WAM Dubai, 7th Jan. 2009 (WAM) — Nakheel, Dubai’s master developer, accomplished yet another milestone at Waterfront – casting the raft foundations for two of its 132kV substations after six months of detailed design and engineering.

A total of 1,700 tonnes of concrete and 170 tonnes of reinforced steel were used to complete the foundations.

Nakheel’s Waterfront Electrical Infrastructure team is managing the construction of the substations which will eventually be handed over to DEWA for operation.

The two teams are working closely to ensure the sustainability of the overall power strategy at Waterfront. Sustainability emerged as one of the key influencing factors for investors when considering a property purchase according to a recent survey undertaken by Nakheel.

Matt Joyce, Managing Director of Waterfront, said: ‘As the world’s largest coastal development, Waterfront will transform 1.4 billion square feet of empty desert and sea into an international community for an estimated population of 1.5 million people. We are delighted with the progress made on its infrastructure.’ ‘These substations will be the first of a huge network of substations that will service the entire Waterfront community. We would like to thank DEWA for their ongoing support and cooperation,’ Joyce added.

Waterfront is the world’s largest coastal development based on the shores of Dubai, and is on track to becoming the exemplar sustainable city founded on resource efficiency, social equity, and economic prosperity. Minimizing ecological impact is considered in every decision of the city’s design, construction and operation. Energy and water conservation are achieved through integration of utilities in dedicated utility centres, where process streams are interlinked and waste is transformed into energy to power the city. Simulation is used in building design to ensure tough energy efficiency targets are achieved