SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUELS-

Red Sea Global + daa International to bring SAF to Saudi airport: Red Sea Global (RSG) and daa International — the operators of the Red Sea International Airport (RSI) — have signed an agreement with the Arab Petroleum Supply Company to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), according to a statement released on Wednesday. The agreement would enable RSI operators to make SAF available as a refueling option for all airlines operating from the airport, and RSG subsidiary Fly Red Sea will exclusively power its fleet with SAF and lower-carbon aviation fuel. The two deployed SAF blends — one mixed at 35% and another at 65% SAF ratios — are expected to reduce each aircraft’s emissions by up to 35%.

KSA has its sights on e-fuel production: Aramco, TotalEnergies, and the Saudi Investment Recycling Company signed a joint development and cost sharing Agreement in December to evaluate establishing a SAF plant in the Eastern Province. Aramco also plans to bring online two SAF demonstration projects in Neom by 2025.

STARTUP WATCH-

#1- Haala Energy raises SAR 28.5 mn in funding round: Saudi solar developer Haala Energy has completed its Series A funding round led by Fakeeh Investment Holding, raising SAR 28.5 mn, according to a statement released on Wednesday. The funds — comprised of SAR 18.5 mn in equity and SAR 10 mn in debt — will support a pipeline of solar projects and is targeting 30 MWp of new industrial and commercial solar capacity in the next 3 years, with plans to raise more funds later to achieve that target. France’s Finegreen was the sole financial advisor.

About Haala Energy: Haala Energy specializes in solar photovoltaic and solar-diesel hybrid projects in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region, according to its website. The company covers feasibility studies, proposals and contracts, engineering design and procurement, construction and commissioning, and monitoring, operation, and maintenance.

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE-

UAE pushes for climate resilience infrastructure expansion: Abu Dhabi’s Government has issued tenders for stormwater drainage and flood mitigation projects, according to announcements (pdf) on the Abu Dhabi Government Procurement Gate. The request for bids comes as an attempt to control flooding and increase climate resilience as extreme weather events become more frequent.

The tenders:

  • The first tender (pdf) is for the design and construction of a storm discharge network with a 7 March deadline.
  • The second tender (pdf) is calling for stormwater diversion outfalls infrastructure and is due on 21 March.
  • The final tender (pdf) is for the lowering of the groundwater table to mitigate surface water flooding and is due on 14 March.

A necessary adaptation: UAE experienced the heaviest rainfall the country has seen in 75years last April, which experts say was made 40% more intense due to climate change. Dubai has also approved the USD 8.2 bn rainwater drainage Tasreef project back in October to address flooding challenges.

SOLAR-

Morocco’s ONEE + Chad’s SNE ink solar electrification contracts: Morocco’s National Office of Electricity & Drinking Water (ONEE) and Chad’s National Electricity Society (SNE) have signed two contracts for a solar-powered rural electrification project in Chad, Map News reported on Monday. The project includes building mini-grids powered by a 3 MWp solar plant and a 15/33 kV substation to supply electricity to 20 localities. The initiative will be financed by the Islamic Development Bank under the ONEE-IDB program to expand rural electrification across sub-Saharan Africa.

WASTE MANAGEMENT-

Tadweer + Fams Technologies launch AI-backed waste management solution: Abu Dhabi Waste Management (Tadweer Group) has partnered with Dubai-based Fams Technologies to launch an AI-integrated waste management platform, Wam reported on Monday. The platform aims to optimize operations by leveraging AI analytics and the Internet of Things for planning waste collection and optimizing routes to reduce emissions. The platform will also support the planning process by providing data on landfill diversion rates, recycling efficiency, and waste identification.

GREEN FINANCE-

DIB launches first sustainability-linked finance framework: Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) has issued its inaugural Sustainability-Linked Finance Facilities Financing Framework, marking the first framework of its kind published by an Islamic Bank globally, the bank said in a press release issued on Monday. The framework sets clear eligibility criteria for sustainability-linked finance facilities (SLF).

Details: The framework integrates predefined key performance indicators and sustainability performance targets to ensure measurable climate impact. DIB will publish an allocation and impact report annually throughout the instrument’s lifetime, detailing the SLF facilities financed and their environmental impact.

Not their first: The lender launched a sustainable home finance program, dubbed Nest, that offers financial products for customers to invest in green homes, solar panels, and sustainable construction materials in 2023.

GREEN HYDROGEN-

Oman launches first hydrogen refueling station: Shell Oman has inaugurated Oman’s first hydrogen refuelling station near Muscat International Airport, Oman News Agency reported on Monday. The facility can produce up to 130 kg of green hydrogen daily and includes an EV fast-charging option. State-owned transport company Mwasalat, in partnership with Shell Oman and Nama Power and Water Procurement Company, will roll out 15 hydrogen-powered vehicles for premium transport.

That’s not all: State-owned transport company Mwasalat is also partnering up with Shell Oman and Nama to roll out 15 hydrogen-powered vehicles for premium transport. Nama will also supply Shell with 7k International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-REC) through 2029, issuing 1.4k certificates annually.

Sounds smart? I-RECs are tradable clean energy tracking digital certificates, each representing 1 MWh of clean energy delivered to the electricity grid from a renewable energy source. Unlike carbon credits that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, RECs offset non-renewable electricity use.

Oman’s I-REC market in numbers: So far, the Omani market has seen about 250k being sold, and more than 3 mn I-REC certificates are expected to be issued this year.

BATTERIES-

China’s BYD Energy Storage and Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) have inked contracts for a 12.5 GWh energy storage project, according to a press release issued last week. The battery energy storage system equipment will be installed across five sites in Saudi Arabia, fully integrating into the Kingdom’s power transmission network. BYD will supply its MC Cube-TESS systems, which feature its Cell-to-System integrated tech. The project brings BYD’s total battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity in the country to 15.1 GWh.

A BESS bonanza for Saudi: The Saudi Power Procurement Company issued a request forproposals earlier this month to qualified bidders for 2 GWh BESS projects, the first group of its 8 GWh developments.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

  • Empower + DMCC partner on district cooling: UAE’s district cooling firm Empower has signed an agreement with the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre to provide 24.7k refrigeration tons (RT) of sustainable cooling capacity for the next phase of Uptown Dubai. Empower is already servicing the first phase of the project with a 3.9k RT capacity. (Statement).
  • Iran rolls out e-fleet in Tehran: Iran has unveiled its first batch of advanced electric vehicles in Tehran, including e-taxis, police cars, and smart buses, as part of a joint initiative between Tehran Municipality and the government. The rollout includes 189 e-buses, over 1.7K e-taxis, and 150 e-vehicles designated for the traffic police. (IRNA)
  • IFC injects USD 20 mn into AWB Egypt: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is providing Attijariwafa Bank Egypt (AWB Egypt) USD 20 mn in Tier 2 qualifying subordinated debt to boost its climate finance portfolio, focusing on renewables and energy efficiency projects. (Press Release)
  • Oman + Qatar partner on environmental conservation: Oman and Qatar have inked an MoU as part of a five-year executive program (2025-2029) to collaborate on environmental conservation. The agreement covers joint conservation projects, funding mechanisms, and research, including a joint study of sustainable management models for nature reserves and combating land degradation. (Oman News Agency)
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