Midfield Terminal gets district cooling plant

One of the country's biggest district cooling units has opened to serve Abu Dhabi's Midfield Terminal Building.

Series of 18 chillers make facility one of the biggest in UAE

One of the country’s biggest district cooling plants has been opened to serve Abu Dhabi’s new Midfield Terminal Building (MTB).

With a capacity of 55,000 tonnes of refrigerant, the district cooling plant will provide air conditioning for the MTB through 18 chillers and two thermal energy storage tanks, Abu Dhabi Airports said on Tuesday.

It will also provide chilled water from a centralised cooling station through a network of pipes, for air-conditioning purposes.

Abu Dhabi Airports said last month that it is targeting a December 2017 opening date for MTB.

It is a key part of the airport’s expansion strategy, with passenger traffic expected to double over the next decade.

MTB is also part of Abu Dhabi’s broader plans to increase tourist traffic under the Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy.

Work on the Midfield Terminal project began in September 2012. About 70 per cent of the project had been completed by the end of last year.

The Midfield Terminal is essential for Etihad Airways’ rapid expansion plans.