KSA’s Ma’aden is lining up blue ammonia exports to Japan’s Mitsui & Co.

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

TODAY: Japan’s Mitsui is lining up blue ammonia imports from Ma’aden

Good morning, ladies and gents. It was a busy day in the region yesterday and we have updates from across the climate spectrum.

THE BIG CLIMATE STORY- Saudi mining company Ma’aden signed an agreement with Japanese industrial conglomerate Mitsui & Co to become the first commercial supplier of blue ammonia to Japan. We have more details on this story and more in the news well, below.

THE BIG CLIMATE STORY OUTSIDE THE REGION- The Biden administration’s approval of a controversial Alaska oil project is grabbing headlines. The US Interior Department formally greenlit a USD 8 bn oil drilling venture in Northwestern Alaska despite a prolonged eleventh-hour campaign by climate activists to block the project. Led by US oil giant ConocoPhillips, the massive Willow oil project has been moving through the administration’s approval process for months, sparking a wave of online activism and spurring activists to send in more than 1 mn letters to the White House in opposition of the project. The project would produce some 600 mn barrels of crude over its 30-year lifecycle — peaking at 180k bbl daily — and releasing some 9.2 tons of CO2 equivalent annually.

HAPPENING TODAY- The UAE will host the Arab Aviation Summit from today until Thursday in Ras al Khaimah. The event will bring together global stakeholders to address sustainability in the aviation industry among other topics.

WATCH THIS SPACE #1- UK EV car makers are applying pressure for incentives: UK electric vehicle manufacturers are calling for significant government backing to be able to compete with the US and EU markets that have recently passed unprecedented green incentives, Bloomberg reports. “We need to step up to compete in this global race,” Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Mike CEO Hawes said yesterday, referring to the impact of the US’ Inflation Reduction Act which saw UK automakers line up to move their electric vehicle plants to the US in search for the most attractive subsidies.

WATCH THIS SPACE #2- Dubai receives pilot fleet of the new BMW iX5: Five BMW iX5 Hydrogen vehicles have arrived in the Middle East to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen vehicles as a zero-emissions means of transport for select motorists, according to a statement. BMW is sourcing the fuel cells for its car from Toyota, which debuted two models of its Mirai sedan boasting hydrogen fuel cell technology similar to BMW’s iX5 last January. The company’s global fleet totals less than 100 vehicles at the moment, with BMW noting that the current pilot phase will test the reliability of alternative drive systems for daily use.

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CLIMATE DIPLOMACY- Egypt, Germany work on pushing green hydrogen plans forward: Egypt’s Oil Minister Tarek El Molla met with a delegation of German companies headed by Parliamentary State Secretary for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Stefan Wenzel to discuss potential cooperation between the two countries on hydrogen and green ammonia, according to a statement released earlier this week. Ahead of COP27 last November, Egypt and Germany signed an MoU to cooperate on the production of green hydrogen. Egypt also signed an MoU with Germany’s DAI in December to begin conducting feasibility studies on new projects to set up facilities to produce green hydrogen and its derivatives.

COME TO OUR NEXT ENTERPRISE FORUM-

We are delighted to share with you that the Enterprise Exports & FDI Forum will be taking place on 15 May at the Four Seasons Hotel at Nile Plaza in Cairo.

DO YOU WANT TO ATTEND? The first wave of invites is going out soon. If you’re a C-suite exec, exporter, investor, official, banker, or someone who should be part of the conversation, please click here to request a spot at this exclusive event.

What’s the Enterprise Exports & FDI Forum? It is the latest in our series of must-attend, invitation-only gatherings for C-suite-level business leaders. The Enterprise Exports & FDI Forum will discuss the critical topics of exports and foreign direct investment (FDI) in Egypt.

We will be taking an in-depth look into some of the most vital industry topics, including:

How to effectively break into new export markets
How to leverage domestic trends in order to create export opportunities
What foreign investors are looking for
What the government's role should be

Why now? Exports and foreign direct investment (FDI) have never been more important to Egypt’s economy — or businesses — than in the wake of the float of the EGP. We think we have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build an export-led economy that makes Egypt a magnet for FDI, and all the benefits that will come with it.

Think of the Enterprise Exports & FDI Forum as a hands-on lab for how to turn the devaluation of the EGP into something that will turbocharge your company and our economy.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Denmark will host the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial from Monday, 20 March to Tuesday, 21 March in Copenhagen. The event is the first political high-level gathering to follow-up on the COP27 summit’s conclusions and agreements. Denmark and co-hosts Egypt and the UAE will address the need to establish continuity between the last climate summit and next November’s COP28, and progress on how targets align with the Paris agreement.

Germany will host The Infrastructure Investor Global Summit from 20-24 March in Berlin. The four-day event will gather industry leaders from the global infrastructure sector to map out a course for the industry to upscale its ESG-focused operations and investments. You can register for the event here.

The Arabia CSR Awards is accepting applications until Friday, 30 June. The awardwinners will be announced during a ceremony on Wednesday, 4 October.

The first MENA Solar Conference is accepting applications from published researchers specialized in PV technology until Sunday, 30 April. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority will be hosting the conference from 15 to 18 November, in conjunction with the Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition and the Dubai Solar Show 2023. Researchers can submit their papers here.

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events, national holidays and news triggers.

KSA’s Ma’aden is lining up blue ammonia exports to Japan’s Mitsui & Co.

Japan’s Mitsui taps Ma’aden for blue ammonia imports: Saudi mining company Ma’aden inked an MoU with Japanese industrial conglomerate Mitsui & Co to become the first commercial supplier of blue ammonia to Japan, Ma’aden tweeted. The project’s timeline, targeted production volume, and investment cost were not made public.

Ma’aden has a pipeline of blue ammonia exports to Asia: The Saudi mining company signed an agreement with Taiwan Fertiliser Company last week to export an unknown volume of blue ammonia in what will mark the first commercial shipment to Taiwan, according to a tweet. No information on the timeline for delivery or investment cost were disclosed. Ma’aden shipped 25k tons of blue ammonia to South Korea last December after signing an agreement to export the low-carbon fertilizer with Lotte Fine Chemical (LFC).

And this is Mitsui’s second blue ammonia partnership in the region: Mitsui signed a shareholder agreement with Ta’ziz — a joint venture between Adnoc and ADQ — GS Energy, and Fertiglobe to construct a facility to produce some 1 mn tons of blue ammonia per year.

Two other Saudi companies are in the race for blue ammonia exports: Saudi Aramco and Sabic Agri-Nutrients shipped 25k tons of blue ammonia to LFC last November, marking the first commercial import of blue ammonia to the country.

About Mitsui: Mitsui & Co is one of the largest general trading companies in Japan and is part of the Mitsui Group. The conglomerate operates in numerous sectors including energy, metals, chemicals, heavy machinery, and information technology, according to their website.

Iraq has its sights set on a 1 GW solar energy farm

A 1 GW solar plant in Iraq is set “to be contracted” soon, Oil Minister Hayan Abdel Ghani said, according to the Iraqi News Agency. The price tag and timeframe have not been disclosed.

Could it be the French-backed project? The country’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani signed an agreement with French president Emmanuel Macron during a bilateral meeting in January for the development of a solar energy facility that would generate 1 GW of electricity once operational. The targeted completion date of the project has not been disclosed yet, but we do know it would be jointly owned by the Iraqi government and France’s TotalEnergies. Qatari oil company Qatar Energy is reportedly looking to acquire a 20 -25% share in the project.

Iraq has an ambitious solar strategy: Iraq wants to produce 5 GW of solar power in 2023, and the country has inked agreements over the past two years with several companies worth a total generation capacity of 7.5 GW.

ALSO- Iraq plans to plant some 5 mn trees to combat climate-driven desertification in the water-scarce country, Bloomberg reports. Need a refresher on Iraq’s water woes? We’ve got you covered here and here.

Project update: Acwa Power’s 1 GW solar plant in Bangladesh slated to be operational in 2024

Acwa Power’s solar plant plans in Bangladesh moves forward: Saudi renewables giant Acwa Power and the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) are ramping up plans to develop and launch a planned 1 GW solar plant with a proposed timeline of bringing the project online next year, Arab News reports, quoting Bangladesh’s Energy and Power Minister Nasrul Hamid.

New details: The project — which Acwa Power inked an agreement for in late November — is expected to cost some USD 1 bn, Hamid told the news outlet, adding that officials are currently completing feasibility studies on the project.

What we already knew: Acwa Power will bring the technical know-how and line up funding for the project, while BPDB will provide administrative support alongside the state-owned Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority.

More in the pipeline: Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh have also established a joint business council to support and accelerate cooperation in power generation — including the development of a solar power plant — and other sectors like agriculture and logistics, the news outlet reports.

Acwa Power is aggressively expanding its portfolio in Asia: The company has been investing heavily in a southeast Asian expansion with projects in Indonesia and Thailand, and signed power purchase and investment agreements with the National Electric Grid of Uzbekistan for a 1.5 GW, USD 2.4 bn wind energy farm. The company is also developing a 240 MW wind farm in Azerbaijan with a reported investment of USD 300 mn. Earlier this month, Acwa signed an agreement with Kazakhstan’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (Samruk-Kazyna) and the Kazakh Energy Ministry to build and manage a 1 GW wind farm and a battery energy storage facility in the country. Acwa also signed a USD 2.5 bn power purchase and investment agreement with Uzbekistan's Energy Ministry to develop two solar stations and three storage facilities this month.

Britain’s largest homebuilder wants to change the game for climate-resilient homes

The blueprint for climate-resilient homes: Britain's largest homebuilder Barratt Developments is teaming up with French construction materials group Saint-Gobain and the University of Salford to build a climate resilient concept home that could serve as a blueprint for the future of architecture, they announced in a statement last week. If successful, the plan could change the way homes are built globally including hot regions like MENA and the GCC, the statement notes.

Introducing the Energy House 2.0: The world-first concept is a specially-designed and built climate chamber that will simulate temperatures ranging from -20°C to +40°C. The chamber — the biggest of its kind globally — is also set to simulate wind, rain, snow and solar radiation. The global developer and manufacturer built a three-bedroom family house — known as eHome2 — within Energy House 2.0 to test the climate resilient building design. The home will also examine a set zero carbon performance in varying temperatures and weather conditions to recreate extreme climate conditions.

The details: eHome2 will be home to an advanced timber frame solution, pre-insulated walls, and lightweight render-based bricks. The home can also be fully built in 3 to 3.5 months — half of the time needed to construct a basic standard home.

Why is this important? A 2022 report by Greenpeace found that MENA is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average — with temperatures increasing at a rate of 0.4°C per decade since the 1980s. Buildings in the MENA region consume up to 80% of the electricity generated due to reliance on power air conditioning during usually hot seasons, according to Cityscape Intelligence. That’s why several countries in the region have embarked on sustainable designs, reviving traditional architecture and district cooling systems.

The region’s getting a helping hand: Germany’s International Climate Initiative rolled out a EUR 5.7 mn BUILD ME initiative which aims to introduce an energy classification system for buildings to streamline finance access for buildings that meet sustainability criteria. The first phase of the project has already been finalized, with a second phase running until spring 2025. The countries included in the project include Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon and Algeria.

Yet another — costly — mechanism for carbon capture?

Scientists have discovered a mechanism to absorb carbon dioxide from the air to later turn it into sodium bicarbonate and store it in oceans, CNN reported last week, citing a paper published in Science Advances. The team used copper to modify the absorbent material used in direct air capture and the mechanism is three times more efficient than existing absorbents. The process of air capture still remains expensive and inefficient, however, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Sheffield Peter Styring told CNN. Styring also expressed concern over the effects of dumping the sodium bicarbonate in the oceans, questioning the necessity of the new mechanism when much higher concentrations of carbon can be captured from power and industrial stations.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

“Phosphogeddon” is upon us: The way we use phosphorus could result in critical fertilizer shortages endangering the world's food supply and phosphate-rich agricultural runoff is causing algal blooms that kill fish, scientists warn. (The Guardian)
The US needs to ramp up mining efforts to avoid energy transition mineral shortages after insufficient supply has led to massive price increases. The country currently has only one operational rare earths mine. (The Financial Times)
Japanese plastics manufacturer Biomass Resin is producing low-carbon plastics primarily made out of rice in Fukushima. Rice forms 50-70% of the composition of Resin’s product line. (Reuters)
US startup SolarCycle is recycling old solar panels in an effort to reduce waste in landfills. 90% of panels in the US end up in landfills, but they contain valuable metals which can be reused by manufacturers. (YaleEnvironment360)

Aluminium Bahrain secures green financing for 6 MW solar power project

Aluminium Bahrain secures green financing for solar: Bahrain-based aluminum smelter Aluminium Bahrain secured a BD 1.6 mn (USD 4.2 mn) green loan from the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait to finance its planned 6 MW solar project, Zawya reports. The project — which will span nearly 37k square meters — will see Aluminium Bahrain install some 11.3k solar panels atop its car parks, buildings, and treatment plants.

KSA launches incubator for emerging mining explorers: Saudi Arabia’s Industry and Mineral Resources Ministry has launched the Nuthree incubator to support students, researchers, and SMEs working in the mining sector, according to a statement. The initiative aims to facilitate knowledge exchange between established companies and startups, provides resources for geological data, and workshops in the fields of earth sciences. Nuthree will also support companies and individuals in obtaining a mining exploration license.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

Egypt’s Shift EV is set to convert Electrolux Group’s vehicles into a more sustainable fleet of electric vehicles as a part of the group’s strategy to lower emissions. Trials to convert larger trucks with a capacity of 2 tons are set to begin by the end of 4Q 2023. (Statement)
Oman’s Transport Ministry launched the first combined diesel-hydrogen combustion truck in the sultanate in collaboration with Blue Eyes, a local R&D company. The new design is expected to reduce emissions of CO2 by 40% by August 2023. (Times of Oman)
Egypt’s Hassan Allam Utilities is forming a JV with Kuwaiti supply chain company Agility to build green logistics parks in Egypt. (Statement)
Peugeot will supply DHL Middle East with a fleet of light commercial electric vehicles. Both companies will roll out the net-zero cars in the UAE, before expanding into other MENA countries including Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. (Statement)

A special enzyme that can turn hydrogen in the air into energy

A breakthrough in energy generation? Scientists from Melbourne’s Monash University were able to explain how a microscopic enzyme called Huc can act like a “natural battery” using traces of hydrogen from the air to produce a small electrical current, in a study published in Nature last week.

What makes Huc so special? The enzyme’s unique properties — created by bacteria to adapt and survive harsh environments including volcanic craters and Antarctica — is what gives the enzyme this super power, Bloomberg explains. Unlike all other known enzymes and catalysts, Huc is a “hydrogen gas scavenger” that is able to use the negligible 0.00005%concentrations of hydrogen available in the atmosphere, the study concludes.

But there’s still a lot we don’t know: The researchers said that the enzyme could potentially power small devices if we figure out how it can be applied as a technology. Further experiments on supplying extra hydrogen to fuel the enzyme are needed to understand whether Huc is capable of generating significantly more electricity, the business information service writes quoting the Monash scientists.

CALENDAR

MARCH 2023

15-19 March (Wednesday-Sunday): Qatar International Agricultural and Environmental Exhibition, Doha, Qatar.

20-21 March (Monday-Tuesday): Copenhagen Climate Ministerial.

20-23 March (Monday-Thursday): The Infrastructure Investor Global Summit, Hilton Berlin, Germany.

22-24 March (Wednesday-Friday): K.ey - The Energy Transition Expo, Rimini Expo Centre, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

22-24 March (Wednesday-Friday): UN 2023 Water Conference, New York, NY, United States.

27-29 March (Monday-Wednesday): First Meeting of the Transitional Committee in Egypt focusing on Adaptation and Loss and Damage.

APRIL 2023

6 April (Thursday): Arabia CSR Awards 2022 Clinic (online).

MAY 2023

1-4 May (Monday-Thursday): Arabian Travel Market, Dubai, UAE.

2-7 May (Tuesday-Sunday): Salon International de l’Agriculture au Maroc (SIAM), Meknes, Morocco.

16-18 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Seatrade Maritime Logistics Middle East, Dubai, UAE.

29-31 May (Monday-Wednesday): Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

30 May-1 June (Tuesday-Thursday): Global Sustainable Development Congress, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), KSA.

JUNE 2023

1-3 June (Thursday-Saturday): Envirotec and Energie Expo, Tunis, Tunisia.

13-14 June (Tuesday- Wednesday) The Arab Green Summit, Dubai, UAE.

13-14 June (Tuesday- Wednesday) Bloomberg New Economy Gateway Africa Conference, Marrakesh, Morocco.

SEPTEMBER 2023

Chariot Limited and Total Eren’s feasibility study on a 10 GW green hydrogen plant in Mauritania to be completed.

OCTOBER 2023

2-4 October (Monday-Wednesday): WETEX and Dubai Solar Show, Dubai, UAE.

4 October (Wednesday): Arabia CSR Gala Awarding Ceremony, UAE.

31 October – 2 November (Tuesday-Thursday): World Hydropower Conference, Bali, Indonesia.

NOVEMBER 2023

30 November - 12 December: Conference of the Parties (COP 28), Dubai, UAE.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

End-2022

KSA’s Neom wants to tender three concrete water reservoir projects to up its water storage capacity by 6 mn liters.

2023

Early 2023: Egypt’s KarmSolar to launch KarmCharge, the company’s EV charging venture.

1Q2023: Oman will award two blocks of land for green hydrogen projects in Duqm, Oman.

Mid-2023: Sale of Sembcorp Energy India Limited to consortium of Omani investors to close.

Phase C of the 900-MW of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai to be completed.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) steam cracker furnace powered by renewable energy to come online.

4Q2023: Oman to award four blocks of land for green hydrogen projects in Thumrait, Oman.

2024

End-2024: Emirati Masdar’s 500 MW wind farm in Uzbekistan to begin commercial operations.

QatarEnergy’s industrial cities solar power project will start electricity production.

First 1.5 GW phase of Morocco’s Xlinks solar and wind energy project to be operational.

2025

Second 1.5 GW phase of Morocco’s Xlinks solar and wind energy project to be operational.

UAE to have over 1k EV charging stations installed.

2026

1Q 2026: QatarEnergy’s USD 1 bn blue ammonia plant to be completed.

End-2026: HSBC Bahrain to eliminate single-use PVC plastic cards.

Iraq’s Mass Group Holding wants to invest EUR 1 bn on its thermal plant Mintia in Romania to have 62% of run on renewable energy, while expanding its energy capacity to at least 1.29k MWh.

2027

MENA’s district cooling market is expected to reach USD 15 bn.

2030

UAE’s Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) wants to provide AED 35 bn in green financing.

UAE targets 14 GW in clean energy capacity.

Tunisia targets 30% of renewables in its energy mix.

Qatar wants to generate USD 17 bn from its circular economy, creating 9k-19k jobs.

Morocco’s Xlinks solar and wind energy project to generate 10.5 GW of energy.

2035

Qatar to capture up to 11 mn tons of CO2 annually.

2045

Qatar’s Public Works Authority’s (Ashghal) USD 1.5 bn sewage treatment facility to reach 600k cm/d capacity.

2060

Nigeria aims to achieve its net-zero emissions target.

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KSA’s Ma’aden is lining up blue ammonia exports to Japan’s Mitsui & Co.

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TODAY: Japan’s Mitsui is lining up blue ammonia imports from Ma’aden

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KSA’s Ma’aden is lining up blue ammonia exports to Japan’s Mitsui & Co.

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Iraq has its sights set on a 1 GW solar energy farm

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Project update: Acwa Power’s 1 GW solar plant in Bangladesh slated to be operational in 2024

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Britain’s largest homebuilder wants to change the game for climate-resilient homes

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Yet another — costly — mechanism for carbon capture?

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Aluminium Bahrain secures green financing for 6 MW solar power project

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A special enzyme that can turn hydrogen in the air into energy

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