Tecom Investments, a member of Dubai Holdings, has announced the launch of the Energy and Environment Park (ENPARK), a fully comprehensive eco-friendly community for both commercial and residential use, as a role model for Dubai’s commitment to sustainable development.
The initiative will create a comprehensive eco-friendly community while ensuring a high level of welfare and quality of living for residents and workers.
Tecom Investments CEO Abdullatif Almulla said: “The new initiative is in line with Tecom Investments’ proven track record of continuous excellence, innovation and commitment to international standards. It also reflects our continuous support for the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, on sustainable development. ENPARK, the Energy and Environment Park, will seek to create a comprehensive, environmentally sound and sustainable community.”
The project will be developed on an eight million square foot area and will offer a business environment to foster sustainable development and clean energy.
The park will consist of several components. The commercial components will include green commercial office space and retail and boutique manufacturing facilities, as well as showrooms for energy-saving technologies. It will also house energy-efficient residential units as well as green hotel and conference areas.
The energy-efficient residential area will offer several real estate options for a sustainable community and lifestyle.
The green hotel and convention areas will be a cluster development, centred on renewable energy with conference facilities. This will include state-of-the-art arrangements to facilitate symposiums, meetings and exhibitions.
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.
The park will have renewable and efficient water utilities, as well as clean and efficient transportation facilities as part of its infrastructure.
Intelligent building systems, including energy management control, renewable energy production monitoring, fire alarm monitoring and security systems, will be a feature of the park.
ENPARK director Ali bin Towaih said: “ENPARK will host a model comm-unity 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.
“Offering a healthier environment for people to live, work and learn as well as for leisure, ENPARK will conform to sustainability standards by utilising the available natural resources.”
The park has been launched at a time when the global renewable energy market is forecast to exceed $220 billion annually over the next five years, according to the World Energy Congress.
The park will work with leading energy and environment companies to ensure best practices and policies are implemented in every element in the design and construction of the park.
Phase I of the ENPARK project is set to be completed by 2010.
Last year, Tecom Investments launched the Sustainable Development Policy. According to this policy, Tecom Investments and all its entities would apply world-class environmental standards to both the organisation’s activities and its buildings.
Under this initiative, the new IMPZ, DuBiotech, Dubai Studio City and SmartCity, have been designed in accordance with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) guidelines.
“Tecom Investments has been working on green building, as well as energy and water conservation programmes, throughout 2006-2007 for optimising resource usage. We are sure this will empower Tecom members to actively contribute to the greater sustainability life style in Dubai,” Mr bin Towaih added.