Having replaced an estimated 14,500 standalone air conditioners, India’s first functional district cooling system (DCS) at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) is set for a major scale-up that will triple its capacity to 30,000 refrigeration tonnes (TR) by 2030.
This proposed expansion — anchored by a new plant in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and upgrades to the existing network—marks one of the most ambitious centralised cooling rollouts in the country.
“At present a total of 27 buildings are connected with the existing district cooling plant of 10,000 TR. Approximately 14,500 conventional air conditioners would have been installed if this district cooling plant in GIFT City had not existed,” Sanjay Kaul Managing Director and Group CEO of Gujarat International Finance Tec-City Company Ltd told businessline.
A key driver of this expansion is a 10,000 TR district cooling plant being constructed by Blue Star Ltd. The project, awarded on a design-and-build basis, involves an investment of ₹78.49 crore, including taxes. While it mirrors the configuration of the existing facility of a similar 10,000 TR, it incorporates targeted efficiency upgrades across key systems. These include an improvement in overall plant efficiency to 0.85 kilowatts per refrigeration tonne (kW/TR) from 0.9 kW/TR through better-performing chillers, pumps, and auxiliary systems. Pump efficiency is being increased from 80 per cent to 85 per cent, while gas-insulated switchgear is being introduced for 11 kilovolt (kV) high-tension (HT) panels to enhance operational reliability and safety.
As capacity expands to 20,000 TR in the next phase, the system is expected to serve around 55 buildings by 2028, spanning 37 commercial developments, 14 residential projects, and 4 social infrastructure assets. This expansion underscores the system’s growing role across multiple urban building categories. “Approximately, 55 buildings will be catered once the district cooling capacity reaches 20,000 TR,” Kaul added.
residential projects
Residential adoption is also increasing steadily. Two residential projects—Sobha Dream Heights and Sangath Smart Life—are already connected to the existing system, with all future residential developments in GIFT City planned for integration into the centralised cooling network.
The most significant milestone in the expansion roadmap is the upcoming district cooling plant in the SEZ area, targeted for commissioning by 2029. This facility will add 10,000 TR of chiller capacity along with a 24,000 refrigeration tonne-hour (TR-hr) thermal energy storage (TES) system, dedicated to meeting SEZ cooling demand. “By 2030, total chiller installed capacity would be 30,000 TR with 54,000 TR-Hr of TES tank,” the IAS official added. Thermal energy storage plays a crucial role in optimising system performance by producing chilled water during off-peak hours and storing it for use during peak demand periods. This reduces peak load pressure on the electricity grid while improving overall system efficiency.
“District cooling delivers energy savings of around 30 per cent compared to standalone systems, making it more efficient at scale. It also reduces maintenance requirements for building owners by eliminating the need for individual chillers, cooling towers, and outdoor units. Additional benefits include lower electricity consumption and carbon emissions, reduced urban heat island effect due to elimination of rooftop AC equipment, space savings within buildings, and improved reliability through centralised redundancy and professional operations,” Kaul added.
Published on April 29, 2026