleming Gulf is young, dynamic and has fast become one of the leading providers of business intelligence through industry specific conferences, webinars and skills enhancement training courses. Our goal is to link professionals and provide them with commercial acumen, business investment contacts and a world of opportunities. Our reach is global-spanning serving organizations in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, and as far as Latin America. Fleming Gulf delivers the most comprehensive business events by leveraging our network of industry influencers with specialist knowledge to provide organizations the winning edge that makes a difference in their decision making in today's competitive business landscape. Through our live and on-demand webinars, class-sized intensive certification courses, highly focused niche conferences and large scale summits, Fleming Gulf has brought together nearly 100,000 professionals representing industries including HSE, oil and gas, utilities, life sciences, mining, construction, HR, transport and logistics, finance, telecom and IT, aviation and marketing. We are committed to provide our partners - speakers, delegates, exhibitors, sponsors and supporters - a unique learning experience where they can find stimulating topics, engaging conversations and meet the biggest names within their field.

Fleming Gulf,Jacob Fleming Asia Sdn Bhd
Suite 3B-6-7 Block 3B Plaza Sentral,
Jalan Stesen Sentral 5,
50470, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Contact information:
Meera Roy
meera.roy@fleminggulf.com
+603-20274767

Press contact:
Meera Roy
meera.roy@fleminggulf.com
+603-20274767

This release was published on openPR.