CHENNAI: The Fintech City in Nandambakkam is likely to become the first building in Tamil Nadu to have a District Cooling System (DCS), a centralised source that would cool the entire building through pipelines. This was disclosed to TNIE by Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Managing Director Sandeep Nanduri.
Following the success of the DCS implemented at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), the country’s first globally benchmarked International finance service centre, Tamil Nadu chalked out a plan to test the technology at the Fintech City in Nandambakkam.
This idea was mooted by Industries Minister TRB Rajaa, who is also a member of the state planning commission. By using this novel cooling technology, the state aims to cut down its power bills by 20%. Phase I of the Fintech City project is being developed on an expanse of 56 acres adjacent to the Chennai Trade Centre. Development of basic infrastructure is underway and is expected to be completed by June this year.
“The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) has proposed to develop a DCS for the Fintech City on two acres of land and has invited consultants to conduct a Techno-Economic Viability Study and prepare the tender document for appointing a district cooling developer to prepare the project,” Nanduri said.
The working principle of the DCS involves a centralised chilling plant producing chilled water, which is then transferred to various buildings or facilities through an underground network of insulated pipes. A control system further regulates the temperature of the chilled water and monitors the flow rate of the water through a distribution network.
This initiative comes at a time when the rising power consumption during summer and the sudden rise in temperature are forcing the state to search for alternative cooling solutions. It is learnt that a road map for district cooling solutions in the state is being prepared by the state planning commission along with the industries department and the department of environment and energy.
Chennai, one of India’s most populous cities, consumes almost 13,000 GW of electricity per hour, which is 14% of the total power generated and purchased by Tangedco. The surge in the use of air conditioners has put enormous stress on the energy requirements of the city. In this situation, the DCS technology offers nearly 40% to 50% savings with regard to the air conditioning load.
Meanwhile, the infrastructure works are nearing completion and two plots have already been e-auctioned. The developed plots will be allocated to finance-related companies and institutions, or any other builder on a 99-year lease basis.