GREEN CONSTRUCTION-

Sumou subsidiary to bring Thai sustainable construction tech to KSA: Saudi’s Buna AlMamlaka (Buna) — a subsidiary of local real estate player Sumou Holding — signed an MoU with Thailand’s SCG International to bring sustainable construction technologies to KSA’s local market, according to a statement.The partnership will see the introduction of some of the Thai cement supplier’s green construction technologies, including the ultra high-performance concrete and its ready mix concrete technology. The agreement comes as SCG International looks to expand its footprint across South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. No financial details were disclosed.

RENEWABLES-

Global firms team up for off-grid energy storage project in Saudi: Indian multinational Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) construction arm is partnering with China-based PV inverter and energy storage system provider Sungrow to deploy 165 MW inverters and 160-760 MWh of battery energy storage systems at KSA’s Amaala off-grid project, according to a joint statement. The resort’s renewable supply system will have the capacity to generate up to 410k MWh per annum, which is enough to power 10k homes for an entire year.

Background: The Amaala facility will be home to an optimized off-grid renewable energy system supplying solar power with a 700 MWh battery energy storage facility to fully power Amaala’s desalination and wastewater plants. Amaala will be fully powered by solar energy saving c. 500k tons of CO2 emissions per year. The first phase is set to welcome its first guests in early 2025.

Kuwait to buy 500 MW of electricity from GCCIA: Kuwait has inked an agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) Electrical Interconnection Authority to import 500 MW of electricity from the Gulf's electrical market to meet its growing demand, Asharq Al-Awsat reports. The country will purchase 300 MW from Oman and 200 MW from Qatar from June till the end of August. The agreement will also help reduce energy costs by providing electricity at competitive prices.

REMEMBER- The interconnection will transmit electricity from renewable sources: The interconnection project will be used to export electricity, including electricity generated by renewable energy, and it will reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and facilitate clean power exports to other countries in the region and beyond.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

  • Abu Dhabi to ban single-use styrofoam products next month: The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) will ban single-use styrofoam products starting 1 June as part of its 2020 Single-Use Plastic Policy. The ban will target items like cups, plates, and food containers, while medical equipment will be exempted. This follows Sharjah's move to ban the manufacturing of single-use plastic bags. (Wam)
  • Safeen debuts Middle East’s first electric tug: AD Ports’ Safeen Group is piloting an electric tug within its marina service fleet, which should eliminate emissions and increase operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness. (Statement)
  • USAID launches climate resilience initiative in Morocco: USAID has partnered with nonprofit organization GiveDirectly and the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) to launch the Cooperative Resilience Program (CRP) with the aim of helping Moroccans adapt to climate change. CRP will provide grants between USD 3k to USD 9k for sustainable development projects, and it will offer training, coaching, and climate financing to over 1k rural cooperatives and entrepreneurs, promoting economic growth and resilience to climate impacts. (Statement)
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