Empower accelerates water reuse efforts to support UAE Water Security Strategy 2036

On March 22nd, which is World Water Day, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation PJSC, commonly called Empower, used the occasion to highlight how far they’ve come in reducing their dependence on freshwater for district cooling, and also to put these efforts into context with broader national water security goals. The Dubai-based utility announced that it has expanded its in-house reverse osmosis (RO) capacity and increased the amount of recycled water used in its operations. These improvements are presented as part of a wider initiative to embed circular water practices within a major urban utility system.

According to Empower, its installed RO capacity hit 24,969 cubic meters per day in 2025, which is an increase from 21,359 cubic meters daily the year prior. The company also reported that recycled water contributed 9.22 percent of its total water consumption in 2025, up from 8.3 percent in 2024. Empower called this step , well, at least to me , a calculated move designed to match both their internal annual targets and the availability of externally supplied recycled water.

“Water is absolutely vital for life and sustainable development,” said H.E. Ahmad Bin Shafar, Empower’s CEO, in a statement released by the company. “At Empower, we are committed to using water more efficiently across our operations by adopting treated water and reverse osmosis technology for district cooling, thus reducing our freshwater reliance. These efforts align with our leadership’s directive to protect natural resources and ensure their sustainability for future generations through responsible and efficient resource management practices. We aim to provide district cooling services that meet high standards of quality and reliability, all based on a sustainable operational model that supports the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036.”

Bin Shafar also added: “World Water Day is a significant occasion to reaffirm how important water resources are as a key element driving economic and social development, as well as contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Empower remains dedicated to championing sustainable practices and cultivating a culture of responsible resource use, supporting the nation’s vision of a more sustainable future.”

This account fits into a longer trend of adopting new technology and building additional plants, which industry sources have detailed. As reported by District Energy, Empower started deploying RO systems back in 2012 at its Dubai International Financial Centre cooling plant, and since then, they’ve expanded their RO and treated sewage effluent (TSE) projects across multiple sites. The outlet also pointed out that Empower is constructing RO facilities on Palm Jumeirah, three plants are currently under construction there, as part of a program geared toward reducing the use of desalinated water for cooling.

A separate case study from the District Energy Award program highlights Empower’s TSE-RO installation at Dubai Healthcare City. That project illustrates how converting potable water or domestic supplies into treated sewage effluent, followed by RO polishing, can reliably produce water quality suitable for cooling towers, while also reducing costs and water wastage. The case study also links these efforts to Dubai Executive Council Resolution No. (27) from 2008, which encourages the use of alternative water sources in district cooling systems.

Industry data and earlier disclosures also emphasize just how significant the potential savings can be through recycling. District Energy reports that Empower’s switch to alternative sources and reuse helped them avoid using about 412 million imperial gallons, roughly 1.87 million cubic meters, of freshwater in 2022. That’s quite a lot, really, and really highlights the enormous scale of water substitution that pairing TSE and RO with large cooling systems can achieve.

Empower clearly frames these measures as supporting national targets. The UAE’s Water Security Strategy 2036, outlined by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, aims to have treated water reuse reach 95 percent, reduce overall water demand by 21 percent, and improve water productivity to about USD 110 per cubic meter, among other goals. The strategy emphasizes policy reforms, deploying new technology, raising awareness, and enhancing storage, everything meant to strengthen supply resilience during both normal times and emergencies.

When you look at the figures from Empower alongside the national strategy, it’s pretty clear that the policy environment is moving toward lowering dependency on desalinated freshwater, especially for those energy-heavy cooling loads. Dubai’s harsh climate and the sheer scale of building and development demand large, centralized cooling services. Utility companies like Empower argue that employing TSE and RO reduces pressure on potable supplies and cuts down on the energy and carbon required for producing desalinated water.

That said, independent observers acknowledge challenges still exist. Expanding RO treatment and integrating alternative water sources require substantial capital investments, expertly run operations, and a steady supply of treated effluent. The company itself admitted that its recycled water accounts remain in the single digits, so there’s quite a bit of ground to cover before they meet the national reuse targets. Factors like availability of treated sewage, competing municipal demands, and the energy needed for RO processes will all influence how quickly these efforts can scale up.

Empower’s announcements paint their efforts as being aligned with both municipal policies and national strategies, focusing on investing in smart, sustainable technologies to improve resource and energy efficiency and to cut carbon emissions. Industry reports show that Empower has adopted a mixed approach, building on-site RO plants, connecting to TSE, and in some districts, using alternative seawater systems. The goal, basically, is to diversify water sources for cooling needs.

As Dubai and the wider UAE push ahead with the Water Security Strategy 2036, utilities will probably be tested on how fast they can implement these plans and how quickly they can boost reuse beyond initial pilot projects or retrofitting. Empower’s recent capacity increases and their past project portfolio give a practical blueprint for water substitution, but at the same time, the gap between their current recycled water share and the ambitious reuse goals still indicates they have quite a way to go.