The savings -- about to AED 3.8 million in the United Arab Emirates’ currency -- amounts to 4,700 KWH, according to a company spokesman.
The announcement came on World environment Day, an annual event held at the Dubai Mall. During the event, Jafza and other companies promoted environmental awareness and distributed information encouraging people to take daily measures to conserve energy.
“Economic Zones World has continually focused on corporate responsibility with respect to community, environment, marketplace and workplace and this forms an essential part of our operations,” said Dr. Eng. Hamad Al Hashimi, the company’s senior vice president of corporate communication.
“By participating in World Environment Day celebrations this year again we in Jafza encourage sustainable actions and environmental awareness in the community,” Al Hashimi continued. “Being mindful of one’s carbon footprint, relevant to this region and country in particular, will go a long way in ensuring sustainability.
“We have adopted many measures within the UAE and also in our projects across the globe and we hope to keep improving our carbon management and environmental activities,” he added.
Specific measures undertaken by Jafza to save energy include the installation of timer controlled devices and photocells in parking areas, corridors and other parts of the buildings. Two of its facilities have also been fitted with LED lights that consume less electricity.
In addition to curbing its electric usage, jafza also installed water savings devices in the office buildings, which resulted in a 23 percent savings there as well.
In addition, all sewage water and water drained from air conditioning units is recycled and used for irrigation. Refrigerants are also recycled and reused to minimise the free zone’s carbon footprint.
Paper and aluminium can recycling bins were introduced a few years ago to encourage people to recycle, the company said.
While Jafza’s facilities are considered the lynchpin of trade throughout the Middle East, the company is also a major developer of logistics parks and warehouses throughout the world, with investments extending from Africa and the Far East to the United States.
The company has also extending its green strategies to these facilities.
In 2009, Jafza mandated all facility developments to follow green building standards and ensures its customers adhere strictly to them.
This includes adding energy saving facilities, ensuring there are no ‘over design’ items like roof Lightning Protection systems, optimising loads and a host of other measures.
Six months ago, EZW subsidiary Gazeley, (perhaps more widely known as Gazeley UK Ltd.) delivered in Jafza its first, state-of-the-art built-to-suit, environmentally efficient logistics facility in the Middle East.
Featuring an array of eco- friendly measures, the 63,000 square metre distribution centre was built for global supply chain management company, CEVA Logistics.
The project incorporates a wide range of sustainable features including solar powered lighting, the use of recycled and locally sourced materials and state-of-the-art warehouse lighting, complete with motion detectors and dimming controls; a system that uses at least 20 percent less energy than normal lighting. The suite of eco-initiatives helped the project achieve a LEED Silver rating.
Gazeley, which was EZW purchased from Asda Wal-Mart just a few years ago for a reported £316 million, has long billed itself as a provider of “sustainable logistics space”. It is one of the biggest industrial developers in the United Kingdom.
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