Abu Dhabi Airports' facilities get top Estidama ratings

Abu Dhabi Airports said it has received the 'Two 'Pearl' rating from Estidama, for the construction of two of its latest facilities - the district cooling plant of the Midfield Terminal (MTB) and the fire station at Sir Bani Yas Island Airport. The objective of the Pearl Building Rating System (PBRS) from Estidama, an initiative from the Department of Urban Planning and Municipalities, is to promote the development of sustainable buildings and improve quality of life. Achievement of a sustainable building requires the integration of the four pillars of Estidama together with a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to building development known as the Integrated Development Process, said a statement from Abu Dhabi Airports. The PBRS encourages water, energy, and waste minimisation, local material use and aims to improve supply chains for sustainable and recycled materials and products, it stated. Estidama previously gave Abu Dhabi Airport’s MTB a three-pearl rating for its design, the highest rated building of that size in the region, and the first airport building to receive such a rating. Abdul Majeed Al Khoori, the acting chief executive, said: "Every aspect of our buildings’ design, development and operations captures our commitment to sustainability and enhances the community’s understanding of our broader impacts as an organisation." "It is a priority for us to uphold the leadership’s vision to achieve an environmentally-conscious emirate and a green way of life, so we will focus on embedding the Estidama principles into the core of our culture. We are proud that this commitment has been recognised, leading to the MTB district cooling plant and fire station at Sir Bani Yas Airport receiving the Two Pearl rating," he remarked. Completed earlier last year, MTB’s district cooling plant is armed with a total capacity of 55,000 tons of refrigerant that will provide air-conditioning for the MTB through 18 chillers and two thermal energy storage tanks. It operates through a network of pipes that circulates chilled water responsible for the cooling effect. On the Sir Bani Yas fire station, the company said it is manned 24/7 and equipped with two fire engines and high-capacity supporting water tender, in line with the type of operations at the island. The fire station was one of the primary elements for Sir Bani Yas Airport certification as an aerodrome, as per the General Civil Aviation Authority's (GCAA) requirements, stated Al Khoori. "The efforts of our design and construction team continue to raise the bar on innovative, resource-efficient facilities that are essential to achieving our climate action goals," he added