More Masdar, more Tadweer: Masdar rule over COP28 continued with more agreements in the bag, while Tadweer and ENEC also bagged a few more signatures.

MASDAR ROLLS ON-

Masdar and AD Ports partner on UAE green hydrogen hub: UAE-based ports operator AD Ports Group has signed an agreement with Emirati renewables developer Masdar to study the feasibility of establishing a green hydrogen production hub in Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi, according to a statement. The planned green hydrogen valley could include a low-carbon fuels export terminal to facilitate shipments to international markets. The agreement is in line with the UAE’s target of generating 1.4 mn tons of hydrogen annually by 2031 and Masdar’s commitment to separately produce 1 mn tons a year by the end of the decade.

Masdar + Dubai Municipality double down on waste-to-energy: Dubai Municipality and Masdar have signed an MoU to establish a carbon capture plant at Dubai Municipality’s Al Warsan waste-to-energy Plant, according to a statement. The carbon captured from the plant will be combined with green hydrogen to produce renewable fuels like e-methanol. They will also collaborate on diverting solid waste from landfills to process it into synthetic fuels like sustainable aviation fuel.

TADWEER TACKLES CONSTRUCTION + SAF-

UAE's green construction gets a boost: The Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company (Tadweer), Masdar City, the UAE Energy and Infrastructure Ministry, and GIGA Graphene Technologies are partnering to develop Graphene Innovations Manchester’s (GIM) concrete in the UAE, Wam reports. The concrete is made with recycled plastic, does not require fresh water, and is enhanced with graphene. The low-carbon concrete will be used for bricks, pavers, and tiles in the UAE’s construction industry.

REMEMBER-The UAE’s Quazar Investment Company and GIM signed an agreement back in May to establish a UAE-based JV to develop and produce a wide range of graphene-based products. The JV aims to invest USD 1 bn in the development and manufacturing of their products, which include graphene-based concrete and hydrogen storage vessels.

ALSO- Tadweer + LanzaTech explore waste to SAF: Tadweer and Lanzatech inked an agreement to conduct a feasibility study for a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) project using municipal and commercial solid waste, according to a statement. The project is expected to process 350k tons of hard-to-recycle municipal and commercial solid waste into 200k tons of ethanol annually, which can produce 120k tons of SAF yearly.

We knew this was coming: Tadweer and LanzaTech signed an agreement in February to explore the possibility of establishing a waste-to-sustainable aviation fuel conversion plant which could see carbon waste used to produce fabric materials and other applications.

MORE NUCLEAR FOR ENEC-

UAE’s ENEC continues its nuclear expansion: The Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) inked an agreement with small modular reactor (SMR) developers Moltex Flex and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation to scale the usage of SMR nuclear technologies both in the UAE and abroad, Wam reports. ENEC is the co-developer of the UAE’s 5.6 GW Barakah Nuclear Plant.

The details: The company’s MoUs fall under Enec’s Advance Program, which aims to assess SMR’s applications in nuclear, hydrogen, and green molecule production, Wam notes. The affordability of SMR technologies, coupled with the ease of its deployment, will enable the company to strengthen green premiums for power off-takers.

TAQA HEADS TO INDONESIA-

PLN and Taqa to collaborate on grid tech: Indonesia's PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) has signed an MoU with the Abu Dhabi national energy company (Taqa) to develop transmission grid interconnections and a smart grid in Indonesia, Indonesian news outlet Tempo reported. Indonesia wants to add 31.6 GW from renewables by 2033. Bridging the gap between renewable energy sources and energy demand is essential to reach a harmonious supply and demand, PLN Director Darmawan Prasodjo said.

PLN kept busy this month: PLN signed an agreement with Acwa Power to build the largest green hydrogen facility in Indonesia last week. The company has also partnered with Masdar to proceed with plans to add up to 500 MW capacity to the Cirata 145 MW floating solar plant.

IN CLIMATE FINANCE NEWS-

The UN calls for USD 46 bn in aid for crisis-stricken countries in 2024: The UN issued an appeal to donors earlier this week urging them to extend USD 46.4 bn in emergency humanitarian funding for 2024, according to a statement. The funds would be allocated to alleviate the impact of humanitarian, economic, and climate-driven emergencies, which are predicted to impact an estimated 181 mn people across 72 countries. While the funds target around 181 mn people, over 300 mn people are expected to require humanitarian assistance in 2024 — a portion of which are triggered by climate change, the UN said.

The call for emergency funds is lower than this year’s (unreached) goal: Global funding allocated to addressing economic downturns, food insecurity, mass displacement, and disease containment efforts reached USD 20 bn this year, only a third of the USD 57 bn committed to tackle the same challenges in 2023, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths noted.

AfDB approves UK’s USD 1 bn guarantee for South Africa’s JET: The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has greenlit a USD 1 bn guarantee in collaboration with the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office to fund South Africa’s Just Energy Transition (JET) investment plan and accelerate the country’s shift to clean energy, according to a statement. The financing will be channeled toward transmission and grid-balancing storage, renewable power generation, energy efficiency, rehabilitation of municipal electricity delivery, green hydrogen, and new EVs, the bank notes.

Tapping nuclear and hydrogen to cut coal dependency: South Africa’s Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said yesterday that his country will launch a bidding process for an extra 2.5 GW of nuclear power by March, Reuters reports. The Netherlands and Denmark are also currently working together to set up a USD 1 bn fund to invest in green hydrogen projects in South Africa.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

  • Schneider to boost Egypt's real estate players’ sustainability: Egyptian real estate companies Tatweer Misr, LMD, Redcon, and Paragon have signed an agreement with Schneider to implement a variety of advanced and sustainable solutions for smart city management for their operations in the country. (Al Masry Al Youm)
  • Dewa + Dubai Airports partner on solar project: Dewa's Etihad Energy Services is collaborating with Dubai Airports for an extensive solar integration project and a retrofit initiative. (Statement)
  • Switzerland will source carbon credits from Tunisia and Chile: The Swiss government has signed bilateral emission reduction agreements with Tunisia and Chile through which it will purchase a portion of the carbon offset credits both countries domestically generate. (Statement)
  • Majid Al Futtaim + Engazat partner on solar energy: Majid Al Futtaim and Engazat have signed an agreement to power four of the former's shopping centers in Egypt and Lebanon with 20 MW of solar energy. The project is expected to attract up to USD 20 mn in direct foreign investments and will generate 737 mn KWh, offsetting 3 mn tons of CO2 over 25 years. (AlMal)
  • WiSER + EBRD partner on climate action: The UAE's Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) platform has partnered with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to help women entrepreneurs and women-led small and medium-sized businesses gain access to a range of EBRD financing options for projects in the sustainability sector. (Wam)
  • UAE’s Enoc launches mangrove afforestation program: Starting Friday, 15 December until January 2025, the Emirates National Oil Company will channel a portion of sales from its convenience store chain Zoom toward funding UAE mangrove afforestation programs. The program aims to plant some 1.5k mangrove saplings in a bid to offset 18.4 tons of CO2 annually. (Statement)
Tags: