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AUGUST 2010

PLUS:

Marketplace Tenders & Contracts Events Watch

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The will to LEED

• How Dubai Chamber became the first LEED certified existing building in the region • CENTRESPREAD: The top 10 things that make Dubai Chamber Eco-friendly

Local Flavour

Comparing the Pearls Rating System to LEED & BREAAM IDE INS

Green Building Special On the record

Upen Bharwada, Executive, Business General Manager, Filters and Membranes, GE Water & Process Technologies

PRODUCT FOCUS

VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVES

headlines

• Oman’s desal demand to rise • The $45 billion in the sewers

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Celebrating the outstanding achievements of MENA Water Sector

25th of November 2010 H20 Water Awards will be presented to outstanding nominations in the following categories: • Best Water Project • Best Waste-Water Project • Innovative Use / Application of Technology

• Water Efficiency Leader • Build Water • Best Water Consultancy

• Water / Energy Nexus • Best Facility Manager - Water • Water Communications & Marketing

GOLD SPONSORS:

To submit your nominations, please visit www.h2ome.net/awards For event enquiries, contact: Deep Karani (Events & Marketing Manager) Tel: +971 4 375 6839 GSM: +971 50 8585 905 E-mail: deep@cpi-industry.com

For sponsorships enquiries, contact: Vedran Dedic (Group Sales Director) Tel: +971 4 375 6834 GSM: +971 55 8644831 E-mail: vedran@cpi-industry.com

CONTENTS

cover ilustration by ULyses galgo

applying thought to water in the middle east AUGUST 2010 COVER STORY

GREEN BUILDING SPECIAL 20 >Local Flavour

• Comparing the Pearls Rating System to LEED & BREAAM

>CENTRESPREAD: Dubai Creek’s

green landmark

05 EDITORIAL

>The will to LEED •

•

How Dubai Chamber became the first LEED certified existing building in the region The top 10 things that make Dubai Chamber eco-friendly

Giving water its due

06 HAPPENINGS

• Round up • The region • At large

16 MARKET PLACE 18 ON THE RECORD

Upen Bharwada, Executive, Business General Manager, Filters and Membranes, GE Water & Process Technologies

PRODUCT FOCUS

Aki Maenpaa, Business Unit Manager - Drives and Motors, ABB Southern Gulf and Pakistan on how low voltage AC drives improve the energy-efficiency of water pumping systems.

advertorial

Anil D Bangera, CEO, Metrohm Middle East

30 VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVES

10 18

20

32 WATER QUALITY

using an average In Dubai, a water-free urinal can save up to 30% on the cost of DEWA water, p6 price of 4.5 fils/gallon and 7,000 uses as the approximate life-cycle of the cartridge.

26 30

INSIDE >

EXCLUSIVE: Tackling refinery waste Prakash Parab, Director, Dulsco Waste Management Services provides an overview of key ways and means to disposing refinery waste

Retrofit Champion

AUGUST 2010 • www.cpi-industry.com

Mall Make-over City, in 2009, decided

4

AUGUST 2010 | www.h2ome.net

page 6

The owner of Al Ghurair that the nearly 30-year-old facility needed a make-over, including a replacement of the air conditioning system. Trane got the call.

EVENT REPORT • Singapore International Water Week 2010 • Water Days Abu Dhabi

www.h2ome.net

Meet Leandro Bantug, who is pushing for a water-less urinal retrofit initiative in the region.

Feature

The ideal lighting for an office is 8-12W/ square metre, says Michael Nuyttens, adding that Dubai has a huge market for the lighting retrofit. page 7

retrofit news and chronicle is a joint initiative of:

editor’s note Publisher Dominic De Sousa Managing Director & Associate Publisher Frédéric Paillé • fred@cpi-industry.com Editorial Director & Associate Publisher B Surendar • surendar@cpi-industry.com Editor Anoop K Menon • anoop@cpi-industry.com Sales Director Vedran Dedic • vedran@cpi-industry.com Events & Marketing Manager Deep Karani • deep@cpi-industry.com Design Rey Delante • rey@cpi-industry.com Ulysses Galgo • uly@cpi-industry.com Webmaster Troy Maagma • troy@cpidubai.com Database/Subscriptions Manager Purwanti Srirejeki | purwanti@cpi-industry.com ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Frédéric Paillé: +971 50 7147204 fred@cpi-industry.com Vedran Dedic: +971 50 3756834 vedran@cpi-industry.com Euro Zone and UK Joseph Quinn, HORSESHOE MEDIA Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4139 Fax: +44 (0)20 8687 4130 Marshall House, 124 Middleton Road Morden, Surrey, SM4 6RW, UK North America Rakesh Saxena, CPI INDUSTRY North America Branch Tel: +1 905 890 5031 Fax: +1 905 890 5031 GSM: +1 416 841 5050 rakesh@cpi-industry.com Published by

Giving water its due A

t the recent Water Days conference in Abu Dhabi, one of the highlights was an update on the Pearls Rating System, the green building rating system developed by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) under its ESTIDAMA initiative. In his presentation, the UPC spokesperson pointed out that the Pearl Rating System was developed to suit the hot climate and environment (extremely summer temperatures and high humidity levels) of Abu Dhabi, and most importantly, the cultural and social sensibilities of the emirate.

The foundations for sustainability, in Abu Dhabi’s case, lies in reducing water consumption and conserving electricity; hence, 50% of the points system in the Pearls is weighed in favour of water (Precious Water) and energy (Resourceful energy). The emphasis on water is understandable, given that the per capita consumption of fresh water in the emirate is among the highest in the world and new water supplies are expensive. While the rating system was initially designed to be voluntary, the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi has made the ‘One Pearl’ level as mandatory. This is expected to reduce water consumption by 21% in multi-use residential buildings, 40% in commercial offices and 16% in communities, the spokesperson claimed.

In his comparison of the Pearls Rating System vis-a-vis LEED and BREEAM in this issue, Karim Elgendy pointed out that the Pearls system, while incorporating the best elements from both LEED and BREEAM, is distinctly local. It stands out for its greater emphasis on water and energy, and on post-occupancy assessment.

Interestingly, an apple-to-apple comparison of the Pearls system with LEED, on baseline requirements for water-efficiency, presented by a green building consultant at the same conference, showed that both ratings talk similar numbers. For example, LEED indicates 4.88 Litres per Flush (LPF) for a commercial toilet, while the Pearls Rating System indicates a Dual Flush Toilet with six LPF (full) and four LPF (low). In other words, if you have complied with LEED, you have already satisfied the Pearls requirement. However, an area that has been left un-addressed by the Pearls is on-site grey water treatment and recycling in buildings, which under existing regulations in Abu Dhabi, involve a cumbersome licensing process.

There is also the question of whether LEED, BREEAM or Pearls certification is an inseparable part of making a building water-efficient. The story on how Dubai Chamber achieved the LEED certification for existing building, featured in this issue, answers this question in more ways than one. Jeff Willis, Chairman, Emirates Green Building Council, told me in a recent conversation that putting in low water consumption fittings during the design stage has become a ‘Best Practice’ or ‘Accepted Practice,’ in the West today, and increasingly, in our region too. Building rating systems like LEED have contributed to this trend, by improving what constitutes ‘Best Practice.’ But what is also helping build the momentum here is the growing availability of internationally and locally-certified water-efficient fixtures, which was not the case four to five years ago.

On a different note, I am pleased to inform you that H20 has its own website. We soft-launched www. h2ome.net in late June. A work-in-progress, the website will be endowed with its own identity, distinct from the print and digital editions. As always, your feedback will be highly appreciated.

Anoop K Menon

Head Office PO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 3756830 Fax: +971 4 4341906 Web: www.cpi-industry.com Printed by: Excel Printing Press, Sharjah, UAE © Copyright 2010 CPI. All rights reserved.

While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

AUGUST 2010

PLUS:

Marketplace Tenders & Contract s Events Watch

T

The will to LEED

• How Dubai Chamber became the first LEED certified existing building in the region • CENTRESPREAD: The top 10 Dubai Chamber Eco-friendl things that make y

LocaL FLavoUr

Comparing the Pearls

Rating System to LEED

& BREAAM

Get the next issue of H2O early!

Did you know that H2O is also available electronically? Get a digitised copy of the magazine before the issue goes for print!

As a bonus, the digital version includes such features as a keyword search, annotation, highlight, note-making and hot links.

For more details, please access www.cpi-industry.com/digital

IDE INS

Green Building Special oN ThE rEcorD

Upen Bharwada, Executive, Business General Manager, Filters and Membrane s, GE Water & Process Technologi es

ProDUcT FocUS

varIaBLE FrEQUENc Y DrIvES

hEaDLINES

(Zinio is a digital publishing firm based in the USA.)

• Oman’s desal demand to rise • The $45 billion in the sewers

Visit our website at www.h2ome

.net

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US$10

Happenings > ROUND up MEI bags mega solar hot water deal Millennium Energy Industries (MEI) announced that it has bagged the design and build contract of what is claims to be largest solar district hot water project in the world. The solar district water heating system for the Princess Noura University for Women Project in

Artistic Rendering of the Princess Nora University for Woman Campus

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will be engineered, procured, and constructed by MEI. It will support the district heating network for the entire university campus, which will include student accommodation and hospital. The solar system, with over 17MW of hot water capacity, is expected to provide significant savings on fuel consumptions while reducing carbon emission. The hot water system is scheduled to be commissioned before the launch of the university in 2011.

Ennis Rimawi, Chairman of Millennium Energy Industries and the Managing Partner of Catalyst Private Equity, said, “We are proud to be selected to design and build this flagship project after significant international competition.”

PROJECTS NWC awards contracts worth SR1.255 billion The National Water Company has awarded nine contracts worth SR1.255 billion for projects in the first phase of Strategic Water Plan in Riyadh, reports the Saudi Press Agency. These projects will make full use of the output of the 800,000m3/day Ras Al-Zour Water Desalination Station. The company disclosed that the joint local and South Korean consortiums have won four contracts worth SR642 million and other national companies have won five contracts worth SR613 million.

Iraq imports solar desalination units Iraq has allocated $41 million to import 350 solar-powered water desalination stations to provide rural areas with drinking water. This was revealed by the Minister of Municipalities & Public Works Riad Ghareeb during a press meet in Bahgdad, reports Aswat Al Iraq. Under a plan, the ministry will import these solar water desalination stations from a US firm 6

AUGUST 2010 | www.h2ome.net

The Iraqi government estimates that nearly one in four Iraqis do not have access to safe water

as part of a project to provide potable water to a total population of 900,000 in 350 villages. These stations are set to produce 12 million litres of drinking water on a daily basis,” Ghareeb said, adding that his ministry has managed to cut water scarcity to 10% from 40% in 2006 in all Iraqi provinces and had inaugurated more than 12 out of a total 36 projects to purify water so far.

Mott MacDonald bags ADDC contracts Mott MacDonald has been awarded power transmission and water consultancy contracts totalling Dh90 million by Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC). The contracts are for consultancy frameworks for power in both the Central and Western regions and for water in the Eastern region of Abu Dhabi.

The framework contracts will involve the improvement, reinforcement, extension and development of water and electricity distribution networks in new areas being developed by different government bodies, such as the Abu Dhabi Municipality, and private development projects, including islands in the three regions.

Specifically, through the frameworks, Mott MacDonald will conduct studies, surveys, preliminary and detailed design, preparation of tender documents, tender evaluation, construction supervision and commissioning. Works will also cover water distribution networks - ranging in size from 300mm to 1200mm in diameter - including storage reservoirs, pumping stations and submarine pipelines to private islands. In the Eastern region, the new framework will include some of the emirate’s largest infrastructure projects such as Capital District - the new administrative centre, the Abu Dhabi airport expansion, as well as MASDAR for which Mott MacDonald is already leading on infrastructure consultancy services including detailed design for all water and wastewater utilities. The project teams will be led by Peter Hall, Mott MacDonald’s Middle East manager for water and wastewater and Milorad Ilic, Mott MacDonald’s Abu Dhabi manager for transmission and distribution.

Modern Water extends Oman desalination trial UK’s Modern Water has agreed on an extension to the trial of its desalination plant with the Omani Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW). Modern Water has agreed a tariff to continue to provide water to the local community for a further six-month term, to ensure consistent provision of fresh water to the Al Khaluf area. The desalination plant in Al Khaluf is the first and only in the Middle East to use

and electricity output from the Fujairah 1 IWPP to ADWEC. Besides the Fujairah 1 IWPP, Sembcorp has also established a second beachhead in the Middle East with an investment to develop, build, own and operate a combined power and desalination plant in Salalah, Oman. The Salalah plant, with a gross power capacity of 490MW and a desalination capacity of 15MIGD, is expected to begin full commercial operations in the first half of 2012.

Litres/ day) to 1.2 MLD (Million Litres/ Day) and 2.5 MLD. The plants have been commissioned on a turnkey basis. The contract for operation and maintenance will be carried out by Shivsu Canadian Clear International, the parent company of Canadian Clear Water FZC, Kenya.

AECOM announces water wins in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain

Manipulated Osmosis (MO), an innovative process developed by Modern Water. The technology provides high-quality drinking water in an area where the seawater provides a difficult challenge for the more traditional reverse osmosis process.

Sembcorp-ADWEA MoU to expand desal capacity Sembcorp Utilities, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sembcorp, has signed a MoU with the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) to develop and build a new 30MIGD Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) facility. The new facility is expected to be located on the same site as the Fujairah 1 Independent Water and Power Plant (IWPP), the largest operating hybrid desalination plant in the world, owned by Emirates Sembcorp Water & Power Company.

Emirates Sembcorp Water & Power Company is a joint venture between Sembcorp Gulf Holding Company and Union Power Holding Company, subsidiaries of Sembcorp Utilities and ADWEA respectively. When developed, the new SWRO plant will enhance Sembcorp’s total desalination capacity in the UAE from 100 MIGD to 130MIGD. Expected to cost approximately $200 million and to be operational before end-2013, the water output of the new facility is expected to be sold to ADWEC under a 20-year Water Purchase Agreement. This is in addition to the 22-year Power and Water Purchase Agreement for the current water

AECOM has been awarded contracts worth Dh22 million by the Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) for consultancy services in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The work in Abu Dhabi includes the improvement, reinforcement, extension and development of the water distribution networks in the western region of Abu Dhabi, including study, design, tendering and construction supervision. In the Al Ain region, AECOM has been awarded a contract worth Dh5.5 million for the design and construction supervision and relevant works for water supply networks to the Eastern Region.

The scope of work includes the design of water distribution networks for Bani Yas, Al Wathba, Al Nahda and Al Mafraq areas with a total approximate length of 145 kilometres, including the connection to the existing main distribution pipelines. In addition the scope includes augmentation work for the existing water networks falling in the eastern region of Abu Dhabi.

Shivsu to supply industrial WWTPs to Africa Shivsu Canadian Clear International, a leading water technology solution provider, has bagged orders worth $6 million from private organisations and governments to set up industrial wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. The company will be involved in design, manufacture, supply and installation of the plants. The WWTPs, based on membrane bio-reactor (MBR) technology, will treat effluents from sugarcane, distillery, tannery, textiles and paint industries.

Their capacities range from 450 KLD (Kilo

Silver Stream, a high-output RO system launched by Shivsu last year

DSI awarded MEP contracts in Abu Dhabi Drake & Scull International (DSI) has been awarded the contract for the complete Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) works for two major projects in Abu Dhabi worth a combined value of Dh240 million. Khaldoun Tabari, CEO of DSI, said, “We have always seen Abu Dhabi as a lucrative market and our expectations of projects in the pipeline have indeed been fulfilled.” DSI will begin work on the Saadiyat Beach Apartments Plot SB19 project located on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. The series of beachside apartments, which are being developed by the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), will provide modern and dynamic living spaces in private gated communities, offering residents a variety of options ranging from simple studios to multiple bedroom apartments. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2011 and the scope of work for DSI will include supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the entire electromechanical works. DSI will simultaneously commence with the complete MEP works for a prominent governmental building project which will be completed by June 2012, and will include a total built-up area of 106, 670 square metres. “These two recent project wins bring the total value of www.h2ome.net | AUGUST 2010

7

Happenings > ROUND up

Khaldoun Tabari

contracts awarded to us this year to Dh1.4 billion,” said Tabari, adding, “Aside from this being a marked accomplishment for the company, we expect that this will also aid in boosting our returns towards the end of the financial year.”

APPOINTMENTS

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Victaulic announces appointment

DuPont hosts sustainability award

Victaulic, which supplies mechanical pipe joining systems, has appointed Mark Gilbert, 38, as Vice President and General Manager for Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. Gilbert was most recently regional director for the Middle East and has more than 15 years experience working for Victaulic. In his new role, he will oversee the development of long-term sales and operational strategies for the company.

Gilbert’s focus will be to facilitate the expansion of operations and the company’s manufacturing capabilities to support future growth.

DuPont recently hosted ‘DuPont Bright Ideas Eco Challenge’ award ceremony on June 24th, 2010 at the ALHOSN University, in Abu Dhabi.

The competition, open to all UAE undergraduate students, provided a

MIT veteran to head MIST Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, the world’s first graduate research institution dedicated to alternative energy, environmental technologies and sustainability, has appointed Dr Fred Moavenzadeh from collaborating partner Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as its President. This appointment comes at the completion of the Institute’s inaugural academic year. Serving as 8

the nucleus of an interdisciplinary, collaborative, high-technology research and development infrastructure, Masdar Institute forms the centrepiece of Masdar, a subsidiary of the Mubadala Development Company (Mubadala). Commenting on his appointment, Dr Moavenzadeh said: “In responding to the defining challenge of our time, climate change and energy security, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology is embarking on an exciting and vital journey with a comprehensive approach to education and research. I am delighted to be appointed as its President.” Through his experience leading the Technology and Development Programme at MIT, Dr Moavenzadeh will seek close cooperation with local academic institutions, governmental organisations, and industry to build a culture of R&D from within the UAE. Dr Moavenzadeh received his Masters Degree from Cornell University, New York, and his PhD from Purdue University, Indiana.

AUGUST 2010 | www.h2ome.net

unique opportunity to think creatively, and to develop innovative ideas that can contribute to long term environmental protection. The team comprising Asma Malik, Farida Saif, Laura Kherbeck and Onoud Saleh from the American University of Sharjah took the first place, followed by Reza Dashtpour from Heriott Watt University in the second place and Danial Ahmed and Arsalan Muhammad Yousuf also from the American University of Sharjah, in the third place. Each of the winners received a cash prize and a certificate. DuPont Bright Ideas Eco Challenge is a part of the DuPont Community Fund (DCF).

Hartmut Reinke, Director Middle East, Turkey and Africa, DuPont, said, “DuPont Bright Ideas Eco Challenge is a living example and our promise to support programmes that address environmental initiatives.” Professor Abdul Rahim Sabouni, Vice Chancellor and CEO, ALHOSN University, said: “UAE students are more than capable of making positive contributions to environmental causes, as reflected by the high quality of the DuPont Bright Ideas Eco Challenge 2010 entries.” Habiba Al Marashi, Chairperson, Emirates Environmental Group and Board Member, UN Global Compact added, “DBIEC Initiative by DuPont reinforces our message of nurturing environmental awareness and responsibility at an early age,” added Habiba Al Marashi, Chairperson, Emirates Environmental Group and Board Member, UN Global Compact. n The winning team from the American University of Sharjah

Power & Water Conference & Exhibition

4-6 October 2010

Qatar International Exhibition Centre, Doha, Qatar www.power-gen-middleeast.com

Under the Patronage of His Excellency Mr. Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy & Industry

New Solutions for the Region’s

Power & Water Challenges INVITATION TO ATTEND Its is anticipated Qatar will invest more than $20 billion in the coning decade in the field of water desalination and power generation, in addition to expanding the water network and transmission and distribution of electricity.

POWER-GEN Middle East is the region’s premier event dedicated to the water and power industries of the Gulf region and has a reputation for providing the best networking opportunities available in the Middle East.

Its leading conference programme covers strategic and technical water issues across the Middle East and aims to enhance dialogue for developing solutions to the region’s water challenges.

Conference content includes: • • • •

Country & Regional Spotlights Water Management & Environmental Issues Emerging Technologies Drivers & Regulations

• Desalination Technologies • Water Re-use • Wastewater Treatment For full programme visit www.power-gen-middleeast.com

Early Bird Discount Rate - Register Today!

Register yourself and your colleagues today as conference delegates and benefit from the Early Bird Discount Rate.If you are involved in water and power industries and are looking to increase your business and knowledge in the region, POWER-GEN Middle East is the must attend event.

Use Promotional Code When Registering: H2O-01 For full conference programme, details on Early Bird Discount Rate and to register online visit www.power-gen-middleeast.com Owned and Produced By:

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Supporting Regional Publication: Middle East

Happenings > the region

Abu Dhabi to set up enhanced TSE plant

Singapore-based company awarded Dh55-million contract for 27,712m3/day wastewater recycling plant

Tan Kwee Kok, CEO, Salcon with H.E. Majid Al Mansouri, Secretary-General, EAD

Salcon, a subsidiary of water and wastewater engineering specialist Boustead, was recently awarded a Dh55 million contract to design, engineer and construct a wastewater recycling plant in Abu Dhabi.

The contract also includes a five-year operations and maintenance agreement.

The contract for Al Wathba Enhanced Treated Sewage Effluent Treatment Plant was awarded by Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company (ADSSC). The contract will be administered by ADSSC and operated by the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD).

The enhanced TSE Plant will have a treatment capacity of 27,712 m3/day and comprise strainer, ultra-filtration and ultraviolet light disinfection. Upon completion, the plant will be able to recycle and recover as much as 95% of the TSE, producing high quality recycled water for agricultural irrigation and horticultural landscaping.

The TSE plant, the first of its kind in the UAE, will provide a sustainable supply of water for Abu Dhabi’s horticultural requirements. By increasing water efficiency through the recycling process, the plant will also help to minimise the environmental impact of TSE. Plant operations will be 10

AUGUST 2010 | www.h2ome.net

managed by advanced integrated control system and SCADA. For the design, engineering and construction of the TSE plant, Salcon will draw on expertise and experience gained from its turnkey EPC role in the 55,000m3/day Phase II Extension of Bedok NEWater Factory, owned and operated

by PUB, the national water agency of Singapore. The Phase II Extension of Bedok NEWater Factory is the first plant in the world to utilise commercial 16-inch RO membranes.

Tan Kwee Kok, Chief Executive Officer of Salcon, said, “This is an important step in water conservation and sustainability in one of the most water-stressed regions of the world. The technologies that will be deployed at the Al Wathba Enhanced TSE Treatment Plant are already in use by PUB at its NEWater facilities. We are very grateful to International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and PUB for the continuous support that they have provided to us. These government agencies have paved the way for our penetration into the Middle East, which we view as a long-term strategic market.”

Lim Ban Hoe, Group Director for Middle East and Africa at IE Singapore, said, “As a country which has managed to address water scarcity issues, Singapore is well-placed to help address water resource issues in the Middle East. We are proud of Boustead Salcon Water Solutions’ achievement and contribution to the Middle East. This is certainly a testament to Singapore companies and their capability to address global requirements of their business partners on an international level.”

Ng Han Tong, Director of Industry Development at PUB, said, “PUB is delighted that Boustead Salcon Water Solutions is able to leverage on its proven track record with PUB to secure this project in Abu Dhabi.”

40

Per cent. Of the world’s 30,000 recognised fish species are found in freshwaters.

Source: EAWAG

1,700

Terawatt-hours per year.

Potential of osmotic power equal to half of Europe’s total energy demand by 2030.

Source: Osmotic Power: A Primer

100

USD Billion. Planned spending by Qatar on infrastructure projects within the next four years.

Source: Bloomberg

16.6

USD Billion. Global desalination investment per year by 2016.

Source: Pike Research

Oman’s desal demand to rise

The Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) has projected an additional desalination capacity requirement of nearly 456,000 m3/day by 2016 ‘Muscat zone - Barka Water Supply The Oman Power and Water Network’ followed by the ‘Muscat zone Procurement Company (OPWP) - Al Ghubrah Water Supply Network has forecast the need for additional at 283,000m3/day; the Sohar zone at desalination capacity to meet the growing demand for water in two main water grids 236,000m3/day; the Sharqiya zone at of the Sultanate. In its annual seven year 82,000m3/day and the Ad-Duqm zone at statement for the period from 2010 to 31,000m3/day. OPWP defines peak demand 2016, OPWP has forecast that by 2016, at 1.25 times the average daily demand at least 376,000m3/day of additional during the peak month of the year.

The reduction of capacity at Al desalination capacity will be required for Ghubrah power and desalination plant the Main Interconnected System (MIS), after 2012 (to 161,000m3/day in 2013 and while for Salalah System, the same will be 80,000m3/day, in addition to the capacity thereafter, holding steady at 138,000m3/ coming online in 2012 via the Salalah day) will result in increased shortfalls of IWPP (Independent Water and Power between 91,000m3/day and 145,000m3/ Project). These projections are based on annual average growth rate in water demand of 13% in the MIS and 9.5% in the Salalah system.

According to OPWP, while the global economic slowdown in 2009 had some impact on the industrial and tourism-related real estate sectors, other demand-drivers, such as population growth and general economic development continue.

Further, the recovery in oil prices has increased the probability of the elevated growth rates of recent years has proposed new desal plants at Barka, being sustained into the medium term. OPWP Sohar, Ad Duqm and Salalah For the MIS, which as the larger of the two systems serves around 500,000 day from 2013 to 2016. A planned new customers, OPWP sees the demand for Independent Water and Power Plant desalinated water increasing to 272million (IWPP) at Al Ghubrah for 2013, with a m3/year by 2016 (119 million m3/day in desalination component of 135,000m3/ 2009) as the regions toe the policy line day, is expected to reduce the shortfall to of reducing reliance on ground water.

10,000m3/day by 2016 ( at a peak demand But scheduled capacity retirements are of 283,000m3/day). On the other hand, expected to reduce the total desalination the Public Authority for Electricity and plant capacity to 579,000m3/day by 2016 Water (PAEW) has indicated a total from the existing 646,000 m3/day. The MIS desalination capacity requirement of 312,000m3/day from 2014, in which case covers the Governorates of Muscat and Buraimi, and most of the South Batinah, the capacity shortfall would be 39,000m3/ Dakhliyah, Sharqiya, North Batinah and day (as the existing and planned capacity Dhahirah regions. at Al Ghubrah adds up to only 273,000m3/ By 2016, the ‘peak demand’ forecast for day) desalinated water, based on a population OPWP has said that it intends to scenario with a 40% non-Omani content, consult with PAEW on the options for is expected to be 327,000m3/day in the the provision of 39,000m3/day, including

enhancing the desalination capacity at Barka and transferring water into the Muscat zone - Al Ghubrah WSN. OPWP also forecasts shortfalls of up to 56,000m3/day between 2011 and 2013 in Muscat Zone - Barka WSN. In the absence of surplus available for transfer during these years from either the Al Ghubrah WSN or Sohar zones, OPWP has identified the need to set up a new desalination plant at Barka with a capacity of at least 82,000m3/day in 2014 rising to 116,000m3/ day by 2016. The additional capacity requirement identified by PAEW at Barka is 180,000m3/day by 2014.

To bridge the shortfalls in the Sohar zone, OPWP has recommended a new desalination plant with a capacity of 80,000m3/day in 2014, rising to 91,000m3/ day by 2016. In the Sharqiyah zone, the expected shortfall by 2016 is around 2,000 m3/day, while PAEW has identified additional capacity requirement of 22,500m3/day by 2015.

On the basis of the PAEWrecommended capacity of 45,000m3/ day in the Al Wusta region by 2014, OPWP has recommended the setting up of Ad-Duqm IWPP with a desalination capacity of around 20,000m3/day in 2015 to meet the expected demand in Ad-Duqm zone to 2016.The balance of the water demand of around 15,000m3/day in 2013 could be met by establishing a small desalination plant(s) in different parts of the region.

For the Dhofar zone, the Salalah IWPP, with its desalination component of 68,000m3/day, is expected to meet a major part of the demand when it is commissioned in the last quarter of 2011.

It is also the first desalination plant in the zone which is dependent on local groundwater resources. Based on demand growth estimates and the shift from reliance on groundwater resources, OPWP has said that a new 80,000m3/day desalination plant would be needed to meet the demand in the period up to 2016. n www.h2ome.net | AUGUST 2010

11

Happenings > the region

Reducing Riyadh’s water loss ABB flowmeters helps reduce water pipe leakage in Saudi Arabia’s capital Flowmeters supplied by ABB are helping the Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, to cut leakage in the water distribution network. ABB has claimed that its FlowMaster flowmeters have helped cut water leakage by nearly 40%.

The flowmeters were selected on three separate occasions as part of a large-scale project to modernise the vast but ageing water distribution network of Riyadh.

About 60% of Riyadh’s valuable water supply is lost through leakage in the 10,000 kilometres of pipes that transport water to the city’s 4.5 million population.

The target set by the governmentowned National Water Company (NWC)

is to reduce the volume of water and revenues that are lost to leakage to a more sustainable 20%. ABB has supplied 900 ABB AquaMaster and WaterMaster flowmeters to measure the flow and pressure of water in the network’s primary pipeline. Their measurement accuracy in both flow and pressure enables NWC to know exactly how much water is flowing through the main pipeline and to detect leaks as and where they happen.

“These projects required a compact, robust and maintenance-free solution that would measure pressure as well as flow, and transmit the data via the

GSM telecommunications network to the NWC’s central control room,” said Adel Al-Sammak, ABB’s local business manager for instrumentation in Saudi Arabia. The solution had to be exceptionally robust, and, for those locations where connection to the power network was not possible, batterypowered technology had to be used.

While both AquaMaster and WaterMaster share the same features, the former is powered by the AC network, with the latter by a single ultra-long-life battery.

They can be buried directly in the ground or submersed in water without the need for protective chambers.

Bee’ah facility wins praise

UAE Minister of Environment and Water commends Bee’ah’s recycling efforts

The delegation toured Bee’ah’s waste management facility in Al Saj’ah, Sharjah

The UAE’s Minister of Environment and Water, H.E. Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahad praised the waste recycling efforts of Bee’ah, during a visit to the latter’s waste management facility in Al Saj’ah, Sharjah. Bee’ah Chairman, H.E. Salim Bin Mohammed Al Owais, said the minister complimented Bee’ah’s efforts on improving the standard of living in the UAE. The minister was accompanied by Sultan Abdallah Elwan, Executive Director of External Auditing, 12

AUGUST 2010 | www.h2ome.net

Obaid Bin Essa Ahmad, Executive Director of Municipal Affairs, Salem Obaid Al Shamsy, President of the Sharjah Municipal Council and Engineer Sultan Abdalla Al Moalla, Head of Sharjah Municipality.

The delegation toured Bee’ah’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF), Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling Facility (CDW), Compost Plant, Tyre Recovery Facility (TRF) and Al Saj’ah Landfill. The MRF - the largest in the Middle East and the third largest in the world - separates recyclable materials including aluminium, paper and plastic, using highly advanced technology. All the collected material is recycled and put back into the regional economy for reuse. The MRF facility processes 600 tonnes of household waste every day.

The TRF, which is the first plant of its kind in the region to use an environmentfriendly cryogenics process to transform old tyres into crumb rubber, was also commended by the minister. The crumb

rubber could be used in the flooring of parks, running tracks and show-horse arenas.

Besides Bee’ah’s operational activities directly related to waste recovery and recycling, the minister was also briefed on the company’s comprehensive educational outreach programmes, which were set to launch throughout the 2010/11 school year. The campaigns will be aimed at educating and engaging students to adopt a ‘greener lifestyle.’ Bee’ah’s educational outreach programmes also complement the company’s current efforts such as environmental workshops and seminars tailor-made for businesses and the community at large. On conclusion of the visit, the minister signed a pledge card that was part of a Bee’ah World Environment Day initiative in 2009.

By signing the card, Sharjah residents pledged their commitment to the environment by undertaking to practise the three green Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle.

Metito gets IFC funding IFC to invest $20 million in Metito Utilities to support water sector in China, MENA International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has agreed to invest $20 million in Metito Utilities to support access to basic water supply and sanitation services in water-stressed regions of China and the Middle East and North Africa.

The deal, structured by IFC and NBK Capital - GSC Mezzanine Fund I, is the first of its kind in the Middle East. The NBK Fund has committed $20 million in mezzanine financing to Metito Utilities The investment promotes private sector participation in financing the expansion, rehabilitation, and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment projects in China and the Middle East and North Africa. This will help reduce the contamination of local water resources through the discharge of untreated water.

“This unique deal confirms the strength of Metito’s business model and supports our progress toward becoming a listed company, demonstrating the expansion of our investor base,” said Rami Ghandour, Executive Director of Metito Utilities. “IFC has been an

Michael Essex, IFC Director for the excellent supporter of Metito in the past and Middle East and North Africa, said, “We was key in developing the structure of this are very pleased to expand our partnership investment. NBK Capital brings expertise as the only dedicated mezzanine fund in the with Metito to capitalise on growth opportunities in the water sector in China Middle East and North Africa region.” and the Middle East and North Africa.

Metito Utilities has been an IFC client Reducing the water supply-demand since 2007. The company is already active in the water reuse sector in the Middle East imbalance is one of IFC’s key priorities in CST-2052 H2O Mag 4.72x7.09 4/27/10 10:57 AM Page 1 these areas.” and North Africa and China.

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With over 100 years of storage manufacturing experience, CST Industries has the information, know-how and practical advice you need. When you’re ready to begin the planning process, to consider tank selection, to prepare project budgets or to prepare specifications for bidding, we can help.

Before you make a decision, make us your go-to resource for storage tank information. To receive factual, explanatory “Think Tank” bulletins, register online at www.tanks.com or call your CST sales professional today.

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Phone: +1-913-748-4514 • Fax: +1-913-621-4071 info@tanks.com www.h2ome.net | AUGUST 2010

13

Happenings > at large

The $45 billion in the sewers A host of technologies can help utilities turn wastewater costs into profits, says Lux Research While it’s long been simply an expensive nuisance to be disposed of, sewage sludge from wastewater can actually be an untapped source of energy, phosphorus, and other products. As a result, utilities and water treatment facilities have begun to explore technologies designed to help extract the value from wastewater sludge.

As these technologies mature, the market opportunity for resource recovery will grow from $25 billion today to $45 billion in 2020, according to a Lux Research report, titled ‘Technologies Turn Waste into Profit.’

Treatment and handling of sludge can represent between 20% and 50% of a wastewater treatment facility’s costs, which has fuelled interest in technologies that

Wastewater sludge can be a source of energy and other resources like phosphorous 14

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extract energy, minerals or other materials from sludge to either help offset treatment costs or even turn a profit. Technologies focused on recovering energy from sludge show the most promising value proposition, according to the report, and are expected to capture 64% of the overall market in 2020.

“Processing and disposal of wastewater sludge is something every utility has to deal with, and the costs associated with the task are rising due to more stringent regulations,” said Heather Landis, an analyst for Lux Research and the report’s lead author. “We expect more utilities to search for and adopt technologies that can help offset these costs and extract the value

hidden in wastewater sludge.”

To evaluate the technologies competing for a share of the market, Lux Research developed 10 criteria to score each technology on both its technical merit and maturity. In its report, it then compared the technologies within two segments: energy recovery and nutrient/material recovery.

Among its key observations: • Improving production of biogas from sludge offers the strongest value proposition. Several technologies – including ultrasonic cavitation, mechanical disintegration and thermal hydrolysis – aim to improve on anaerobic digestion, a well-established method for extracting biogas from sludge. These pre-treatment technologies scored highly on technical criteria, enhancing biogas production by 40% to 50%.

• Deriving alternative fuels from sludge also shows promise, with caveats.

Technologies, like gasification, pyrolysis, and supercritical water oxidation, help to derive alternative fuels from sludge, such as syngas and biodiesel. These approaches scored highly on technical value due to their favorable energy balance, relatively low capital costs, and high solids removal. However, they are also equipment-intensive and, with a limited number of installations, they registered low on commercial maturity.

• Early technical challenges confront nutrient-and-material-recovery technologies. Twelve of the 13 technologies in this category scored poorly on both technology and maturity due, in part, to their reliance on complex, high-energy processes to extract materials such as phosphorous from sludge. The exception is crystallisation, which uses a minimum of chemicals and a simple process design to recover up to 85% of phosphorus from wastewater.

“Sludge production volumes will continue to grow with increasing population and country wealth,” said Landis. “By turning sludge from a costly material to treat into a profitable revenue stream, recovery technologies make fertile hunting grounds for executives and investors looking for opportunities in the hydrocosm.” n

market marketplace

Yokogawa upgrades Plant Resource Manager Yokogawa Electric Corporation has released an upgrade to Plant Resource Manager (PRM), an integrated device management software package to centrally manage, monitor, and diagnose plant field devices, and centrally manage database ledgers for individual devices as well as device maintenance information.

According to Yokogawa, with the new enhancements, PRM can now be used to manage a much wider range

of devices online and the efficiency of maintenance activities has been significantly enhanced. The company claims that with the R3.05 upgrade, PRM supports PROFIBUS DP/PA and Wired HART 7 devices (PRM already supports the FOUNDATION fieldbus and HART protocols). The upgrade has a maintenance mark function, which indicates the device maintenance status. When a maintenance worker sets a maintenance mark, operators in

the central control room can check it at a glance. PRM maintenance marks can also be linked with the function block operation marks used by the CENTUM production control system so that both maintenance staff and operators can have access to this information. PRM R3.05 can now run under the 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2, the latest in Microsoft’s line of server operating systems. Yokogawa claims that this enhances the efficiency of device status monitoring and online diagnosis. PRM R3.05 also supports CommunicationDTM and GatewayDTM, functions of FDT/ DTM, an open interface technology.

PRM can now be used together with CommunicationDTM/GatewayDTM compatible communications equipment to set and adjust the parameters for PROFIBUS DP/PA devices.

KLUDI RAK launches water efficient aerators KLUDI RAK, a joint venture between RAK Ceramics and German manufacturer KLUDI, has launched water-efficient aerators in the UAE. The company claims that its Pressure Compensating Aerator ensures constant flow of water even in cases when the water pressure is increased or fluctuates. KLUDI RAK further claims that its aerators offer superior lime protection, extended lifespan and integrated anti-clogging dome screen that filters sediments and particles. Dr Khater Massaad, CEO, RAK Ceramics said: “Sub-standard faucets can 16

AUGUST 2010 | www.h2ome.net

potentially cause problems as they could be a breeding ground for germs and bacteria, and may become rusty after a short period of use. With KLUDI RAK’s latest innovation, home owners and commercial establishments can truly enjoy clean water and optimum water savings each time they use their faucets.”

KLUDI RAK’s aerators have been designed to adjust to different water pressure levels - low pressure, normal pressure, high pressure or no pressure. The product also offers ver y low noise levels and need not be

disassembled for cleaning.

The company has also developed a Flow Regulator, which keeps water flow rate constant, independent of the line pressure, resulting in significant water cost savings while guaranteeing even water distribution. It is useful in ver tical water distribution in a multi-stor y building or in horizontal water distribution, as it can be easily fitted into a shower head or shower hand spray to deliver a consistent water flow.

Mobile RO systems for industrial desalination Siemens Water Technologies has announced new pre-engineered Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems for treating seawater, brackish waters and high salinity wastewaters. The company claims that the pre-engineered package systems, with mobile-based, self-contained units, enable efficient site installation and rapid deployment. For larger flow requirements, the systems consist of factory-assembled building blocks, which can be re-assembled on site to facilitate a fixed plant design.

The seawater reverse osmosis system is designed for a wide range of applications from the production of low salinity process water to wastewater reuse and recycle.

According to the company, the fullyintegrated, mobile based self-contained RO system incorporates three main components: a safety filter, a high pressure

pump and energy recovery system and a membrane array complete with motor controls and central control system. All necessary pipes, pumps and ancillary equipment are included and pre-assembled into a standard overseas shipping container. Similarly packaged mobile pretreatment systems, post treatment systems and membrane Clean-in-Place (CIP) units are also available to create a complete water treatment system.

Larger flow systems, which require equipment that is too large to be fully built within the confines of standard overseas shipping containers, are designed in manageable sub-assemblies, which are built and tested in the factory and, then, shipped to the job site for final field assembly, thus limiting the amount of field work. These sub-system building

blocks are system-engineered into a customer- focussed solution to meet the needs of each individual application.

Siemens claims that the Desal Developed systems incorporate robust components designed with energy efficiency in mind.

The electric motor-driven high pressure pump is controlled by a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) controller thus creating only the necessary membrane feed pressures.

An energy recovery system is utilised to recycle the waste pressures found in the concentrate stream. According to the company. these features yield an electrical efficient design that produces permeate water in the range of three to four kwh/m3, depending upon feed water temperature and salinity. n

www.h2ome.net | AUGUST 2010

17

ON THE RECORD

RO Notes Upen Bharwada, Executive, Business General Manager, Filters and Membranes, GE Water & Process Technologies spoke to Anoop K Menon and shared his perspectives on the key trends in membrane desalination in the context of GE’s desalination products and solutions portfolio. Bharwada has two patents and has catalysed more than 20 new product and process innovations in a career spanning 25 plus years. He was accompanied by Ralph Erik Exton, Global Sales Executive, Channel Partners, GE Water & Power Technologies.

Where is RO desalination headed in terms of chorine tolerance, membrane pre-treatment?

You can use chlorine dioxide either on an intermittent basis or a continued basis; you will not negatively degrade the polyamide thin film composite structure of RO. Chloramines as a disinfectant for preventing biological growth is a proven way of running an RO plant. Chlorine, in itself, will surely degrade the polyamide structure. The moot question is why are you using a disinfectant?

If it is to control bio-growth, you have process know-how available. Hence, I don’t think there is a need as such to develop chlorine-resistant or chlorine-tolerant thin film composite polyamide membrane. In fact, there is a give-and-take aspect here.

When you develop a different kind of a membrane, which is chlorine-tolerant, you may have to sacrifice efficiencies, in terms of flow and resistance, which could increase the capital costs while lowering the recovery.

(Exton): If you understand membrane chemistry and if you understand other ways to achieve the same results, there are ways to combine chlorinated products with polyamide membrane chemistries without any negative impact whatsoever. It does take a certain knowledge and application knowhow.

This is an area that we specialise in; we have got deep domain knowledge and people in the business. If that needs to be a part of the overall solution, we have an answer. Hence, we feel that you don’t need to go all the way to developing a chlorine-resistant polyamide membrane if you understand what you can do with existing technologies.

We feel that membrane-based pretreatment for desalination is one of the most exciting areas in the industry right 18

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Upen Bharwada

now, because membrane-based technologies replacing conventional multi-media types of technologies, is now becoming not only accepted, but has also proven to be cost effective. It is almost like we have turned the corner. You can see that even on larger projects, membrane-based pre-treatment is becoming a major part of the industry’s thrust forward. At GE Water, we have spent a lot of time, energy and investment in making sure that we have an approach that is technically and economically feasible, and is beneficial to the end-users.

What are the savings that you can get from large-diameter membranes?

A few years, the Bureau of Reclamation in the US had funded a project developed by a consortium of membrane element suppliers to create a new element diameter standard. The objective was to arrive at the threshold points in the size of a given desalination plant or a water treatment plant where large-diameter elements begin to make business sense. If I remember right, the study showed the threshold point to be in the region of 25 million gallons per day (MGD). At 25 MGD permeate capacity, the capital cost reduction was about 12.5% between the standard eight inch x 40 inch system versus a 16 inch x 40 inch system.

The project resulted in the recommendation of 16 inches as the large- diameter standard for the next generation of membranes.

But I wouldn’t say large-diameter membranes have become a trend. In large projects, the cost of capital and the ‘beta coefficient’, which is assigned by banks or project finance outfits, is quite high for 16inch membranes, compared to an eight-inch membranes. So the borrowing costs go up, which in turn, drag down the competitive position of a bidder. To my knowledge, only one company among the pressure vessel manufacturers has publicly committed to an invested capital in mandrels, that are necessary tools to make a 16-inch-diameter pressure vessels. Our industry is used to competition and homogeneity, and till all of that is available in the 16-inch segment, it won’t take off soon. It is still in the early adoption stage, in that the early majority and the late majority are still not there.

On the membrane development front, what are the areas that GE Water is working on?

In addition to thin film composite polyamides, we have a broader portfolio of base polymers, such as Polyacrylonitrile, Polyethersulfone and Polyether Ether Ketone, which we use to develop desirable properties. On the element construction side, we look at ways to use the available surface area more efficiently. There is a difference between availability of surface area and use of the surface area. In a given pressure vessel, you will have six to eight elements in series; depending on what the designs are, the recovery of a given element is about 10%. By the time you go from the first to the eighth element, the flux can vary from a high of 20 GFD (gallons per square foot per day) to a low of three GFD. So we, at GE, would look at how to better balance the flow, which would allow for better balance of the fouling.

Of the two major markets for membranes – desalination and wastewater treatment/re-use/recycling - which one do you think will grow faster?

Based on membranes as a key integral part of the process, both markets are proven. Whether it is tertiary wastewater re-cycle/re-use with dual membrane process (Ultra-Filtration followed by RO) or Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) followed by RO or seawater desalination, that part of the P&ID or PFD is proven.

What is going to take these technologies to the next level of growth in this region is the back end or the distribution. How are you going to distribute what you are purifying or making? For example, you have a municipality which has a need for a 100 MGD recycle/reuse of a certain quality.

The technology can come from GE, but it is the municipality’s responsibility to distribute it or sell it, and until that happens, as in the case of Singapore, the growth of wastewater recycle/reuse sector will be proportional to or dependent or restricted by the backend.

When it comes to high capacity SWRO plants (like the ones in Australia), what are the unknowns?

SWRO is a modular technology; hence, going from 10MGD to 100MGD is not engineering or technology or even a design risk. If I have to build a 50 MGD plant, and I have built 5MGD per train before, I will simply build 10 trains. The risk is

very low from just the core technology of sea water reverse osmosis. The issue is not scaling up from 50MGD to 200MGD. The issue is - can you truly scale up intake structures, outfall structures as well as deal with the environmental impact of outfalls.

These are the only unknowns that may pose some risk while scaling up to the mega plants.

Does this mean that developments in intakes, outfalls and dealing with environmental impact of outfalls haven’t kept pace with the core technology?

(Exton): I think there has been a lot of investment in the core technology of membranes. I also believe that the membrane technology has kept up, in pace, with what is needed in the markets today.

My opinion is that there needs to be more investment and a more technical approach to intake and outfall structures to get into the bigger market. GE is primarily involved in the core technology that purifies the water, like membrane-based technology.

However, we are also strategically involved and making investments in recycle/reuse solutions, such as thermally based technologies that evaporate and/or crystallise brine solutions, which is a form of mitigation, when it comes to outfall structures. If you can mitigate it, the more you can recycle/re-use. I think there is a major amount of technology that needs to be thought about when you are scaling up.

Is there a service side to GE Water?

We have a business structure and P&L that focuses on delivering water and owning all the assets - the Build-Own-Operate (BOO) model. When we do that, we take responsibility for the entire facility including concentrate discharge and other components. When you are in the service business and you own the assets, it is important to have the lowest life cycle costs, have unit processes that are latest in technology - whether it is pre-treatment, desalination or the intake - and also have sustainability built-in. If you are in the solutions business space, you also own the unit processes that go into developing the solution. We make the membranes, the pre-treatment systems, and also integrate them; we also fabricate PLC controls. I would say we are horizontally integrated and vertically deep. n www.h2ome.net | AUGUST 2010

19

COVER STORY

Local flavour

Karim Elgendy compares Estidama’s Pearls Rating System to LEED and BREEAM

I

n April 2010, the Estidama programme of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council partially released the first version of its rating system suite, The Pearls Rating System for Estidama. The release included the design and construction portions of the rating system suite, which includes rating systems for buildings, villas and neighbourhoods.

Prior to its release, Estidama has occasionally referred to the upcoming system as one that learns from its established predecessors, the British BREEAM rating system and the American LEED rating system (BREEAM stands for British Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, and LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The decision to learn from these rating systems was not only to learn from their mistakes but also to help create a system whose requirements are familiar to the market. On the other hand, the Estidama programme asserted that the Pearls Rating System would not be a direct copy of either system, given the environmental and cultural differences of the Emirates Given the debates that exist amongst practitioners and researchers on both

sides of the Atlantic on the merits, shortcomings, and differences between BREEAM and LEED, an analysis of Estidama’s Pearls Rating System in comparison to these two established rating systems was necessary. The first version of the Pearls Rating System for Estidama will be compared to the latest version of the LEED rating system, LEED 3.0 (also known as LEED 2009), and the latest update of the BREEAM rating system, BREEAM 2008.

The comparison: An introduction To understand the differences between the three systems one must first understand their background and history. The Pearls Rating system is a government initiative developed by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Authority and has just been launched in 2010.

One can clearly notice an emphasis on water conservation in Pearls that far exceeds LEED and BREEAM. This emphasis is understandable, given that the Emirates ranks third in the world, in terms of the volume of sea water desalinated daily at 4.7 million m3/day 20

AUGUST 2010 | www.h2ome.net

The British Research Establishment (BRE) was a government-funded research body when BREEAM was conceived in 1990. BREEAM’s Mission was to provide relevant research and information to the building industry, about what kind of methods would best support environmental protection and sustainable development.

Finally, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is a national non-profit membership body, with around 20,000 member organisations. Since its inception in 1998, LEED has sought to change the construction market using a consensus approach. It has also adopted a commercial approach to marketing itself, attracting paying members and bringing in $24 mllion a year. LEED is a registered trade mark and a brand name.

Estidama as a design guide The first striking difference between The Pearls Rating System on the one hand, and LEED and BREEAM on the other, is that unlike its predecessors systems, the Pearls Rating System is not a standalone document, but part of the Pearls Design System, which includes a complementary design Guide and supplementary Application Guides for public works, parks and infrastructure. Like LEED and BREEAM, the Pearls Rating System for Estidama includes a number of rating systems assessing buildings, villas, and neighbourhoods.

The Pearls Rating System is also strongly linked to the Estidama Integrative Design Process (EIDP), which seeks to promote the new concept of Integrated Design process (IDP) as a design approach amongst design professionals by encouraging design coordination at the early stages of the project. In fact, EIDP is not only part of the Pearls Rating System, but is also set to become part of the

In Dubai, a water-free urinal can save up to 30% on the cost of DEWA water, using an average price of 4.5 fils/gallon and 7,000 uses as the approximate life-cycle of the cartridge. p6

Retrofit Champion Meet Leandro Bantug, who is pushing for a water-less urinal retrofit initiative in the region.

AUGUST 2010 • www.cpi-industry.com

Mall Make-over

page 6

The owner of Al Ghurair City, in 2009, decided that the nearly 30-year-old facility needed a make-over, including a replacement of the air conditioning system. Trane got the call.

rey delante

Feature

retrofit news and chronicle is a joint initiative of:

The ideal lighting for an office is 8-12W/ square metre, says Michael Nuyttens, adding that Dubai has a huge market for the lighting retrofit. page 7

Retrofit News and Chronicle

Case-in-point

Phil Barnett

One of the new chillers

Mall make-over

The owner of Al Ghurair City, in 2009, decided that the nearly 30-year-old facility needed a make-over, including a replacement of the air conditioning system. Trane got the call.

L

aunched in 1981, Al Ghurair City was built by the Al Ghurair family on an empty plot of land. It was the first modern shopping mall project of its kind in the Middle East.

In addition to the mall, Al Ghurair City includes office space and two-, three- and five-bedroom, fully serviced apartments. It is located in

Rigga Road in the heart of Deira and is just a short taxi ride from historical attractions, such as the Dubai Museum and the famous Gold Souk.

With 189 retail shops, 19,085m2 of office space and 343 apartments, it has a significant presence in the area. The facilities are well provisioned with an in-house leisure and recreation club that

includes tennis and squash courts, ‘weather-controlled’ swimming pools, basketball and soccer courts and a stateof-the-art gymnasium.

The office space alone is served by three elevators, 24 hours of security, maintenance service and covered parking.

Impressive though this is, how does an owner-operator maintain standards of service

and comfort in what is, after all, nearly a 30-year facility?

And what of the changing needs of present-day customers and clients, considering the current competitive nature of the retail and commercial market in Dubai, which brings raised expectations of customers and clients?

Considering the two, Al Ghurair City, in mid-2009,

Pages 2 - 3

july2010 issue

decided to add a major new extension, which in the words of the owner, would be modern in every respect.

At the same time, giving due consideration to the age of the building, it decided to pay equal attention and care to the established part of the facility.

One important aspect was the air conditioning system, which after almost 30 years of excellent service, was clearly in need of replacement. And for this, Al Ghurair City zeroed-in on Trane.

It was decided that the final scope of works would include the re-engineering of the chilled water system, replacement of the watercooled chillers and the installation of an appropriate chilled water control system.

Carrying out all these activities, the management concluded, would deliver significant energy savings, resolve issues of an ageing plant and greatly improve operational management of the system.

The original and still-

An old chiller in the plant room

The pumps in the plant room; they did not need to be replaced

operational chiller plant comprised four Trane watercooled centrifugal chillers, with a total capacity of 3,000 TR. In addition to the chiller plant, it was clear that ancillary equipment, such as pumps,

starters, pipe work, electrics and controls would need to be carefully assessed and, depending on their impact on the system, either upgraded or replaced.

Of utmost importance

to the owner was that any work should not interrupt the business or inconvenience the many clients in the building.

The obvious step to mitigate this very real risk was to undertake the majority of work in the winter, but as the load during the cooler months was difficult to predict, no one could say with any degree of certainty what cooling needed to be provided during the change-out. To manage this to the satisfaction of all parties, Trane proposed to first service the existing chillers and have a 1,200 TR temporary cooling system on standby, in the event of a complete shut-down or unexpected circumstances.

Another important aspect was the original R11 lowpressure refrigerant, now a controlled chemical. For many years, this was the preferred refrigerant for lowpressure centrifugals, as its thermodynamic qualities are outstanding. However, with the advent of the Montreal Protocol, which was developed to reverse the damage

Retrofit News and Chronicle

Case-in-point that was being inflicted on the ozone layer, it is now a substance that cannot simply be disposed of without due care and attention. Trane secured the full support of the Al Ghurair team when it proposed that the replacement project must include the safe removal and disposal of the refrigerant.

Over 30 years, a lot can happen in and around a plant room, and the facility at Al Ghurair City was no exception.

Many modifications had been made to the original design and, of course, many other systems had been added in and around the existing installation, making understanding of and, indeed, access to the system a challenging undertaking. This meant that whilst drawings were available, they could not be relied upon to plan the carefully phased nature of isolation, shutdowns and change-outs.

The first major shutdown was undertaken on December 10, 2009, a date that Ra’id Al Jabi, Service Manager for Trane remembers well, as it was the moment when months of planning and preparation were put to the test. However, once the main isolating valves were

installed in the evaporator and condenser lines (and observed to hold the enormous pressures in the system) the real work could begin.

To give some idea of just how complex the system had become, Trane’s project team, led by Mark Jolly, along with the very capable Al Ghurair City technical staff, had to locate and isolate around 300 valves before any modifications or replacement could be undertaken. This was an enormous task and required an intensive coordinated effort.

In fact, one of the deciding factors in selecting Trane for the job was that the company demonstrated a clear understanding of the magnitude and complexity of this particular aspect. Had the team got this wrong, the whole project would have been jeopardised.

Other key preparation work included the isolation, removal and replacement of the main headers and the demolition of a 4x7m wall to provide the required access for any future work. On completion, a new wall was built – though this time with a suitable

The display panel of a new chiller in the plant room

To get the old chillers out and the new centrifugals into the congested plant room forced the team to devise a plan of Rubik’s Cube complexity and precision; after all, the chiller change-out had to be undertaken without taking the cooling plant off-line.

access door to facilitate future service and maintenance work – and rendered to match the surrounding finishes.

Elsewhere, in the crowded two-floor plant room, which was buried in the heart of the building, the pumps were thoroughly inspected and deemed suitable to handle the installed capacity of the proposed new chiller configuration.

To ensure that the electrical side of the equation was brought up to date, all old panels and starters were removed and replaced with Ben Shaw starters and nine TAMCO, 3.3 kV, 400amp vacuum circuit-breakers.

To get the old chillers out and the new centrifugals into the congested plant room forced the team to devise a plan of Rubik’s Cube complexity and precision; after all, the chiller change-out had to be undertaken without taking the cooling plant off-line. To further complicate matters, the main plant room was located not just deep within the building, but up on the third floor. Trane engaged the services of Transport Technics and Services (TTS) International who specialise in the handling, transportation and installation of heavy and oversized cargo by land and sea. Trane had previously worked with TTS on the equally challenging chiller installation of the Burj Khalifa, a few years earlier.

But of course, before the chillers could be dismantled and removed, the refrigerant had to be captured and disposed of, in accordance with recognised industry standards. To assist with this important aspect of the job, Trane partnered with EnviroServe, who are a registered company, established under a Professional License for Pollution and Environment Protection Services.

The Trane services team worked closely with EnviroServe to recover over 1,800 kilogrammes of CFC-11; equivalent to about seven drums.

Stuart Fleming, Managing Director of EnviroServe, said:

Pages 4 - 5

July2010 issue

“All procedures were followed to complete the safe disposal of the old refrigerant. There was no release of the potentially harmful chlorofluorocarbon to the atmosphere nor did any venting occur while undertaking the assignment. The CFC-11 will eventually be transported to Linde AG, Industrial Gas Division in Germany, for destruction, once the license and authorisation are obtained and sufficient volume is achieved for shipment. The refrigerant will be transported under the Basel Convention as ‘hazardous products’.”

Nigel Hawley, Territory Leader, Trane (Middle East, India & Africa), added: “Our commitment to safe environmental practice remains, regardless of our contractual scope and obligations. We are dedicated to safe and ethical business practices for a better and greener tomorrow. EnviroServe is the only dedicated refrigerant reclamation company in the Middle East, and we were happy to partner with them to reclaim, recover and dispose of potentially harmful refrigerants in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.”

The remains of the old chillers and associated scrap were also safely disposed of using another qualified vendor. Though Trane’s scope of work was limited to loading the old chillers onto trailers, they ensured that the nominated sub-contractor took due care to dispose of the material in an environmentally responsible manner.

In addition to the electromechanical work, Trane installed its Refrigerant Recovery system and storage tank in the plant room to avoid potential venting issues, even though the newly installed chillers used the environmentally recognised R123 low pressure refrigerant.

A LoVac recovery pump is also on standby. This recovery system is very popular due to its fast recovery rate, its light weight and ease of operation. In addition, a refrigerant monitor was also installed, in accordance

The new wall with the access door

with ASHRAE 15 guidelines.

To ensure that all components worked as an optimised system, Trane upgraded the existing Tracer Summit chiller plant manager with custom graphics.

This now allows users easy access to various parameters of the equipment, such as chilled water and condenser water pumps.

In the discussions leading up to the award of the project, the Al Ghurair team had expressed a strong interest in ensuring that they would get a chiller plant that would be reliable, durable and efficient. The new chiller configuration comprised two CVHG-670 and two CVHG-1100 EarthWise simplex water-cooled centrifugal chillers. Net cooling capacities are 515 TR and 950 TR respectively at 7.2/12.8ºC chilled water temperature range and 35.0/41.0ºC condenser water temperature range.

Replacing a whole chiller plant is a major investment, and the client was obviously very interested to have an idea on how quickly his investment might pay back. Using Trane’s Trace 700 energy-modelling software, which took into account many parameters,

The old chillers, which were serviced just prior to the job, produced the required capacity during the change-out, and the isolation valves held as planned. As a result, there were no ‘unexpected eventualities’.

including the efficiency of Trane’s new EarthWise centrifugal chillers and the current rate for electricity, it is estimated that, over their 30-year life, the chillers will result in a saving of around Dh10 million, which comfortably exceeds the cost of the entire replacement project.

In addition, the owner may look forward to an increase in capacity and significantly reduced service and maintenance charges, not to mention improved reliability.

As mentioned earlier, Trane did put in place a temporary cooling plant for any unexpected eventualities? However, the old chillers, which were serviced just prior to the job, produced the required capacity during the change-out, and the isolation valves held as planned. As a result, there were no ‘unexpected eventualities’.

So, thanks to proper planning and execution, the temporary cooling plant was dismantled and shipped back to the yard without seeing a minute of operation.

Ramzi Jaber, Trane’s project engineer, confirmed that the commissioning of the system was completed on April 1, 2010, which was slightly ahead of schedule, on budget and with no interruption to the client’s operations.

Retrofit News and Chronicle

Retrofit Champion Every month, we profile a key personality that is driving retrofitting initiatives in the region

The case for water less Despite the misconceptions, the overall response to water-less urinals in the Middle East has been positive, says Leandro Bantug to Anoop Menon of H20 magazine

I

f Leandro Bantug, Managing Director, Design International Selections had his way, water-less urinals would be the norm rather than the exception in the Middle East. “Water resources are scarce in the Middle East, while rapid economic and population growth is driving up water demand,” he says.

“In such a scenario, water-less urinal technology can play an important role in saving precious water.”

Bantug’s company represents Falcon WaterFree Technologies, one of the leading designers and suppliers of water-less urinals in the world, in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region. A conventional water-flush urinal, Bantug says, uses between one and 1.5 gallons of water per flush.

But its water-less counterpart can save an average of 40,000 gallons or 151,000 litres of water each year.

Typically, water-free urinals (including Falcon) rely on a system of replaceable cartridges containing liquid sealants instead of water to flush. The cartridge acts as a drain trap while the liquid sealant seals the urine and odour within the cartridge.

The main benefit of waterless urinals is the absence of water use, which means there are no flush water lines, flush valves or P-trap assemblies associated with water-flush urinals.

As a result, installation and maintenance costs are also low. Since there is no water, there is no odour, either.

“Odour is primarily generated when urine reacts with water and air to create ammonia oxide,” Bantug says. Further,

the dry nature of the waterless urinals prevents bacterial build- up, whereas water-flush urinals are more likely to be colonised by bacteria due to the presence of moisture.

Also, water-flush urinals can contaminate a rest-room through aerosols expelled during flushing.

Bantug has calculated that in Dubai, installing a waterfree urinal can save up to 30% on the cost of DEWA water, using an average price of 4.5 fils/gallon and 7,000 uses as the approximate life-cycle of the cartridge. “If we take 7,000 uses in the water-less urinal as equivalent to 7,000 flushes/ gallons consumed in waterflush urinal, our cartridge cost works out to be cheaper than the cost of 7,000 gallons of water,” he says.

In 2008, when Bantug first started to market waterless urinals in the UAE, he found the going tough.

“Customers wrongly regarded the technology as dirty and less hygienic, because there was no water flow and feared that it would cause stronger odours,” he says. “Many were uncomfortable with the changing of cartridges, and doubted its efficacy in highuse environments.”

To bolster his arguments, Bantug would present clients with problems gleaned first hand from visits to their restrooms. “A common problem was water leaks caused by stuck flush valves, which resulted in constant flow of water,” he remembers. “Of course, the cleaners never reported them, and the decision-makers never got to see the problem.”

Cultural issues were

another challenge. Bantug says: “One of the arguments I encountered was that urinals, as such, were incompatible with local culture. However, even a cursory survey will show you that urinals are found everywhere in Dubai, from commercial centres to hotels and shopping malls to government offices.”

To document the benefits of water-less urinals in local conditions, Bantug offered free on-site trials to customers.

One of first trial projects he bagged in 2008 was the retrofit of a busy restroom inside the Dubai International Airport.

The payback analysis, in this case, showed 50% savings in the annual total operating costs by retrofitting four conventional urinals with waterless ones and a payback time of 10.93 months. Another trial project, which started around the same time, culminated recently into a successful retrofit project. “We have bagged a project from Global Village to retrofit nearly 100 water-free urinals,” he says. “The project has to be completed in time for the winter carnival. They had a problem with water supply in the area; so instead of increasing the supply, they decided to reduce the demand.”

Annual savings from installation of water-free urinals depend on factors like the flush volume of replaced urinals, the number of urinal uses per day as well as water and sewer rates. “Savings from water-free urinals will be higher and payback quicker in malls and offices where the traffic is high, than in homes and villas, because more

people means more water use,” Bantug says.

In a new installation, up-front savings can be realised through the elimination of water lines for flushing, flush valves, sensors and water costs. In a retrofit, operating costs that are eliminated include water charges, flush valve repair costs, pipe de-clogging costs, recurring expenses on cleaning material and electricity costs associated with pumping. However, retrofits also require some special considerations. It is very important to clean out the drain lines before fitting water-less urinals on to them.

Prior uric sediment build up in the pipes can cause them to narrow and, thus, restrict flow. “Urine flow in waterless urinals relies on gravity; whereas in flushing, the urine flow is forced through the pipe,” Bantung says. “Cleaning of drain-lines is a must for any retrofit installation.”

But, unlike in the US, where incorrect sloping of drain pipes and incompatible drain heights have been major issues with retrofits, in Dubai, the main problem has been incorrect cleaning and maintenance practices.

“The cleaning personnel are habituated to doing things in a certain way,” he says. “But we offer training, manuals and visual aids to help them adapt quickly to water-less urinals. We have also found that adaptation is quicker if top management is driving the change.”

Bantug also blamed the prevailing economic environment for the poor state of the water-less urinal retrofit

july 2010 issue

Feature

Pages 6 - 7

Shining through ETAP Dubai CEO, Michael Nuyttens explains to Jose Franco of MEGAWHAT magazine why Dubai offers a huge market for the lighting retrofit

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Leandro Bantug

market. He notes: “With budgets getting slashed, maintaining existing setups gets priority over new installations. In some cases, our clients found it easier to get funding for installations of water-free urinals in new projects and renovations than for retrofits.” He has found that retrofits become less attractive, if the project or facility in question uses a grey-water-treatment system for flushing. If the urinals constitute a very small percentage of the total water fixtures in the facility, the savings from water-less urinals may not be noticeable in the short term.

However, from 2008 to now, awareness of water less urinals has certainly been on the rise. “Given the tight budgets, it is not so much about selling water-less urinals to clients than about showing them opportunities to cut costs and save water.

But it also depends on who we are talking to,” Bantug says.

“Consultants are receptive to the concept as

they have seen the benefits of water-less units in North America and Europe; owners become receptive once they are educated on the longterm savings on operating costs. Facility managers, too, are opening up, because they are well aware of the problems in conventional urinals. But contractors tend to be obsessed with costs and, therefore, regard waterfree urinals as expensive substitutes for conventional water flush urinals.”

Bantug is hopeful that the launch of Green Building regulations and the growing popularity of Green Building rating systems, like LEED and ESTIDAMA, in the region will grow the market for water-less urinals. “Water less urinals also promote the water-conservation goals of the LEED Green Building Rating System,” he says. “In fact, The Bank of America building in New York City, billed as one of the most environment-friendly skyscrapers in the world, uses 200 of our urinals.”

erhaps one of those things that strike any first-time visitor to Dubai is that its offices and residential flats, especially the lobbies and hallways, are so well-lit. Never mind the major streets and thoroughfares, as floodlights are, indeed, important for everyone’s safety at night. Besides, streetlamps don’t burn 24 hours a day, as they have automatic switches.

But how many motorists sometimes forget to switch on their headlights, owing to too

much lighting on the streets?

Fact is majority of Dubai offices and buildings are burning so much energy for unnecessary lighting systems.

The whole Bank Street in Bur Dubai, for instance, has offices with lighting of 40W per square metre, says Michael Nuyttens, CEO of ETAP Dubai.

The ideal lighting for an office, he explains, is 8-12W per square metre of space for 500 lux (lx). An international system of unit, or SI, of luminous emittance,

A high-intensity reflector for energy-friendly luminaires

Retrofit News and Chronicle

Page 8

Feature

An energy-friendly fluorescent tube

lux is used as a measure of the intensity of light as perceived by the human eye when it hits or passes through a surface.

While owners and contractors of new buildings and those in the design stage may be aware of the burden of excessive lighting, those of old facilities could save a lot of money by retrofitting their lighting systems. The initiative would not only increase the value of a building and prepare it for enthusiastic tenants for at least the next 10 years but would also rollback retrofit investments within two years, owing to a resulting drop in energy consumption.

“The value of a building will go up,” says Nuyttens, “and the tenants will love its sophisticated atmosphere.”

A less but adequate consumption of power through a retrofitted lighting system will, likewise, result

in less energy needed for the cooling system in the same building. If you want to do the maths, the basis point is that 1W per square metre of additional lighting will need a corresponding 1W per square metre more of cooling. The 1:1 ratio also applies if the situation is reversed. Imagine how much a commercial building along Bank Street would be able to save by retrofitting its lighting systems?

“There is no [lighting] retrofitting yet in Dubai, but it’s a huge market,” says Nuyttens.

“I’m sure it’s the future.” He is quick to add, though, that owners, contractors and other individuals concerned must first be aware of the benefits of good lighting. “There must be a demand for us to capture the market for retrofit,” he remarks.

A provider of extensive services on best lighting

systems based in Belgium, ETAP can help a building save 50-75% on energy-level use by incorporating in its design the essentials of good lighting, or redesigning existing systems.

If lights consume 3,000W out of the total 10,000W of energy being used in a building, ETAP could further lower the level to 1,500W, Nuyttens says.

The ideal lighting system, he stresses, is three per cent of the building’s cost.

Besides having an efficient system that consumes less energy, Nuyttens says the essentials of good light include the necessary diffusion of lights through energy-friendly luminaires, to cover more spaces at lower costs, and daylight harvesting. The latter needs an ELS, or ETAP Light Control System, to adjust the level of artificial light, in accordance with the daylight level. This makes one enjoy up to 45% savings in energy while

still enjoying the same level of visual comfort. Good lighting may also include the use of IT solutions, such as ETAP’s Energy & Lighting Manager, which ensures the presence of the right quantity of light in the right place at the right time, such as in emergency situations.

While the ETAP lighting system has a lifespan of 20-30 years, Nuyttens says buildings may change theirs in 10-15 years due to advances in technology.

He points out, for instance, that the world is now in a transitory phase with regard to using LED, or a light-emitting diode, as lighting sources. With lower energy consumption and longer lifetime, LEDs are usually used as indicator lamps in electronic devices but are still too expensive to replace the incandescent light sources.

The advances in technology will hopefully address this issue.

development codes as a prerequisite for all projects types, requiring all projects to carry out a number of analyses before the design process is permitted to begin. These analyses include solar and contextual analyses; energy-efficiency design strategies including preliminary energy modelling; water-budgeting; simple material strategies and an analysis of potential for habitat connectivity. In doing so, Estidama is set to become one of the world’s most progressive Green Building Initiative, together with Cascadia Green Building Council in the United States, to formally adopt the IDP, but the first to make it mandatory.

Estidama itself is also part of Abu Dhabi’s 20-year plan, known as Plan Abu Dhabi 2030, which attempts to redefine how a contemporary Arab city should look, to encourage sustainable growth, to encourage protection of the natural environment of sensitive coastal and desert ecologies, to re-emphasis the city’s stature as a capital city of the UAE, and to enable the urban fabric and infrastructure to enforce the local values and culture of this Arab community. These broad goals are tied to Estidama through a number of key performance indicators measuring energy use, water use, waste generation, carbon footprint and biodiversity amongst others.

Pearls and the building code The second striking difference between the Pearls Rating System (referred to as Pearls, henceforth) is its integration into the Abu Dhabi development codes. Unlike the voluntary LEED and BREEAM systems, which reference existing national codes and planning guides, the planning and building codes for the city of Abu Dhabi are currently being redrafted to integrate Estidama’s goals and Pearls requirements into them. Pearls includes requirements to comply with these new development codes, which are mandatory requirements for a development to get planning and building permits.

The designers of Pearls are, perhaps, making use of the fact that Abu Dhabi’s development codes are still developing, to integrate green building requirements into them. Such integration would be more challenging in established and complex code environments, such as those of the UK or the US. However, it must be noted

that this integration has taken place in a more limited way in the case of BREEAM, where some parts of BREEAM have found their way into Part L (Energy section) of the British Building Regulations.

Under this arrangement between Pearls and the development codes - which will remain two separate processes - fulfilling the mandatory planning and building code submission requirements will include a number of prerequisites of Pearls, which satisfy the requirements for Pearls’ lowest rating level of One Pearl. Consequently, the lowest rating of One Pearl simply denotes that a building is legal and complies with the statutory development codes, but on the other hand it could be argued that under this arrangement every project in Abu Dhabi would have to have an element of sustainability simply by complying with development codes. In addition, the coordination of these documents also helps simplify the process of achieving a higher Pearls rating and paves the way for a smoother transition of the rating system from a voluntary rating system to an enforceable building requirement.

Credits and requirements As noted above, Pearls includes a number of code requirements which have been rewritten specifically for Pearls, and the satisfaction of these code requirements awards a project the lowest Pearls rating of One Pearl. This arrangement does not exist in either LEED or BREEAM. In addition to these requirements, Pearls also includes requirements similar to LEED’s Prerequisites and BREEAM’s Mandatory Credits, which do not award points but are mandatory for certification.

The Pearls Rating System, like LEED and BREEAM, is also a point-based system that awards projects points for different credits that are grouped under a number of general categories. Points are added up to a final rating, which ranges from One Pearl to Five Pearls. These five levels of certification compare to LEED’s four levels (Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) and BREEAM’s five levels (Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent, and outstanding).

It is expected that a very small number of buildings would achieve the highest rating of Five Pearls, whose bar is set intentionally high at 90% above benchmark compared to BREEAM’s 85% for outstanding and

LEED’s 73% for Platinum.

The highest rating of Five Pearls requires a restorative, or a net positive, contribution to the environment in terms of energy, water and improving diversity and health of living systems. Such requirements are much like – if not more challenging than – the progressive Living Building Challenge developed by the Cascadia Green Building Council.

Similar to LEED and BREEAM, Pearls is also designed as a weighted system, where the different credits have relative weights, depending on their relative importance. This relative importance is understood differently between different rating systems. For example, LEED is strong on occupant comfort, internal pollution issues (off-gassing), and heatisland effects. LEED is also geared towards climates that use mechanical ventilation and air conditioning and where existing infrastructure promotes the use of cars, as is the case in much of the US, whereas BREEAM responds to a built environment, where natural ventilation is more prevalent and where a strong public transportation infrastructure exists. LEED also covers some areas not found in BREEAM, where UK legislation takes over, for example environmental tobacco smoke control.

BREEAM, on the other hand, is strong on pedestrian and cyclist safety, with much higher targets for cyclist spaces. It is also stronger than LEED on the social aspects of sustainability and on acoustics.

Table 1 demonstrates the general emphasis of the major categories of Pearls, BREEAM, and LEED and their relative weights in each rating system. It also shows that there is a considerable overlap between the three systems, with each system having its own particularities (Integrated Design Process, in the case of Pearls, Facilities Management, in the case of BREEAM, and Regional Priority, in the case of LEED).

One can clearly notice an emphasis on water conservation in Pearls that far exceeds LEED and BREEAM. This emphasis is understandable, given that the Emirates ranks third in the world, in terms of the volume of sea water desalinated daily at 4.7 million m3/day. Pearls also puts more emphasis on materials and Indoor Environmental Quality. This comes at the expense of the important energy www.h2ome.net | AUGUST 2010

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COVER STORY Table 1: Rating systems comparison table PEARLS Site selection and Natural systems

BREEAM 16%

LEED

Site selection and ecology

20.5% Site selection

24.5%

Water

25%

Water

2.5%

Water

5.5%

Energy

25%

Energy

33%

Energy

33%

Materials

16%

Materials

13.5% Materials

13.5%

Indoor Environmental Quality

20%

Indoor Environmental Quality

13%

Indoor Environmental Quality

14%

Innovation

2%

Innovation

6.5%

Innovation

6.5%

Integrated Design Process

7%

Facility management

12%

Regional Priority

4%

The table is for general comparison purposes only, as it does not take into account point-less prerequisites. The names of some categories have been adjusted and some credits have been moved across categories to simplify the comparison.

credits, which represent a smaller proportion of the rating system than they do in LEED and BREEAM (24% less). It also comes at the expense of Site Selection credits and Innovation, which represents a smaller percentage in Pearls than it does in BREEAM or LEED.

Assessment and certification Pearls approach to assessment can be described as a hybrid between BREEAM and LEED. BREEAM Assessment process depends on a competent assessor to issue the certification. This assessment method is very different from the webbased LEED Online system, which reduces interaction and dialogue between building professionals and the USGBC to a minimum (mostly through online submissions of Credit Interpretation Requests). To compensate for this, the United States Green Building Council has chosen to encourage building professionals to obtain training on how to use LEED and on how to become accredited professionals in the use of the rating system. While

this accreditation is not mandatory for a project to be LEED-certified, American building professionals have embraced it, with tens of thousands becoming LEED Accredited Professionals (LEED APs).

Pearls hybrid approach is much like BREEAM, in relying on a dedicated competent assessor for each project, in its attempts to emphasise dialogue and an iterative design process. However, in addition to the role of the Pearls Assessor, it also requires the appointment of Pearls Qualified Professional (PQP), a new mandatory role. The Pearls Qualified Professional must be a member of the design team and whose role is to facilitate the Pearls assessment during the design and construction stages, in a role similar to that of a LEED AP on a LEED project.

The process The general perception of LEED is that its requirements are generally less onerous than BREEAM. The targets set in BREEAM are perceived as exact, prescriptive and linked to specific solutions, whereas in

The broad goals of Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 are tied to Estidama through a number of key performance indicators measuring energy use, water use, waste generation, carbon footprint, and biodiversity amongst others indicators 22

AUGUST 2010 | www.h2ome.net

LEED it is more common to state the intention and leave it up to designers’ discretion as how best to comply. This meant that the LEED calculations methods and documentation became more rigorous, and consequently LEED requires more work to prove accreditation.

This has led to the perception that LEED projects need to provide more extensive documentation than BREEAM. In terms of documentation and tolerance, Pearls seems more in line with LEED than the stricter BREEAM. However, considering that the actual certification only takes place after a post-occupancy assessment, it appears that Pearls would be much more stringent than LEED, since any alternative compliance path adopted by the designers must be demonstrated to work after occupancy, which is not the case with LEED. Estidama also seems to have adopted parts of both of BREEAM in the design of the certification process of Pearls, see Figure 1. Pearls has three stages of rating.

The first stage is during the design and construction phases. A Pearls Design

Figure 1: Certification processes of Pearls, BREEAM and LEED

Rating can be used to confirm that the proposed project’s design is consistent with the goals of Estidama. Once construction is complete, as designed, a Pearls Construction Rating, will be provided.

While these design and construction rating certificates can be used for marketing purposes, they must state that the rating advertised is a Design Rating or a Construction Rating and must not be used beyond their respective stages. As such, the construction rating does not constitute the final Pearls certificate.

The third and final stage of rating, the Pearls Operational Rating, is only awarded after two years of at least 80% occupancy. The post-construction assessment is designed to validate the Pearls Construction Rating, but it also has the powers to reduce or increase the rating.

Previous draft publications from Estidama have indicated that the final certificate for Pearls Operational Rating was mandatory for the rating to be complete; however, since the operational portion of the rating systems has not yet been released, this is yet to be confirmed.

Similarly, BREEAM also has a twostage certification system, which includes a design stage and a post-construction stage, but unlike Pearls, BREEAM does not require a post-occupancy assessment, except for its highest rating, BREEAM Outstanding, which has a mandatory requirement for a ‘BREEAM In Use’ certification within the first three years of operation.

LEED, on the other hand, has an optional design submission, at which no certificates are issued, and is the least of all three systems in terms of its postoccupancy assessment. The new changes in LEED 2009 show a slow shift in the direction of post-occupancy assessment with the new requirement that the USGBC

has access to projects’ Whole-Building Energy and Water Usage Data. However, the projects’ LEED ratings will not be tied to the information they provided, and the requirement is simply an authorisation for the USGBC to access the usage data.

Conclusion From the comparison, above, it appears that while the Pearls Rating System is an independent rating system, it has many similarities with the LEED and BREEAM rating systems. Estidama appears to have picked certain elements from these two systems, amongst other sources of inspiration, but still developed a system that is quite progressive and distinctly local. The degree to which market will embrace a system with such a high bar is yet to be determined, as project teams engage with the system.

The Pearls Rating System’s emphasis on post-occupancy assessment indicates that it has learned lessons from other rating systems in designing a system that assesses results rather than intentions, and while performance assessment rating systems exists in the US and in the UK (for example, the Energy Performance Certificates in the UK), their scope is limited to energy and are independent from the Green Buildings Rating systems.

Finally, the combination of enforceability of parts of Pearls and the incorporation of Pearls within Estidama’s larger development framework, together with Estidama’s efforts to promote an Integrative Design Process and the efforts by the market-driven Emirates Green Building Council, all have the potential to hasten the market’s adoption of green building practices at a faster rate than perhaps seen in the United States and the United Kingdom over the last 20 years. n

About the author: Karim Elgendy is an architect and a sustainable design consultant based in San Francisco. He studied and practised architecture in the UK, the US, and the Middle East, and is a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects and a LEED-Accredited Professional.

As an architect, he has been involved in designing a number of low- energy buildings in the US and in the Middle East. His consultancy work focuses on developing sustainable design solutions which are not only responsive to the hot climate and water scarcity of the Middle East but which are also economically viable and culturally acceptable.

Karim is also the founder and editor of Carboun.com, an advocacy website promoting sustainable development and environmental conservation in the Middle East. He can be reached at karim (at) carboun.com

www.h2ome.net | AUGUST 2010

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ilustration by ULyses galgo

CENTRESPREAD

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Dubai Creek’s green landmark The top 10 things that make the Dubai Chamber eco-friendly 6

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Not just a water fountain Firstly it runs on condensate, captured from the air conditioning system, which saves around 850,000 litres of water a year. Secondly, it acts as a heat exchanger to cool the buildings server rooms, allowing the building to avoid installing a high-energy-consuming cooling tower.

Breathe the fresh air CO2 monitors ensure building users have enough fresh oxygen to function optimally while reducing building flushing loads. Segregated printing areas and eco-friendly cleaning products also ensure that harmful emissions do not enter the main working area, thereby not diminishing air quality, which can contribute to sickness.

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Smart workspaces Employees have day-lit workplaces with views and open spaces to enhance productivity, communication and wellbeing. They are designed ergonomically to reduce injury using furniture, carpets and paints that have low Volatile Organic Compounds to reduce indoor air pollution and sickness.

Waste not want not Rather than individual bins, a centralised waste area allows for an efficient sorting of waste from general and electronic recyclables, which has increased recycling by around 75%. This central hub area also includes ample seating and kitchen facilities in an open environment that enhances communication among staff.

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Techy toilets A filtering system polishes up municipal grey water so that it can be used for the toilet systems. This, along with the aerated water flow fixtures, 4.5-litre flush valves and infra-red sensors on taps and flushes, save thousands of litres of water each hour.

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Lighting intelligence Highly efficient 56-watt low mercury bulbs with daylight and motion sensors minimise electricity consumption by making sure lighting is used only when needed. A web interface gives employees the ability to adjust lighting and air conditioning, as required to maximise comfort in connection with the Building Management System, which allows the isolation of zones within floors.

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Lifting to new heights Optimised lift operating loads have reduced their electricity consumption by 20%. Staff are encouraged to use the stairs for short trips which saves energy and improves their health Ride in style Building users have two-wheeler parking areas and access to showers and changing facilities. There is parking for staff driving eco-vehicles and free valet parking for guests using eco-vehicles, too.

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Lush landscaping The use of desert or desert-adapted vegetation like the date palm or cactus is favoured because it thrives in this climate and requires less water. Drip irrigation minimises water loss caused through evaporation. Treated sewage effluent or TSE water is used for landscaping. Creepers and the shaded car park helps reduce the heat island effect and provides extra comfort to drivers.

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Conservative Cooling (outside) An efficient building envelope and roof insulation conforming to ASHRAE 2004 standards, optimised and efficient chillers, sun-reflecting white exterior tiles that meet green building standards for emissivity, use of the outdoor fountain to avoid cooling towers, and setting daytime temperatures at a comfortable 24 degrees C before switching off air-conditioning after hours ensures that cooling requirements, the major energy costs of a building, are minimised.

www.h2ome.net | AUGUST 2010

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COVER STORY

The will to LEED Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s head office building is the first existing building in the Arab world to achieve the LEED certification, putting it in an exclusive club of 204 buildings in Canada and the US, and three buildings in India and Sri Lanka. “Dubai Chamber’s LEED story reflects the determination and the passion of the Chamber to lead by example, implement green thinking and demonstrate that even existing older building can be significantly improved for the benefit of the environment, building users, operators and the broader community,” says H.E. Hamad Buamim, Director General, Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry. In an e-mail interview, he elaborated on the legacy of energy and water conservation initiatives at the Dubai Chamber, including the challenges faced and the milestones achieved on the path to the LEED certification.

What motivated Dubai Chamber to go green?

When our chief engineer took over the operations and management of our head office in 1997 he noticed the wasteful practices and began implementing initiatives with his team that have saved us a lot of water and electricity over the years.

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Did the decision to go green precede the decision to apply for LEED, and if so, what were the green practices being followed?

Yes, they started more than a decade before we decided to apply for LEED in 2009, and involved numerous initiatives to save

Water

Electricity

Other

n Installing a PLC-based control system and infra-red detectors for urinal flushing linked to lighting system saving 42,000 litres a day n Installing automatic faucets with infra-red sensors, allowing water to run only when required saving 1,000 litres a day n Installing air-cooled chillers to eliminate need of water for cooling and reducing waste water substantially saving 50m3 / day n Collecting condensed water from air handling units since 2004 to use for the fountain saving 850,000 litres a year n Installing aerated water flow fixtures on taps reducing water flow by 40% n Using desert or desert adapted vegetation like the date palm or cactus which thrives in this climate and requires less water n Using drip irrigation to minimise water loss through evaporation using treated sewage effluent or TSE water

n Optimising lift weighting loads since 2003 to reduce energy consumption by 20% n Optimising chiller operating loads leading to the permanent shut down of five of eight chillers n Installing temperature sensors to reduce cooling loads by maintaining comfortable temperatures (24 degrees C during working hours) n Installing CO2 sensors and a variable air flow system n Building envelope and roof insulation that conform to ASHRAE 2004 standards for thermal transmittance, solar heat reflectance and solar heat absorption properties n Adopting an energy management code of practice n Efficiently using a building management system to regulate lighting and air-conditioning n Using LED low-mercury globes that use 25% less energy and last up to 10 times longer n Insulating chiller water line using glass wool compliant with ASHRAE 2004 and reduction in chilled water circulation requirements leading to savings of 100,000 kWh/yr n Shutting down of air-conditioning systems after hours

n Preventive maintenance practices to avoid breakdown and improve efficiency n Ensuring that all cleaning and maintenance is done during regular office hours, so that the building can be shut-down after hours saving energy, enhancing security, and reducing other costs such as the supervision of staff n Green roof compliant with international best practices for emissivity (the white tiles are non-heat absorbing) n Providing day-lit workspaces with views due to building orientation and windows that reduce lighting loads and improve user comfort n Recycling paper, glass and plastic and donating old items to charity for reuse in order to minimise waste

AUGUST 2010 | www.h2ome.net

water and electricity as well as address other green building aspects like waste management, operations and maintenance.

The table supplied lists the key initiatives.

When did you decide to take the road to LEED certification, and why?

We decided to apply for LEED certification in 2009 because we wanted to demonstrate that an existing building in the Middle East can be brought up to international green building standards even without a major retrofit or renovation. This also gave an independent stamp that verified our claims that we had greened our existing building.

What were the enabling factors that helped Dubai Chamber commit to a programme of achieving LEED certification?

Firstly, we were assisted by the fact that we have a well-designed and constructed building envelope and orientation.

Secondly, we were fortunate enough to have a strong group of passionate employees, who were committed to applying LEED on top of their regular workload. Thirdly, the fact that many of these same employees had worked hard to ensure that our building benefited from excellent operations and maintenance over the years and extend the performance and working life of our systems was a

than a decade ago, we have always used the regular operations and maintenance budget to implement initiatives. Many of our initiatives had a net benefit, and we could use these savings to invest in improved technologies. Now that we are renovating our building, post-LEED, we are choosing the most green solutions within our renovation budget. So there is no extra budget or costs for going green, it is part of how we maintain our building, and while there are sometimes higher initial up-front costs for greener technologies, these have always paid back quickly and saved us money over the short or medium term.

H.E. Eng Hamad Buamim

great help too. Fourthly, we have strong commitment from Dubai Chamber’s leadership to lead by example and be a role model for the business community.

Lastly, we benefited from external experts who conducted an independent building commissioning and assisted us in applying for LEED. Does the LEED certification have a direct bearing on Dubai Chamber’s core business?

Not directly, we are a non-profit organisation representing the Dubai business community, not a real-estate business, but indirectly it does, because it helps us fulfil our strategic objectives of creating a favourable business environment (where international best practices are applied), supporting the development of business (since it demonstrates how businesses can save money and assist the environment) and promoting Dubai as an international business hub (as our example is being celebrated worldwide).

What are the costs involved in converting an existing building into a green building?

Is there a relation between the size of the building and cost? In Dubai Chamber’s case, how was the budget or funds mobilised for going green?

Since we began our green initiatives more

What are the financial and nonfinancial benefits of going green for an existing building? What was the base year for calculating the benefits?

Between 1998 and 2008, we were able to reduce water and energy consumption by 77% and 47% respectively, saving approximately Dh7.1 million or USD1.93 million. Currently, we are renovating our interiors and applying many more energyand-water-saving technologies, which will allow us to reduce consumption further.

What have been the major accomplishments after embarking on the green initiative? What were the targets set out, and how much of these targets were achieved?

The biggest accomplishment is that we have made a difference and reduced wastage and damage to the environment, which has been the biggest concern of the passionate group of employees who have led our green building initiatives over the years. Aside from that, a secondary accomplishment is that we have raised a lot of awareness about how to green an existing building and helped break down the myth that existing buildings in the Middle East cannot be greened without substantial investments.

International studies show that any building can reduce electricity consumption by at least 29% with no net cost; we have shown that much more than this is possible. Our efforts were never done for awards but because of how we believed a well managed building should be run; our targets were set around the technologies that we wanted to

implement which made more sense from an ethical, environmental and economical perspective.

What were the underlying strategies and methods used to arrive at these accomplishments? For example, did you re-visit the area of building commissioning? Did you invest in a more efficient building management system? Did you modify existing building management procedures or practices?

We had been continually doing building commissioning in-house since we took over our building, but to achieve LEED certification we had to do an independent building commissioning, which was done in 2009. This building has always had a building management system that we managed efficiently, which allowed us to reduce energy consumption by timing lights, air-conditioning and other areas. We changed many practices and also regularly do training for support staff to ensure that they operate our systems in the most efficient way. Now that we are renovating our interiors, we have installed and are programming a more efficient building management system. We are also installing new chillers, as after 15 years they need an upgrade.

As far as strategies go, when we decided to apply for LEED certification we formed a green building committee to review LEED requirements, document the necessary elements, implement any required improvements, and apply through the US Green Building Council. Members of this committee were involved in the energy-and-water-saving initiatives that had been implemented over the last decade as well as the renovation committee, which assured that we could capture the correct data and bring the learning for the certification process into the design of our new offices. This committee continues today with quarterly meetings to review the various aspects of our green building and ensure that our standards are upheld.

Could you elaborate on the specific measures to achieve water efficiency in the building? What were the savings achieved?

There were many initiatives undertaken since 1998 and 2008 (such as condensate www.h2ome.net | AUGUST 2010

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COVER STORY

capture and the infrared flow detectors), which helped us save around 41.5 million units (gallons) of water (equivalent to Dh1.6 million) the approximate yearly consumption of 315 UAE households.

Since we began renovating our building in 2009, we have undertaken further initiatives to conserve water, such as the utilisation of 4.5-litre flush valves (which has more than halved the volume flushed each time) and grey water for our toilet systems (which is saving thousands of litres of desalinated water each hour).

What type of grey water recycling system is being used in the building? What is the source of the grey water? What is the recycled water being used for?

The grey water is from the Dubai Municipality mains. It is not RO technology; we are only polishing the partly treated irrigation water using chlorine, bromide and charcoal and, then, using it for our toilets, so that we no longer require regular water for this purpose.

What were the main challenges confronting Dubai Chamber when it decided to apply for existing building LEED certification? What are the lessons that you can share with other existing building LEED aspirants?

The team faced several challenges in achieving its objective, given the unprecedented nature of the project and the fact that there was no prior experience to bank on. It was hard collecting the required documentation, such as the flushing rates of toilets or the VOC levels of paints, from suppliers. It was also difficult estimating the workloads and timelines because it was a pioneering project and we weren’t sure how long it would take us to gather all the required information. Lack of awareness was also a big challenge. As this certification was new for us, we had to learn a lot, such as what constitutes an eco-friendly cleaning product.

We also had difficulty sourcing greener alternatives such as green cleaning products, so implementing new policies and systems was a challenge too. The entire project was a challenge because it required the cooperation of a large group of internal and external stakeholders and moreover, had to be managed on top of our regular workload.

There are several lessons we have learned.

Probably the most important is to spend a 28

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applied in any case.

lot of time building awareness and ensuring good communication, by reminding individuals of what documentation or work is required and why, as well as regularly following up with them and providing training as required. It is also important to get an experienced LEED member on the team, who can assist in understanding the certification requirements and communicating with USGBC. Lastly, one must ensure that the team works closely with suppliers and contractors, so that they understand the benefits and can help in sourcing greener alternatives.

If you had to sum up the main success factors that made the LEED certification possible achievement possible, what would they be?

The factors above, noted as necessary to achieve LEED certification, sum it up, but I would say that the main ingredient is passion. As mentioned earlier, studies have shown that all buildings can reduce energy consumption by 29% at no net cost, even the poorly designed ones! Without passionate employees, though, none of these economies would be realised, because disinterested employees would not learn about new technologies that could be applied or undertake the efforts required get the sign-off for these technologies from the top management and ensure excellent operations and maintenance, etc How did you support of end-users or tenants for this initiative, since this is an existing building?

Here, we were lucky. It is our building, and we are the main tenants, two of the other tenants being our own initiatives - Dubai International Arbitration Centre and University of Dubai. So we were able to make these changes without any issues. It should be said that most of these changes were behind the scenes anyway, most did not require major behavioural changes for the occupants, so they could be easily

Has Dubai Chamber carried out any kind of ROI or payback analysis?

As mentioned earlier, all our green building initiatives, undertaken over more than a decade, which allowed us to achieve LEED certification, were implemented using the regular operations and maintenance budget for our building.

They provided a net benefit, and we used the savings from one aspect of the budget to apply greener technologies, elsewhere.

We did not need to conduct a detailed ROI, because it is not rocket science; it was obvious that setting up a condensate capture system or cooling our server room with a heat exchanger in the outdoor fountain instead of building a cooling tower would have an ROI of only a few months and yield enormous savings over time. Other initiatives like installing aerators on taps, optimising chiller operating loads, leading to the permanent shutdown of five from eight chillers or installing more energy-efficient light bulbs, when the less efficient ones died out, paid back immediately.

Post-LEED certification, what is next on the agenda?

We need to continue awareness-building, which includes training building operators and staff, in order to maintain our green building standards, as well as sharing our example with others through media, presentations at conferences, and green building tours. We also want to reapply for LEED once our building renovation is completed, in order to demonstrate how many further improvements are possible when upgrading a building, with an eye to the latest standards in green building.

We also plan to optimise our current systems, policies and procedures because with the renovation, we have implemented many new systems (such as new chillers, grey water treatment, an enhanced building management system, and a heat exchanger through our fountain), and we need to ensure they are set in the most efficient manner possible. We also need to continue reviewing green building aspects through ongoing waste and energy audits, for example, to ensure standards are maintained and performance is enhanced where necessary. n

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PRODUCT FOCUS: VARIABLE FREQUENCY DRIVES

Efficient conversion Aki Maenpaa, Business Unit Manager, Drives and Motors, ABB Southern Gulf and Pakistan spoke to H20 on the innovations in low voltage AC drives and their role in improving the energy-efficiency of water pumping systems.

requires us to address the correlation between economic growth and energy use. One of the ways to do that is through energy efficiency. In pumping systems, where a variable output is often required, energy consumption costs can be dramatically cut by using low voltage AC drives, also called Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) or Variable Speed Drives (VSD), to control the motor speed, rather than operating it at full speed or throttling the output. “In water and wastewater treatment, pumping systems are used to regulate water flow. But you don’t always want to run the pumps at full speed as the flow keeps varying. You can achieve significant savings on the energy front by using VFDs or VSDs,” said Aki Maenpaa who handles the drives and motors business unit of ABB Southern Gulf and Pakistan.

ABB has designed and developed a series of low-voltage AC drive modules, called the ACQ810, to meet the needs of squared torque pump control in water and wastewater applications. “This drive’s specific features ensure accurate control of water flow throughout the processing cycle, from raw water, through utilisation to wastewater treatment,” said Maenpaa.

Elaborating on how such low-voltage AC drives work, Maenpaa said that if the AC motor is directly connected to the grid, it will always run at its fixed or nominal speed. Throttling can be used to regulate the water flow, but this achieves only a marginal reduction in the motor’s energy consumption. On the other hand, a frequency converter regulates the flow and the speed of the motor directly from the motor, which also helps control the amount of energy consumed. “Rather than having an electric motor running continuously at full speed, an AC drive allows the user to variably control the 30

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motor speed, depending on demand,” said Maenpaa.

To drive home the point, he pulled out a Pump Control Method slide (see below) and continued, “If you squeeze the water flow, you will have some reduction in energy consumption but not much. But if you use a VFD or VSD, your energy

at the initial stage, we can make proper dimensioning and select the right motor and frequency converter.”

Modern VSDs come equipped with advanced features, like soft pipe filling and multi-pump control. The former provides a pump with soft-start, enabling a smooth build-up of flow in pipes while

Pump Control Medthod Recirculation

100 90

Throttling

80 Power required (%)

Meeting today’s energy challenges

Cycling control

70 60

VSD

50

Pump

40

Saving potential

30 20 10 0

0

20

40

60

80

100

Flow (%)

savings will be relatively huge. If we assume a 60% flow, with throttling you will use 72% of the energy, but with VSD, you will only use 27-28% of energy.”

When customers select pumps, they tend to maintain wide safety margins. “If the safety margin is high, the potential savings too, tend to be high, because the variable drives will help run the pumping systems with less energy,” said Maenpaa.

If customers incorporate VSDs into the pumping system right at the beginning, when it is being set up, would it be possible to avoid the tendency to overspecify, and the costs associated with it?

Maenpaa certainly thinks so. He said, “If we work with proper pump curves

increasing the life time of the pipe work and pumping system. “If you start a pump with full power, the resulting pressureimpact on the pipeline will reduce its life span,” said Maenpaa. Multi-pump control is used in scenarios where several parallel pumps are operated together and the required flow rate is variable. Maenpaa said, “In a booster pumping station, with parallel pumps, it is typical to start the pumps at their nominal speeds, one by one, till the required flow is achieved.

However, for most pumps, their most efficient speed is less than the nominal speed. So ideally, you should start the first pump to its more efficient speed, and if you still need more flow, start the second

Aki Maenpaa

pump to the most efficient speed and so on. The multi-pump control makes this possible, providing the most energyefficient way to operate parallel pumps.

In fact, the nominal speed should be used only during emergency situations, for instance, when the level control alarm is triggered.”

The ACQ810 drive modules are equipped with the aforementioned features, and some more, like flow calculation, sleep & boost and pump cleaning. Flow calculation provides the drive with a flow meter routine, which accurately determines the flow rate within a process. “This function avoids the need for costly external flow meters and is suitable for applications where the flow data is not needed for invoicing purposes,” said Maenpaa. The Sleep & Boost function detects slow rotation when water consumption is typically low, like in the night time for example, and runs the pump to boost pressure prior to shutdown. The pressure is continuously monitored and pumping restarts when the pressure falls below the minimum level. “Sleep & Boost extends the pump’s sleep time through saving the equipment and helping to reduce energy consumption. It is suitable for potable water pumping systems,” added Maenpaa.

On the other hand, pump cleaning,

which prevents pump and pipes from clogging by initiating a sequence of forward and reverse runs of the pump to clean the impeller, is beneficial for wastewater pumping stations.

Pump Auto Change, Redundancy and Level control are the other important features. Maenpaa continued, “If you have multiple pumps, you have to ensure that no pump remains idle for too long. The Pump Auto Change function balances the operating time of all the pumps in the parallel pumping system over the long term, which helps increase the mean time between repairs (MTBR).”

Redundancy ensures system redundancy, so should one or more pumps fail or require maintenance, the remaining pumps continue operating. Level control is used to control the filling or emptying of wastewater storage tanks. “This function prevents sediment build-up on the tank walls by randomly varying the surface level within a range preset by the user,” he said.

Additionally, for systems where the consumption rate varies based on demand, the Pump Priority feature can boost energy-efficiency by operating pumps closer to their best efficiency point. Pump-specific protections help to maintain disturbance-free operating time in a process.

“Although designed with built-in

intelligent pump features, the ACQ810 drive modules can be used for other water and wastewater applications such as fans, conveyors and compressors to obtain significant energy savings,” said Maenpaa.

All the energy and CO2 savings generated by the drive module are monitored using a built-in energy counter, which displays energy savings in kWh, local currencies or volume of CO2 emissions. Energy consumption is compared to previous time frames defined by the user and if there is an energy consumption increase, an alarm is generated.

An additional energy-saving function called the energy optimiser, has been designed into the drive. The energy optimiser is a software-based algorithm generated by a highly advanced motor model developed by ABB. Maenpaa explained, “With the energy optimiser, when a pump system operates at partial load, the motor magnetising current is reduced, thus lowering the losses of the motor and drive. This means that the total efficiency of the drive system is maximised. Improved efficiency has a direct impact on the energy costs.”

Additionally, the drive’s internal fan has an automatic on/off control which provides further energy savings by switching the cooling fan off when the drive is not active.

The ACQ810 comes with preprogrammed application macros that can be used in both single pump and multipump systems to configure the drive to control typical pumping tasks. Maenpaa said, “The user is helped by an intuitive user interface with several assistant screens. The start-up assistant guides the user through essential settings; the maintenance assistant indicates preventive maintenance needs of a drive, motor or pump, while the diagnostic assistant helps locate failures or reasons for performance changes and suggests remedies.”

Maenpaa noted that less than 10% of motors worldwide are equipped with a VSD. “One high efficiency 75MW motor (three per cent higher than ‘standard’ efficiency as per NEMA) can save 23,000 kWh, corresponding to 11.5 tonnes of CO2, in one year of continuous operation.

Energy efficiency is thus a key source of potential CO2 emissions reductions,” he said. n www.h2ome.net | AUGUST 2010

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ADVERTORIAL: Water Quality

Defining analysis Switzerland-based Metrohm is leading manufacturer of high-quality laboratory analysers.

Metrohm offers advanced instrumentation as well as solutions for the water analysis sector. It is the only company to offer a complete range of ion analysis equipment - titration, voltammetry and ion chromatography. In an interview with H20, Anil D Bangera, CEO, Metrohm Middle East, spoke on the company’s products and solutions, key water analysis markets, attributes that differentiates Metrohm from competition and its future plans Could you brief us about Metrohm and its presence in the MENA region?

Metrohm AG is a leading global manufacturer of precision instruments for chemical analysis. We are the only company in the world to combine titration, ion chromatography and polarography, the three most important ion analytical methods. For each of these methods, we offer instruments for laboratory, as well as online and at-line applications.

In addition to Metrohm AG, the Metrohm Group includes Applikon Analytical, which produces online analytical instruments and Metrohm Autolab, which is one of the leading manufacturers of potentiostats for Research & Development (R&D). Our customers continue to rely on the high quality of our products, something that has remained unchanged since we started in 1943.

In the MENA market, we have been present for the past 30 years, through distributors in the different countries. In order to enhance support provided to this growing market, Metrohm Middle East was set up in 2007 at the Sharjah Airport Free Zone. The facility supports customers and distributors in applications, method development, system configuration and after-sales support.

What is the unique value proposition that Metrohm brings to the water analysis and monitoring marketplace?

What are your strengths?

As a company focused on ion analysis, Metrohm offers solutions in two dimensions. On the analysis side, we offer measurements from very high concentrations to ultra-trace levels (% to ppt), enabling us to cater to water segments all the way from wastewater to ultrapure 32

AUGUST 2010 | www.h2ome.net

Anil D Bangera

water. On the instruments side, we offer instruments for laboratory analysis and online process measurements, adopting common methods and techniques. This gives us the platform to offer solutions tailored to the customer’s requirements. We are regarded as one of the most innovative companies in the world of ion analysis.

Our major strength is a fully integrated manufacturing set up, where we manufacture almost all the components in-house, including circuit boards, mechanical assemblies and metal working, including our own print shop for manuals and catalogues.

Through decades of experience, we have gained the expertise to provide an application for virtually any analytical problem. We regularly make this expertise

available to our customers and to the scientific community through databases, monographs, papers and application bulletins. We are also a sought-after partner for the elaboration of international testing regulations.

What industries do you consider as the most significant customers or markets in the MENA region, and why?

Metrohm offers systems for various industry segments - water, oil & gas, refineries petrochemicals, food, power, fertilisers, pharmaceutical, education and research. In the MENA Region, our focus is mainly on water, oil & gas, petrochemicals and food industries.

Water is a precious resource in this region. Awareness on the quality of water

- be it for domestic or industrial - is on the rise, which is leading to an increase in analysis requirements. Also, with more stringent norms being adopted by the authorities, we see a growing demand in areas like on-line and laboratory instrumentation for complying with these norms.

How are you keeping yourself on your toes to better understand your customer requirements from their perspective?

Internationally, Metrohm interacts with major regulatory bodies and technology providers. We also participate in roundrobin tests for evaluation of analytical test methods. Moreover, in the MENA region, we participate in various conferences to get first-hand information of what are the current norms and regulations being implemented by the authorities and technology companies. Our customers also interact with us to in their quest for solutions that will enable compliance with new or upcoming regulations. In fact, we encourage them to challenge us with their needs so that we can provide the appropriate solution.

Could you provide an overview of the major products and solutions offered

by Metrohm for water analysis & monitoring in the MENA region?

Metrohm offers solutions for laboratory and online measurements based on techniques like titration, ion chromatography, colorimetric, and ion selective electrodes and polarography. A unique product we offer for water analysis in the lab is the Titric-A system, combining titration and ion chromatography. Using this system, from a single sampling, one can measure pH, conductivity, hardness, alkalinity, anions including bromate, cations and ionic balance. For online analysis, our custom-built analysers can provide multiple parameters in a single analyser. For example, in refinery effluent, you can measure critical parameters like COD, sulphide and phenol on a single online analyser. We also offer online trace metal analysis (ppt ranges).

Our instruments make work easier wherever electrochemical analyses are involved. Complicated analyses can be carried out quickly with maximum precision using our solutions, and can

also be fully automated, if necessary.

Modular design enables straightforward configuration of customised systems. Our portfolio includes: • pH meters, ion meters, conductometers • Potentiometric, thermometric and Karl Fischer titration • Dosing of liquids – liquid handling • Polarography, voltammetry and CVS • Ion chromatography • Stability measurement of fats, oils and biofuels • Process analysis • Automation in titration, voltammetry, ion chromatography and process control • Laboratory software • Electrochemical sensors • Separation columns for ion chromatography • Accessories An indicator of the range of parameters, methods and solutions that we offer can be seen on our website, which features information on over 1,200 applications.

transmission of results, remote access and control to implement preventive and corrective action will be in vogue, especially in effluent waste and sewage treatment plants. The market for environmental hazard monitors such as monitoring of particulates in ambient air is also growing.

Could you give us a glimpse of the R&D activity carried out at Metrohm?

We develop all our instruments, the software they require and the accessories ourselves, because we believe that in the long term, only those who master their field, end-to-end, will be able to maintain their innovation pipeline. In fact, almost a quarter of the 400 odd employees, at the Herisau, Switzerland headquarters work in R&D. The knowledge required is pretty complex.

Chemists, highly qualified electronics engineers, software specialists and designers work together in close collaboration on our project teams.

What are the products that you have introduced recently? Can you share some insights on future product announcements?

Metrohm is focused on a very niche segment in analytical instrumentation, lab and online, which is dedicated to ion analysis and will continue developing instruments and accessories, which will enhance the detection of ions. Of late, lot of importance has been given to analysis and estimation of trace ions in water, environment, pharmaceuticals and food products by regulatory agencies, and we expect the business to grow in these chosen areas.

What are some of the technological enhancements that you foresee in the water analysis and monitoring product market? What are you doing to incorporate these enhancements?

We believe that water monitoring is going to be an equally important part of our lives in the immediate future. One trend is simple measurement, handheld monitors for quick/instant measurements and monitoring, which brings to the forefront the biosensor technology. The future belongs to multi–parameter, multichemistry and multi-channel capability analysis. In online monitoring, wireless

How has the economic slowdown impacted your industry? What are your expectations for 2010 and beyond?

The economic slowdown significantly impacted some market segments. Growth has been slow due to delay in projects or budgets being deferred. It is important to understand that our products find a place in quality assurance and process monitoring. The need to adhere to regulatory norms and standards, prescribed by various governmental bodies and agencies, will bring in new requirements that should contribute towards better growth prospects. n

How can regulation drive the water analysis and monitoring market in the Middle East? Do you see a gap in the regulatory norms and their implementation today?

Strict monitoring and regulation by instrumental methods and validation will bring in a sea change in monitoring by water and wastewater plants, industries and testing laboratories. This will definitely enhance the market. Today, analytical methodologies are specified but without stringent instrumental methodology adaptation. Moreover, continuous monitoring of critical parameters is being implemented only in certain projects.

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33

TENDERS

PROJECTS

Project Number Project Name Territory Client

ZPR118-O Al Sur IWPP Project Oman Name: Oman Power & Water Procurement Company S.A.O.C Address: Muscat International Centre, 2nd Floor, Suite 504 City: Ruwi PC 112 Country: Oman Tel: (+968) 2482 3028 / 2482 3000 E-mail: ahmed.busaidi@omanpwp.com Website: http://www.omanpwp.co.om/ Description Build, own and operate contract for the construction of an independent water and power plant (IWPP) with capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW) at Al Sur. Remarks This project is in Sharqiyah. Request for proposal (RFP) for the BOO contract is expected to be issued in September/October 2010. A consortium of UK/Local British Power International, Ernst & Young and DLA Piper have been appointed as the advisory services contract on this scheme.

Technical British Power International (UK) Consultant Technical Ernst & Young (Oman) Consultant-1 Technical DLA Piper (Oman) Consultant-2 Tender Categories Potable Water Works Power Generation & Distribution Project Number ZPR120-SA Project Name Yanbu Power & Desalination Plant Project - Phase 2 Territory Saudi Arabia Client Name: Power & Water Utilities Company for Jubail & Yanbu - MARAFIQ (Saudi Arabia) Address: Jubail Industrial City City: Jubail 31961 Postal/Zip Code: 11133 Country: Saudi Arabia Tel: (+966-3) 340 1111 Fax: (+966-3) 340 1168 E-mail: butiza@marafiq.com.sa Website: http://www.marafiq.com.sa/ Description Engineering, procurement and construction of 850MW power and desalination plant with capacity of 60,000 cubic metres a day in Yanbu.

Closing Date November 3, 2010 Period 15/09/2013 Remarks Updated On: July 26, 2010 Nine companies have been invited to submit proposals for the EPC contract on this scheme.

They are local Arabian Bemco Contracting Company, Germany’s Siemens, US’ Bechtel, Spain’s Tecnicas Reunidas, Italy’s Snamprogetti, South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Engineering, Hanwha Engineering & Construction and Daelim Engineers & Construction Company.

This project is in Saudi Arabia. Request for proposal (RFP) for the EPC contract has been issued.

Tender Categories Potable Water Works Power Generation & Distribution Project Number YPD-P3-SA Project Name Yanbu Power & Desalination Plant Project - Phase 3 Territory Saudi Arabia Client Name: Saline Water Conversion Corporation SWCC (Saudi Arabia) City: Riyadh 11691 Postal/Zip Code: 85369 Country: Saudi Arabia Tel: (+966-1) 463 1111/ 463 4546/ 463 0503 Fax: (+966-1) 464 3235 E-mail: info@swcc.gov.sa Website: http://www.swcc.gov.sa/ Description Engineering, procurement and construction of 1,700MW power and desalination plant with capacity of 550,000 cubic metres a day in Yanbu.

Tender Cost $ 53,335 Closing Date September 22, 2010 Remarks Updated On: July 12, 2010 An award for the main contract is expected by end of December 2010.

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middleeasttenders.com / +971 2 634 8495

Tender No. YPD-P3 This project is in Saudi Arabia. Tender documents can be obtained from: Saline Water Conversion Corporation Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Germany’s Fichtner is the project consultant.

Main Consultant Fichtner Gmbh & Co. KG (Germany) Tender Categories Power Generation & Distribution Potable Water Works Project Number 244/2010-O Project Name Desalination Plant Construction, O&M Project Territory Oman Client Name: Public Authority for Electricity & Water (Oman) Address: Ministries Road, Al Khoweir Area City: Muscat Postal/Zip Code: 106 Country: Oman Tel: (+968) 2460 3906 / 2460 3800 Fax: (+968) 2460 7076 Description Construction, operation and maintenance of desalination plant for an electricity & water authority.

Tender Cost $ 900 Closing Date September 13, 2010 Remarks Tender No. 244/2010 This project is at Al Awaifiya – Wilayat Bahla in Oman. Tender documents can be obtained from: Public Authority for Electricity & Water Muscat, Oman.

The last date to purchase tender documents is on August 11, 2010.

Tender Categories Housing Projects Power Generation & Distribution Project Number OPR419-O Project Name Water Treatment Plants Project Dahboon & Barbazom Territory Oman Client Name: Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) Address: Mina Al Fahal Street City: Muscat 113 Postal/Zip Code: 81 Country: Oman Tel: (+968) 2467 8111 Fax: (+968) 2467 7106 E-mail: external-affairs@pdo.co.om Website: http://www.pdo.co.om/ Description Construction of two reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment plants for a petroleum company.

Remarks This project will be located at Dahboon and Barbazom in the governorate of Dhofar. It will provide clean water to the residents and being funded by the PDO’s Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR).

Tender Categories Potable Water Works Project Number Project Name Territory Client

Description Tender Cost $ Closing Date Remarks

Tender Categories

378/1431/1432-SA Baqa’a Water Network O&M-2 Saudi Arabia Name: Ministry of Water & Electricity (Saudi Arabia) Address: King Fahd Road, Saudi Mall Centre City: Riyadh 11233 Postal/Zip Code: 5729 Country: Saudi Arabia Tel: (+966-1) 205 6666/ 205 2981 Fax: (+966-1) 205 2749 E-mail: info@mowe.gov.ae Website: http://www.mowe.gov.sa/ Carrying out operation and maintenance of Baqa’a water network for a water & electrical company.

270 August 30, 2010 Tender No. 378/1431/1432 This tender service is at Hail in Saudi Arabia.

Tender documents can be obtained from: Procurement Department, Ministry of Water & Electricity Hail, Saudi Arabia.

Potable Water Works

Project Number 373/1431/1432-SA Project Name Water Distribution Taps Execution Project Territory Saudi Arabia

middleeasttenders.com / +971 2 634 8495

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Client Name: Ministry of Water & Electricity (Saudi Arabia) Address: King Fahd Road, Saudi Mall Centre City: Riyadh 11233 Postal/Zip Code: 5729 Country: Saudi Arabia Tel: (+966-1) 205 6666/ 205 2981 Fax: (+966-1) 205 2749 E-mail: info@mowe.gov.ae Website: http://www.mowe.gov.sa/ Description Designing and executing water distribution taps for a water & electrical company.

Tender Cost $ 270 Closing Date August 28, 2010 Remarks Tender No. 373/1431/1432 This project is in Saudi Arabia. Tender documents can be obtained from: Procurement Department, Ministry of Water & Electricity Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Tender Categories Potable Water Works Project Number Project Name Territory Client

Description

Tender Cost $ Closing Date Remarks

Tender Categories

MEW/97/2009-2010-K Pipelines Replacement Project Kuwait Name: Ministry of Electricity & Water (Kuwait) Address: Ministry of Electricity & Water Bldg., South Al Surra Street, Ministries Area City: Safat - 13001 Postal/Zip Code: 12 Country: Kuwait Tel: (+965) 2537 1000 Fax: (+965) 2537 1420 / 1421 / 1422 E-mail: webadmin@energy.gov.kw Website: http://www.energy.gov.kw/ Carrying out replacement of brackish water asbestos pipelines with ductile iron or polyethylene pipelines for an electricity and water authority.

6,900 August 3, 2010 Tender No. MEW/97/2009-2010 This tender supply is at Shagaya, Field C in Kuwait. The tender is open for the following companies: 1. Kuwait Arab Contractors Company 2. Mohammed Abdul Mohsin Al-Kharafi and Sons Company 3. Mushrif Trading and Contracting Company 4. Combined Group Contracting Company 5. United Gulf Construction Company 6. Burhan International Construction Company 7. Canar Trading and Contracting Company 8. HOT Engineering and Construction Company 9. Kuwait Company for Plant Construction and Contracting 10. Ahmadiah Contracting and Trading Company 11. Al-Kharafi National Company 12. Arabi Enertech Company 13. Consolidated Contractors Company (Kuwait) 14. KCC Engineering and Contracting Company 15. Corpi Construction Enterprises Company 16. Sai General Trading and Contracting Company Tender documents can be obtained from: Ministry of Electricity & Water Safat, Kuwait.

Bid bond is KD 140,000.

A pre-tendering meeting will be held at 10:00am Tuesday, July 06, 2010 at the meeting room of the of fices of the undersecretar y, 3rd floor, main building, South Surra. The inquiries and reser vations regarding the technical specifications shall be submitted within two weeks from the date of of fering. The above-mentioned price should be paid by cer tified cheque or K-net card.

Potable Water Works

Project Number RW/P/C/007-SA/1 Project Name Pipeline Valves Insulator Replacement & Rehabilitation Works Territory Saudi Arabia Client Name: Saline Water Conversion Corporation SWCC (Saudi Arabia)

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PROJECTS

City: Riyadh 11691 Postal/Zip Code: 85369 Country: Saudi Arabia Tel: (+966-1) 463 1111/ 463 4546/ 463 0503 Fax: (+966-1) 464 3235 E-mail: info@swcc.gov.sa Website: http://www.swcc.gov.sa/ Carrying out replacement and rehabilitation of main pipeline valves insulator at a station.

135 October 4, 2010 Tender No. RW/P/C/007 This tender service is at Jubail Stations in Saudi Arabia. Tender documents can be obtained from: Saline Water Conversion Corporation Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

Potable Water Works MT-363-SA Flow Meters Installation Saudi Arabia Name: Saline Water Conversion Corporation SWCC (Saudi Arabia) City: Riyadh 11691 Postal/Zip Code: 85369 Country: Saudi Arabia Tel: (+966-1) 463 1111/ 463 4546/ 463 0503 Fax: (+966-1) 464 3235 E-mail: info@swcc.gov.sa Website: http://www.swcc.gov.sa/ Installation of (2 Nos.) 56 inch-diametres flow meters in WSD pipelines at the pump station No. 2 for a water conversion corporation.

135 September 27, 2010 Tender No. MT-363 This tender supply is in Saudi Arabia. Tender documents can be obtained from: Saline Water Conversion Corporation Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Potable Water Works RW/R/C/400-SA/1 Seamed Pipelines Overhaul & Rehabilitation Works Saudi Arabia Name: Saline Water Conversion Corporation SWCC (Saudi Arabia) City: Riyadh 11691 Postal/Zip Code: 85369 Country: Saudi Arabia Tel: (+966-1) 463 1111/ 463 4546/ 463 0503 Fax: (+966-1) 464 3235 E-mail: info@swcc.gov.sa Website: http://www.swcc.gov.sa/ Carrying out rehabilitation and overhaul of seamed pipelines for a water conversion corporation.

135 September 25, 2010 Tender No. RW/R/C/400 This tender service is in Saudi Arabia. Tender documents can be obtained from: Saline Water Conversion Corporation Jubail, Saudi Arabia.

Sewerage & Drainage 102/2010 Sewerage & Storm Water Networks & Internal Roads Extension Project Contract 1 Al Ain Name: Department of Municipal Affairs - Al Ain Municipality Address: Office No. 103, Jimi District City: Al Ain Postal/Zip Code: 1003 &1339 Country: United Arab Emirates Tel: (+971-3) 763 0212 Fax: (+971-3) 762 6599 E-mail: contracts@am.ae Website: http://www.am.ae/ Carrying out extension of internal roads and sewerage and storm water networks for a municipality - Contract 1.

AUGUST 2010 | www.h2ome.net

Tender Cost $ Closing Date Remarks

Tender Categories Project Number Project Name Territory Client

Description Tender Cost $ Closing Date Remarks

1,365 August 29, 2010 Tender No. 102/2010 This project is at Al Foah Area in Al Ain City. The tender is open for the contractors working in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, should be classified under (Special) category for Roads Works. Tender documents can be obtained from: Tenders & Contracts Department, 1st Floor, Room No. 127, Department of Municipal Affairs - Al Ain Municipality Tel: (+971-3) 7638091/7638092, Al Ain, UAE. The tender shall be valid and irrevocable for a period of (90) days. The Tender should be accompanied by an initial deposit in the form of a bank guarantee amounting to DH 2,500,000/(Two Million and Five Hundred Thousand Dirhams) and valid for 150 days from the date of tender submission. Submission should be in Three (3) separate red wax sealed envelopes: - First envelope shall contain the Bank Guarantee (Tender Bond).

- Second envelope shall contain the original copy of the technical offer two copies.

- Third envelope shall contain the original copy of the financial offer two copies.

Name of the company and offer (technical or financial) should be clearly written on the envelopes. All the above envelopes should be placed in tender opening box on the First Floor.

A copy of the initial deposit shall be submitted to the Secretariat of Bids Opening Committee.

All non-registered participants must register in Al Ain Municipality Registry, one week prior to Bids opening. This tender is subject to the law of tenders, auctions and warehouses No. (6) for 2008. A copy of Trade license must be submitted. Bid opening date is August 30, 2010.

Public Works, Roads & Earthworks Sewerage & Drainage 103/2010 Sewerage & Storm Water Networks & Internal Roads Extension Project Contract 2 Al Ain Name: Department of Municipal Affairs - Al Ain Municipality Address: Office No. 103, Jimi District City: Al Ain Postal/Zip Code: 1003 &1339 Country: United Arab Emirates Tel: (+971-3) 763 0212 Fax: (+971-3) 762 6599 E-mail: contracts@am.ae Website: http://www.am.ae/ Carrying out extension of internal roads and sewerage and storm water networks for a municipality - Contract 2.

1,365 August 29, 2010 Tender No. 103/2010 This project is at Al Foah Area in Al Ain City. The tender is open for the contractors working in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, should be classified under (Special) category for Roads Works. Tender documents can be obtained from: Tenders & Contracts Department, 1st Floor, Room No. 127, Department of Municipal Affairs - Al Ain Municipality Tel: (+971-2) 7638091 / 7638092, Al Ain, UAE. The tender shall be valid and irrevocable for a period of (90) days. The Tender should be accompanied by an initial deposit in the form of a bank guarantee amounting to DH 2,500,000/(Two Million and Five Hundred Thousand Dirhams) and valid for 150 days from the date of tender submission. Submission should be in Three (3) separate red wax sealed envelopes: - First envelope shall contain the Bank Guarantee (Tender Bond).

- Second envelope shall contain the original copy

middleeasttenders.com / +971 2 634 8495

Tender Categories Project Number Project Name Territory Client

Description Tender Cost $ Closing Date Remarks

Tender Categories Project Number Project Name Territory Client

Description Tender Cost $ Closing Date Remarks

Tender Categories Project Number Project Name Territory Client

Description Tender Cost $ Closing Date Remarks

of the technical offer two copies.

- Third envelope shall contain the original copy of the financial offer two copies.

Name of the company and offer (technical or financial) should be clearly written on the envelopes. All the above envelopes should be placed in tender opening box on the First Floor.

A copy of the initial deposit shall be submitted to the Secretariat of Bids Opening Committee.

All non-registered participants must register in Al Ain Municipality Registry, one week prior to Bids opening. This tender is subject to the law of tenders, auctions and warehouses No. (6) for 2008. A copy of Trade license must be submitted. Bid opening date is August 30, 2010.

Public Works, Roads & Earthworks Sewerage & Drainage 36/2010/2011-E Pipelines Rehabilitation/Replacement & Consolidation Works-5 Egypt Name: Potable Water & Sanitary Drainage Company (Egypt) City: Cairo Country: Egypt Carrying out rehabilitation/replacement and consolidation of potable water pipelines for a sanitary drainage company.

175 August 16, 2010 Tender No. 36/2010/2011 This tender service is in Egypt. Tender documents can be obtained from: Sharkeyya Governorate, Potable Water & Sanitary Drainage Company Sharkeyya, Egypt.

Tel No. (+20-65) 325 1242.

Bid bond is EÂŁ 8,100 and performance bond is 10% of the contract value.

Sewerage & Drainage 1037-SA Wastewater Networks Execution Project - Phase II Saudi Arabia Name: Water Directorate (Saudi Arabia) City: Riyadh 11195 Postal/Zip Code: Country: Saudi Arabia Tel: (+966-1) 476 1377 Fax: (+966-1) 401 2365 Carrying out execution of wastewater networks for a water directorate - Phase II. 270 September 26, 2010 Tender No. 1037 This project is at Surat Obeidah in Saudi Arabia.

Tender documents can be obtained from: Tenders and Procurement Department, Aseer Water Directorate Aseer, Saudi Arabia.

Sewerage & Drainage PWA/GTC/026/10-11-Q Sewerage Schemes Construction Project - Package 1 Qatar Name: Public Works Authority - ASHGHAL (Qatar) Address: Ashghal Tower City: Doha Postal/Zip Code: 22188 Country: Qatar Tel: (+974) 495 0000 Fax: (+974) 495 0999 E-mail: info@ashghal.com Website: http://www.ashghal.com/ Construction of sewerage schemes for a public works authority - Package 1.

690 August 17, 2010 Tender No. PWA/GTC/026/10-11 This project is in Qatar. Tender documents can be obtained from: Contracts Affairs, Public Works Authority

Tender Categories Project Number Project Name Territory Client

Description Tender Cost $ Closing Date Remarks

Tender Categories Project Number Project Name Territory Client

Description Tender Cost $ Closing Date Remarks

Tender Categories Project Number Project Name Territory Client

Description

Budget $ Closing Date Remarks Tender Categories

Doha, Qatar.

Fax: (+974) 495 0777/0749.

Bid bond is QR 1,000,000.

Sewerage & Drainage PWA/GTC/027/10-11-Q Pumping Stations Refurbishment & Upgrade Works Project - Phase VIII Qatar Name: Public Works Authority - ASHGHAL (Qatar) Address: Ashghal Tower City: Doha Postal/Zip Code: 22188 Country: Qatar Tel: (+974) 495 0000 Fax: (+974) 495 0999 E-mail: info@ashghal.com Website: http://www.ashghal.com/ Carrying out refurbishment and upgrading works of various pumping stations for a public works authority - Phase VIII. 1,375 October 19, 2010 Tender No. PWA/GTC/27/10-11 This project is in Qatar. Tender documents can be obtained from: Public Works Authority Doha, Qatar.

Tel: (+974) 495 0077 / 495 0749 / 495 0743 / 495 0758.

Fax: (+974) 495 0777.

Bid bond is QR 1,000,000.

Sewerage & Drainage 245/2010-O Sewerage Network & Sewerage Treatment Plant Oman Name: Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment & Water Resources (Oman) Address: Postal Code 113 City: Muscat Postal/Zip Code: 323 Country: Oman Tel: (+968) 2469 2550 ext.351 Fax: (+968) 2469 4015 E-mail: aid@mrmewr.gov.om Website: http://www.mrmewr.gov.om/ Implementation of sewerage network and sewerage treatment plant for a municipal & water resources authority.

1,540 September 13, 2010 Tender No. 245/2010 This project is at Bilad Seet Village, Wilayat Al Rustaq in Oman. Tender documents can be obtained from: Ministry of Regional Municipalities & Water Resources Muscat, Oman.

The last date to purchase tender documents is August 11, 2010.

Sewerage & Drainage ZPR122-SA Khobar - Hasa Treated Effluent Transmission Lines Project Saudi Arabia Name: Hasa Irrigation & Drainage Authority (Saudi Arabia) City: Riyadh Country: Saudi Arabia Tel: (+966-2) 530 0093 Fax: (+966-2) 530 1413 E-mail: info@hida.gov.sa Website: http://www.hida.gov.sa/ Construction of treated effluent transmission lines from the sewage treatment plant in Al Khobar to Hasa with capacity of 200,000 cubic metres a day.

133,000,000 October 5, 2010 This project is in Saudi Arabia. Invitation to bid (ITB) for the construction contract has been issued.

Sewerage & Drainage

www.h2ome.net | AUGUST 2010

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eventsCALENDAR SEPTEMBER September 5-11, 2010, Stockholm

World Water Week The World Water Week in Stockholm is the annual meeting place for the planet’s most urgent water-related issues. Organised by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), it brings together experts, practitioners, decision makers and leaders from around the globe to exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions. The thematic scope for 2010 is ‘The Water Quality Challenge: Prevention, Wise Use and Abatement.’ The 2010 World Water Week will analyse promising examples, case studies and leading-edge technologies that are in use around the world, and draw attention to effective response measures related to pollution prevention, wise resource use and sound abatement practices and allow for an analysis of the alternatives to improve the current and future water quality problems.

Contact: SIWI Tel: +46 8 459 66 00 Fax: +46 8 661 91 25 E-mail: worldwaterweek@ congrex.com URL: www.worldwaterweek.org September 13-17, 2010, Munich

IFAT ENTSORGA 2010 IFAT ENTSORGA is one of the leading global trade fairs tracking innovations, new developments and services in the fields of water, sewage, waste and raw materials management. In this 16th edition, the already-extensive sections on water, sewage and refuse have been expanded to include generating energy from wastewater and refuse. Also in the spotlight will be themes such as energy management and efficiency, urban mining (i.e. the exploitation of secondary raw materials) and new methods of desalination and sanitation.

The area of coastal protection and flood control is also being explored in greater depth, in cooperation with the Technisches Hilfswerk (THW). In 2008, IFAT

38

set a new record for attendance, with 2,605 exhibitors from 41 countries and around 120,000 trade visitors from 170 countries.

Contact: Georg Moller Exhibition Group Director, Tel: +49 89 949-20 260 E-mail: georg.moller@messemuenchen.de URL: ww.ifat.de September 19-24, 2010, Montreal

IWA 2010

The IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition is a high-profile international event attracting thousands of water professionals and organisations from across the globe. As well as presenting global best practice, innovative research and policy developments in the sector, the event also provides direction and solutions to challenges faced by water professionals worldwide and engage with the dynamics of the water sector and its interfaces, including urbanisation, climate change and energy. The key topics of the IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition are: • Science and application of water management • Water, climate and energy • Cities of the future • Managing utilities and their assets • Securing new and traditional water resources for the future • Water, ecosystems and catchments • Water and health • Water and wastewater in developing countries.

Principal sponsors of the congress are ITT, Suez Environnement and Veolia Water.

Contact: Tom Williams Tel: +31 70 3150 780 E-mail: 2010montreal@iwahq.org URL: www.iwa2010montreal.org September 28-29, 2010, Damascus

Water Reuse and Desalination The Levant Desalination Association (LDA) has announced its first conference, which will focus on ‘Water Reuse and Desalination: Experience and Opportunity.’

This is the first in a series of

AUGUST 2010 | www.h2ome.net

events addressing desalination and water reuse that will be produced by the LDA in the region. LDA’s maiden conference will focus on water reuse and desalination technologies, and will be structured with expert presentations and an open forum to encourage lively interaction.

This conference is extremely relevant to a wide range of stakeholders including policy makers at the national level, members of the private sector, municipalities, wastewater treatment plant operators, water practitioners, field service and extension advisors, beneficiaries of water reuse, relevant NGOs and regional and international entities working in Syria. The conference is being organised in a strategic partnership with the International Desalination Association (IDA) and the Network of Syrian Scientists, Technologists and Innovators Abroad (NO-STIA), under the Patronage of H. E. Mohammed Naji Otri, Prime Minister of Syria.

Contact: Ms. Patricia Burke Email: paburke@idadesal.org URL: www.levantdesal.org

OCTOBER October 2-6, 2010, New Orleans

WEFTEC 2010

The Water Environment Federation’s 83rd Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference will take place at the New Orleans Morial Convention Centre. This year’s technical programme will feature 112 technical sessions, 35 workshops and six local facility tours. A wide range of topics and focus areas allow attendees to design their own, unique learning experience while earning up to 35 contact hours for continuing education units and nine professional development hours. The 2010 focus areas include collection systems, instrumentation, & automation, industrial issues & treatment technology/microconstituents, leading edge research, residuals & biosolids management, sustainability/ energy conservation, utility management, water reclamation

2010 & reuse, watershed issues, and more. Other conference highlights will include the Opening General Session that will feature Steven Solomon, economics journalist and author of the best-selling book, Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilisation.

Registration for the event can be done online at www.weftec.org Contact: WEFTEC 2010 Tel: +1-708-486-0724 URL: www.weftec.org October 3-6, 2010, Jeddah

Saudi Water & Power Forum

Saudi Water & Power Forum (SWPF) unites the major Saudi and international stakeholders to discuss the policies and strategies which will determine the future of power and water in the Kingdom. The event is held under the patronage of H.R.H. Prince Khalid Bin Faisal Bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Makkah Region. H.E. Abdullah Al-Hussayen, Minister of Water & Electricity will preside over the inauguration ceremony.

The keynote address will be delivered by H.E. Dr Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, President, Arab Water Council & Former Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt. There will be special focus on Renewable Energy Opportunities and Solutions, and opportunities in Technology and Innovation.

This year, the organisers are also offering a site visit to KAUST. There will be workshops on RO & UF Membrane Plants O&M Experiences, Fouling, Performance & Energy Management by MASAR Technologies; Improvements in Power Desalination for Better Environmental Impact

by ILF Consulting Engineers; Modern Intake Design for Seawater Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Facilities by Schlumberger Water Services and Water Reclamation & Reuse: Applications & Technologies by faculty, King Saud University.

Contact: Shunker Goel Tel: +44 20 7978 0080 E-mail: sgoel@thecwcgroup.com URL: www.ksawpf.com

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