WASTE MANAGEMENT-

#1- Egypt to get two industrial recycling projects: Egypt’s state-owned Misr for Artificial Silk and Polyester — a subsidiary of the Cotton & Textile Industries Holding Company — signed a shareholders agreement with UAE-based Othman International and Wael Farag to establish two waste recycling projects in Behira, according to a statement issued on Tuesday. The projects will have an investment ticket of EGP 1.7 bn (c. 33.4 USD mn).

The details: The first project will be built on a 25k sqm plot with EGP 1.1 bn in investment and will produce 30k tons of polyester fiber annually from recycled plastic waste, targeting 80% exports and generating around EGP 800 mn in annual sales. The second project — spanning a 20k sqm plot — will recycle fabric offcuts to produce 30k tons of synthetic felt annually, with EGP 600 mn in investment, and aims to export 52% of its output with annual sales projected at EGP 230 mn.

#2- DSI subsidiary bags wastewater contract in Jordan: UAE-based Drake and Scull International’s (DSI) subsidiary Passavant Energy & Environment has been awarded a JOD 41.5 mn (c. AED 215 mn) contract by Jordan’s Water Authority to design, build, and operate the North Balqa Wastewater treatment plant, according to a press release (pdf) issued on Monday. The contract covers the full EPC scope and a year of maintenance and operations before a handover is made. The project will have an initial capacity of 36k cbm daily, with plans to eventually expand to 54k cbm/day and install waste-to-energy tech.

Not the first regional venture: Passavant also inked a USD 48 mn design and construction contract last year, to develop a 200k cubic meter wastewater treatment plant in Saudi Arabia. An unnamed subsidiary of DSl was contracted to build a (c. USD 83.6 mn) wastewater treatment plant in Jordan two years ago.

WASTE-TO-ENERGY-

Oman’s Raysut Cement and China’s Sinoma Overseas Development will develop Oman’s first waste heat recovery (WHR) power plant at Raysut’s Salalah plant, Oman Observer reported last week. The 9 MW facility will harness thermal emissions from cement kilns to generate clean electricity. No commissioning timeline was disclosed but engineering design and site preparation are slated for revision later this year. The WHR plant aims to cut grid power usage by 30%, slash CO2 emissions by over 50k tonnes annually, and offer a model for industrial-scale energy reuse in the Gulf.

GEOTHERMAL-

Oman’s Nama Power and Water Procurement Company (Nama) issued a Request for Proposals for a consultant to conduct feasibility studies for a geothermal energy project, according to the proposal document (pdf) published on Sunday. The successful bidder will carry out a feasibility study to determine the geothermal energy potential of pre-selected areas between Wilayat Fanja and Al Ansab — which are marked as the project’s first phase. The submission deadline is on 22 May.

REMEMBER: Oman’s Authority for Public Services Regulation published plans for geothermal feasibility studies as part of a spate of energy and water initiatives announced last February.

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

#1- Scatec’s Obelisk to be plugged into the grid: The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) signed a contract with the consortium of Kharafi National and Power Ring to connect Scatec’s 1 GW Obelisk solar plant to the grid through 220 kV transmission lines, according to a statement issued on Sunday. The grid connection project will extend two 220 kV transmission lines from Scatec’s facility — one linking to Nagaa Hammadi Industrial-South Qena and the other linking Old Nagaa Hammadi via a 12 km overhead line. The projects — to be completed within eight months — will be executed under the supervision of the Upper-Egypt Electricity Zone.

#2- Bahrain expects the new 400kV Al Jasra substation to go online by summer 2026 and full project completion by December 2026, Argaam reported last week. The USD 465 mn project is 43% financed by a USD 200 mn loan from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), with the remainder to be sourced from local, regional, or budgetary contributions. The Shura Council voted on Sunday on a draft law ratifying the framework, agency, and guarantee agreements between Bahrain and the IsDB to finance the project, with the final decision left for its next session.

#3- L&T tapped for Al Shagaya station link: Indian multinational Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has been selected by Kuwait’s Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy Ministry as the lowest bidder to develop a KWD 41.5 mn (c. USD 135 mn) overhead transmission line for Al Shagaya solar power station, Trade Arabia reported last week. The 400 kV link will connect Al Shagaya facility to Al Wafra’s main electricity substation.

The latest on Al Shagaya: Kuwait and China agreed earlier this year to advance Al Shagaya and Al Abdiliya solar projects, each with a 3.5 GW capacity. The pair also agreed to leave the door open for possible capacity expansions of up to 5 GW for each project.

GREEN FINANCE-

Japan backs Scatec + Aeolus’ Tunisia solar project: The Japanese government announced it will award a grant of up to JPY 2 bn (c. TND 42 mn) to a 100 MW solar power plant in Tunisia’s Sidi Bouzid, according to a statement published last week. The project — developed by Scatec and Toyota Tsusho Group subsidiary Aeolus ’ — was part of agreements inked by Tunisia last month for 500 MW of solar energy developments.

Scatec + Aeolus have other projects nearby: Aeolus signed a partnership agreement with Scatec to jointly develop the latter’s EUR 79 mn 60 MW solar power projects in Sidi Bouzid and Tozeur last year. The project was qualified for carbon credit funding by Japan’s Ministry of Environment.

MANUFACTURING-

Muscat Gases Company and US-based IonClear inked an MoU to develop Oman’s first water treatment membrane manufacturing plant, Muscat Daily reported last week. The partnership with IonClear, which specializes in the production of Reverse Osmosis (RO) and Nanofiltration (NF) membranes, will help set up a 3k sqm facility in Al Rusayl Industrial City to produce advanced water treatment and desalination membranes. No timeline or investment ticket was disclosed for the project.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

  • Khazna heads for Turkey: The UAE’s Khazna Data Centers will set up an AI-equipped 100 MW data center in Ankara’s Başkent Organized Industrial Zone. The project will incorporate solar panels and solar water heating systems. (Press Release)
  • Egypt to get 75W solar projects: Egypt-based renewables player IRSC will co-develop 75 MW of solar projects across Egypt under a recently signed strategic framework agreement with Chinese energy companies Sungrow and Tongwei, and the Arab Consulting Office (ACO). (Statement)
  • Longi + Algerian University tackle renewables research: Chinese solar cell manufacturer Longi has inked an MoU with Algeria’s National Higher School of Renewable Energies to collaborate on solar cell manufacturing and green hydrogen technology. (APS)
  • EV infrastructure boost for Saudi: EVIQ has inked an MoU with Mercedes-Benz KSA and Juffali Automotive Company to develop a high-speed EV charging network across the Kingdom. The agreement also covers initiatives to raise public awareness of EV adoption. (Statement)
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