Weatherford facility and training centre, Abu Dhabi

A factory with its own substation.

Weatherford needed a manufacturing facility and a training centre in Abu Dhabi, served by their own HV distribution and substation. AZEMCO was appointed to design and build the complete MEP, with City Diamond as main contractor and Spec as consultant.

What made it hard.

1. 01

   Its own substation

   The production loads called for the facility’s own HV distribution and substation, designed and built alongside the building rather than after it.

2. 02

   Two kinds of building

   A manufacturing hall and a training centre need very different cooling, ventilation, lighting and fire protection.

3. 03

   Abu Dhabi’s requirements

   Work in Abu Dhabi follows its own utility and Civil Defence requirements, which differ from Dubai’s.

What we did about each one.

1. Challenge 01Its own substation
   Our response

   HV designed with the building

   We designed the HV distribution and the substation with the building services, so the supply, the transformers and the main switchgear were sized for the production loads from the start.

2. Challenge 02Two kinds of building
   Our response

   Services for each use

   Our engineers designed the hall and the training centre separately, each with its own cooling, ventilation, lighting and fire protection, from shared plant where it made sense.

3. Challenge 03Abu Dhabi’s requirements
   Our response

   Approvals planned from the first drawing

   We built the submissions to the Abu Dhabi authorities into the design programme, so approvals were in place before installation began.

From the first drawing to handover.

1. 01DesignHV distribution, substation and building services designed together.
2. 02ApprovalsSubmissions to the Abu Dhabi utility and Civil Defence.
3. 03ProcurementTransformers, switchgear and plant ordered against the programme.
4. 04InstallationSubstation, distribution and building services installed.
5. 05Energisation and handoverThe substation energised, every system tested and the facility handed over.

One design and build contract for the facility, its substation and the training centre.