Oqyana to use a World island for utilities

Oqyana World First, which is developing 22 islands representing Australia and New Zealand on The World off the Dubai coast, on Wednesday said one of these islands would be a utility facility.

The designated island will house a power generation plant, reverse osmosis desalination plant, cooling facility, condenser cooling plant, sewage treatment plant, potable water tank, refuel station, maintenance workshops, fire station, administration offices and various accommodations for staff.

CEO Dr Wadad Al Suwayeh said: "Oqyana has been meticulously master-planned in all aspects and we are pleased to announce our plans for this state-of-the-art utility island, which makes us completely independent and self-sufficient.

"We have carefully studied the project for three years and have made substantial investments in design, technology, manpower and time to ensure independence and self-sufficiency of Oqyana."

The 50,000-square metre utility island, strategically located next to the breakwater outside the development, has also been engineered for 100 per cent redundancy, through utilising two utility networks to feed the entire development. This means that utility service provision will continue even in the case of a single failure, Oqyana said in a statement.

The utility island will also serve as the nerve centre for Oqyana's telecommunication services, which will be fully integrated with other facilities such as sophisticated security solutions, superior communications services and, for the first time, marine e-home services to complement Oqyana's lifestyle.

"Essentially, our utility island offers our investors complete reassurance; since Oqyana will supply and operate its onsite power, water, technology and all other utilities," Al Suwayeh said.

Oqyana World First is the first and largest of all developers on The World with 22 islands and waterfront villas that form the shape of Australia and New Zealand islands. It offers a diverse range of luxurious accommodation choices that suit different preferences, such as stylish apartments, waterfront homes, villas, canal homes, hotels and serviced apartments – all designed to ensure maximum exclusivity and privacy for residents and visitors. Construction of Oqyana, The World's first luxury island community, is set to begin in summer 2008, while completion date is scheduled for 2012.