The First Facility Management Blog

The order for 46 water-cooled chiller units is the largest single order for chiller units in the company’s history. Aiming to maintain the island’s reputation as a place of world-renowned luxury, Qatar Cool, the district cooling authority for the Pearl Island of Qatar in the Arabian Gulf, recently announced it has signed a contract with Johnson Controls, Inc. to receive the water-cooled chiller units with an option to purchase six more.

Each Johnson Controls YORK centrifugal chiller unit is 26 feet long, 11 feet wide and 14 feet tall, and weighs 2,500 tons. The units will be shipped from San Antonio, TX to Qatar, and installed in the world’s largest district cooling chiller plant. The facility will supply 130,000 tons of chilled water daily to cool more than 15,000 residential and commercial units, providing comfort to the 40,000 Pearl-Qatar residents. The manmade island covers 985 acres of reclaimed land offshore the Arabian Peninsula state of Qatar.

“It is such an honor to have been selected to design and manufacture products that will contribute to this incredibly unique property,” said Ray Ring, regional manager, Johnson Controls. “The plant into which these units will be installed will not be duplicated and is certain to become a global landmark. Our ability to meet the difficult demands of this site demonstrates the technical innovation and expertise we bring to every job.”

Ring said a number of factors led to selection of Johnson Controls for the project:
* Environmental sensitivity. Qatar recently enacted a law to control, reduce and phase out its import of ozone depleting substances. The chillers are the most energy efficient in the industry and use environmentally friendly and non-ozone-depleting HFC-134a refrigerant.

* Product durability under harsh conditions. The chillers will operate at extreme conditions, where entering condenser water temperatures can reach up to 97 degrees Fahrenheit at 122F ambient

* Reduced operating costs. This chiller requires half of the electrical switch gear normally needed in a plant of this type. Johnson Controls also is installing its Metasys® building automation system to ensure the cooling plant operates at maximum efficiency.

The chilled water will be distributed through an underground network of 10-foot tall pipes laid out across the island. Delivery and installation of the chiller units is expected to begin in December 2007 and continue through May 2008.