THE DUBAI GUYS
June 6th, 2007, 11:53 AM
Tecom launches eco-friendly project
By Robert Ditcham, Staff Reporter
Dubai: Tecom Investments, a member of Dubai Holding, yesterday launched the Energy and Environment Park (Enpark) development, to coincide with World Environment Day.
The company branded Enpark as an "eco-friendly" community for commercial and residential use. It will be developed on an eight million square foot site near Dubai Academic City on Emirates Road and will include hotels, convention facilities and academic units focused on environment-related education programmes.
Tecom officials did not reveal the project cost or the number of residential and commercial units, claiming that the masterplan is still being finalised. Phase one is scheduled for completion in 2010.
Tecom Investments CEO Abdul Latif Al Mulla said the project supports the directive on sustainable development issued by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai.
"The environment is a serious challenge that we all need to give attention to. Our future depends on our actions today." he said. "(The project) will seek to create a comprehensive, environmentally sound and sustainable community."
Enpark has been launch-ed at a time when the global renewable energy market is forecast by the World Energy Congress to exceed $220 billion annually over the next five years.
Al Mulla said the commercial components will include "green" commercial office space, retail and boutique manufacturing facilities, as well as showrooms for energy saving technologies.
It will also house energy efficient residential units as well as a "green" hotel and conference areas.
Education
An academic component at Enpark will offer renewable energy and environment related education programmes.
It will also have a sustainable development research centre to demonstrate the latest renewable energy and sustainable technology applications.
Project officials said the project will be built in accordance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) Green Building Rating System, an international benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance "green" buildings.
The rating system recognises performance in five areas of human and environmental health - sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
Ali Bin Towaih, director of Enpark, said, "It will host a model community with a significantly reduced ecological footprint demonstrating that it is possible to have lower overall lifecycle costs and increased energy savings by adopting a sustainable culture."
Intelligent building systems, including energy management control, renewable energy production monitoring, fire alarm monitoring and security systems, will also be a feature of the park.
Officials were positive that investors will want to live and work in an environmentally sustainable environment, due to factors such as social responsibility and long-term savings on utilities costs.
R
By Robert Ditcham, Staff Reporter
Dubai: Tecom Investments, a member of Dubai Holding, yesterday launched the Energy and Environment Park (Enpark) development, to coincide with World Environment Day.
The company branded Enpark as an "eco-friendly" community for commercial and residential use. It will be developed on an eight million square foot site near Dubai Academic City on Emirates Road and will include hotels, convention facilities and academic units focused on environment-related education programmes.
Tecom officials did not reveal the project cost or the number of residential and commercial units, claiming that the masterplan is still being finalised. Phase one is scheduled for completion in 2010.
Tecom Investments CEO Abdul Latif Al Mulla said the project supports the directive on sustainable development issued by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai.
"The environment is a serious challenge that we all need to give attention to. Our future depends on our actions today." he said. "(The project) will seek to create a comprehensive, environmentally sound and sustainable community."
Enpark has been launch-ed at a time when the global renewable energy market is forecast by the World Energy Congress to exceed $220 billion annually over the next five years.
Al Mulla said the commercial components will include "green" commercial office space, retail and boutique manufacturing facilities, as well as showrooms for energy saving technologies.
It will also house energy efficient residential units as well as a "green" hotel and conference areas.
Education
An academic component at Enpark will offer renewable energy and environment related education programmes.
It will also have a sustainable development research centre to demonstrate the latest renewable energy and sustainable technology applications.
Project officials said the project will be built in accordance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) Green Building Rating System, an international benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance "green" buildings.
The rating system recognises performance in five areas of human and environmental health - sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
Ali Bin Towaih, director of Enpark, said, "It will host a model community with a significantly reduced ecological footprint demonstrating that it is possible to have lower overall lifecycle costs and increased energy savings by adopting a sustainable culture."
Intelligent building systems, including energy management control, renewable energy production monitoring, fire alarm monitoring and security systems, will also be a feature of the park.
Officials were positive that investors will want to live and work in an environmentally sustainable environment, due to factors such as social responsibility and long-term savings on utilities costs.
R