UAE launches Masdar’s hurricane-resistant solar plant in the Caribbean

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

TODAY: Masdar heads to the Caribbean + Morocco rolls out green hydrogen investment framework

Good morning, nice people. It’s a fairly busy morning on the second day of Ramadan, with news on Masdar’s expansions to the Caribbean and some green hydrogen incentivizing emerging from the kingdom of Morocco. But first…

ICYMI- The morning edition of Enterprise Egypt ran a deep dive into a recently released study by The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development examining how Egypt could accelerate its climate action. You can read it here.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- UAE’s Ewec opens registration for 1Q 2024 CEC auction: Emirates Water and Electricity Company (Ewec) has commenced the registration period for its 1Q 2024 clean energy certificates (CEC) auction yesterday, according to a statement. The auction will take place on Thursday 14 March.

REFRESHER- CECs prove renewable energy production: Renewable energy certificates (RECs) certify ownership or creation of renewable energy on a per MWh-by-MWh basis. When one MWh of renewable energy is delivered to the grid, an REC is issued. Unlike carbon credits that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, RECs offset non-renewable electricity use. In Abu Dhabi, RECs serve as the sole mechanism ensuring the utilization of clean energy.

Ewec is coming off of a good year: The company garnered a record number of auction participants in 2023. Ewec also made its biggest single sale of CECs to the UAE’s digital infrastructure developer Two Zero last May, selling 7k GWh of clean energy. The company sold over 9k GWh worth of certificates to Abu Dhabi-based entities across different sectors in January 2023, six months after the company’s fourth auction was held in June 2022.

#2- FABMisr to chip in Egypt’s green hydrogen projects: Egypt-based lender FABMisr is looking to pour funds into the country’s recently-revealed green hydrogen and ammonia projects, CEO and Managing Director Mohamed Fayed told Alarabiya. Fayed expects Egypt to make strides in the renewable energy field, as they represent great investment opportunities.

ICYMI- Egypt inked seven MoUs with international and local companies last monthto develop green hydrogen and renewable energy projects worth USD 41 bn in the Suez Canal Economic Zone over the next ten years, according to a statement from the cabinet.

ON A RELATED NOTE- The hydrogen industry is key to Egypt’s economic growth: Boosting the local hydrogen sector could allowEgypt to ensure energy security and mitigate electricity price fluctuations amidst geopolitical conflicts, effectively strengthening its economy, according to research by the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies (ECSS). Hydrogen production can improve economic growth by generating employment opportunities, boosting exports, attracting foreign investment, and enhancing local technological innovation.

Egypt is poised to be a regional and global green hydrogen hub: Egypt ranks first in the region in terms of the number of green hydrogen projects in the pipeline, representing a total of 30 projects out of 80 total projects the region is planning, according to the research. The Suez Canal Economic Zone project ranks sixth on the list of the largest green hydrogen projects in the world. Egypt recently inked seven agreements worth USD 41 bn for green hydrogen and renewables projects.

Future plans: Egypt aims to obtain about 1.1 mn tons of green ammonia by 2030, and account for 8% of the global hydrogen market share by 2040. It also plans to be responsible for exporting about 50% of the EU's for green hydrogen, the ECSS states. Global demand is expected for green hydrogen to increase seven times by 2050.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The UAE will host the World Future Energy Summit from Tuesday, 16 April to Thursday, 18 April in Abu Dhabi. The summit will address solutions for development in the transformation of future energy systems. The summit will also feature discussions on recycling, waste-to-energy, and air-to-water trends and progressions.

The UAE will host the Connecting Green Hydrogen MENA event from Tuesday, 23 April to Thursday, 25 April in Dubai. The event will explore green hydrogen partnerships, policies, and practices in the region, in parallel to a showcasing of the latest in the clean fuel’s technology.

Oman will host the Oman Sustainability Week from Sunday, 28 April to Thursday, 2 May in Muscat. The event will focus on exploring investment opportunities and implementing best practices in sustainability within the energy, water, and environmental sectors.

The UAE will host The Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit from Monday, 20 May to Wednesday, 22 May in Abu Dhabi. The event will see industry leaders come together to discuss sustainable mobility and tapping into groundbreaking advancements in electric vehicles while engaging with key decision-makers.

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

UAE launches Masdar’s hurricane-resistant solar plant in the Caribbean

Operations have commenced at the Masdar-developed hurricane-resistant hybrid solar-diesel energy plant in the Carribean’s Antigua and Barbuda, according to a press release. The UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund (UAE-CREF) inaugurated the project, which was first announced in 2017 after Hurricane Irma caused major damage to Barbuda Island.The plant aims to restore energy security to the Island, with the capacity to endure up to 265 km/h winds and other extreme weather conditions.

The details: A hybrid solar energy, battery storage and backup diesel project, the climate-resistant solar plant is expected to generate 730 kWp of solar energy, connected to an 863 kWh battery to store electricity surplus. The plant is expected to slash the Caribbean country’s diesel consumption by 406k liters and offset over 1 mn kg of CO2 emissions.

Who pitched in the funding? The project was primarily funded by UAE-CREF with USD 3.5 mn during the first funding round, in addition to USD 1 mn from the Antigua and Barbuda government, and a USD 500k donation from New Zealand, ReliefWeb reported

About the fund: Launched in 2017 at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the fund (pdf) was set up through a USD 50 mn grant from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) to support renewable energy efforts across the Caribbean Island. The fund is a partnership between ADFD, Masdar, and the UAE’s Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Ministry.

Not the first time: The plant is the fund’s fourth project, having successfully launched three solar power projects in the Bahamas, Barbados, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in 2019. The UAE-CREF fund plans to develop more renewable energy facilities across the 16 Caribbean nations over three phases, in addition to cutting energy costs and bolstering the islands’ climate resilience.

Morocco rolls out green hydrogen investment framework

Morocco’s cabinet has greenlit the “Morocco Offer” initiative — a six-stage framework geared towards attracting green hydrogen investments in the kingdom, Map reports. The framework covers a range of projects in the green energy sector including renewables, green hydrogen and ammonia, and green fuels such as green methanol and synthetic fuels.

What the initiative covers: The six stages of the framework outline the necessary procedures for the application process, land allocation procedures, infrastructure details and requirements in the green hydrogen sector, the incentives available for investors, the selection process and contractual obligations, and governance details for the green hydrogen sector.

What’s on offer? The framework is suitable for investors seeking to produce green hydrogen for either export or for the local market. The framework was already met with strong demand from some 100 national and international investors, according to the statement.

There’s lots of land available: The government earmarked 1 mn hectares of land for the development of green hydrogen projects, in efforts to reel in investors as Morocco seeks to “play a major role in the field of energy transition globally,” the statement reads. The first stage of the framework will see the government allocate 300k hectares to investors, ranging from 10-30k hectares per project.

Global emissions are still on the rise but at a slower speed, report finds

Energy-related CO2 emissions surged by 1.1% in 2023, increasing by 410 mn tons (Mt) to a record high of 37.4 bn tons, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) (pdf). The hike is lower than the 1.3% rise in 2022. The report attributes the drop to the rapid deployment of renewables (which together with the expansion of heat pumps and electric cars cut emissions growth threefold) coal-to-gas switching in the US, and milder weather conditions that lowered heating and cooling demand. Advanced economies however were able to reduce their emissions by 4.5% in 2023, reaching their lowest level in 50 years.

The EU contributed most to the drop: The European Union saw an emissions drop of 9%. Wind power in the EU surpassed both natural gas and coal in electricity generation in 2023, coal-based electricity production experienced a 27% decline, while natural gas-based electricity generation decreased by 15%.

Followed by the US: US emissions fell by 4.1% in 2023 due to coal-to-gas switching and the ongoing retirement of coal-fired power plants. Electricity generated from coal also declined by nearly 20%, while natural gas-based generation increased by 6%. Mild winter in the US also contributed to emissions reduction as lower temperatures compared to 2022 led to decreased electricity and fossil fuel demand. This reduction accounted for 35% of the total emissions decrease from the energy sector in the US.

The decline of coal: The share of coal in electricity generation — which accounted for more than 65% of the emissions increase in 2023 — plummeted to a historic low of 17%. Coal demand also dropped by nearly 50% since its peak in 2007. The share of natural gas in electricity generation also rose from 22% to 31% during the same period for advanced economies, while renewables’ share more than doubled from 16% to 34% of electricity generation.

But, it still contributed the most to emissions: Coal has contributed the most to the increase of global CO2 emissions in the post-pandemic era,accounting for around 70% of the increase in global emissions from energy combustion, according to the report.One of the main forces behind the rise in emissions in China last year were the increased supply of coal-fired power which rose by 6% in 2023

Shifting landscapes driven by China + India’s economic growth: The report also highlights the changing landscape of global emissions, with China and India accounting for most of the increase. China’s emissions, which account for 35% of global CO2 emissions, grew by 565 Mt in 2023, driven by its energy-intensive economic growth, a severe shortfall in hydropower production, and a rebound in road and aviation transport. China's per capita emissions were 15% higher than those of advanced economies in 2023. India’s emissions surpassed the EU to become the third-largest source of global emissions in 2023, although its per capita emissions remain low. The spike in India's emissions is mainly due to strong GDP growth and a weak monsoon season that increased electricity demand and reduced hydropower output.

Without the global decline in hydropower, emissions from the global electricity sector would have fallen, according to the study. The global generation of hydropower saw a record decline in 2023 on the back of severe and prolonged droughts around the world — exacerbated by the influence of El Niño phenomena — that impacted major hydropower regions. If the availability of the hydropower plant fleet last year were equivalent to 2022 levels, an additional 200 TWh of electricity would have been generated globally, and electricity sector emissions would have fallen globally in 2023, instead of rising moderately, the report concluded.

ALSO-Nuclear power additions fell last year: As of early 2024, there are 58 nuclear reactors under construction worldwide with a total capacity of more than 60 GW, according to a new report (pdf) by the IEA — a first in a monthly series that aims to provide an in-depth overview of clean energy technology deployment for 2023. Belarus, China, Korea, Slovak Republic, and the United States each began operating one nuclear reactor last year, adding a total capacity of 5.5 GW, 30% less than in 2022. Globally, 28 reactors with a combined capacity of 30.5 GW started operating in the past five years, cutting over 160 Mt of CO2 emissions annually.

BYD rolls out three new electric and hybrid models to the UAE

Al-Futtaim rolls out three new BYD EVs: Al-Futtaim Electric Mobility Company has introduced three new BYD electric vehicle models in the UAE, according to a press release. Customers will receive an eight-year 150k km battery warranty and a 6 year (or 150k km) vehicle warranty on each of the luxury sedans and SUVs, according to the company’s website.

BYD Seal: This dual motor electric sedan starts at a price tag of AED 194.9 k and generates 523 horsepower, with 520 km range. The BYD Seal can go from 0-100 km in 3.8 seconds and is equipped with curtain airbags, a heads-up display, and shock absorbers. The sedan is the world’s first car equipped with cell-to-body (CBT) technology which integrates battery cells into the body of the car instead of being contained in a battery pack, according to EV Life. CBT allows more efficient weight distribution and protects battery cells.

BYD Song Plus: The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) SUV BYD Song Plus is available for AED 119.9k, has all-wheel or front-wheel drive systems, and can hold a 1k km range. The electric motor generates 197 horsepower using a lithium iron phosphate battery.

BYD QIN Plus: The company’s third newly released model is the BYD QIN Plus, a plug-in hybrid sedan with an AED 91k price tag. The electric motor generates 197 horsepower and its battery capacity reaches 18.3 kW/h. Its design features a hexagonal profile for enhanced air intake, auto LED headlights, keyless entry and start, and cruise control.

UAE and Greece expand green investments + implement more green transition projects

UAE + Greece explore further green investment: The UAE’s Industry and Advanced Technology Minister President Sultan Al Jaber and Greece’s Prime Minister George Gerapetritis discussed ways to expand co-investments in green projects under the previously signed UAE-Greece Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Wam reports.

More investments: During the high-level delegation’s visit, Abu Dhabi's strategic investment arm Mubadala Investment Company signed an agreement with Greece’s Hellenic Development Bank of Investments to broaden an existing EUR 400 mn partnership through another EUR 200 mn investment, the news outlet writes. The EUR 400 mn strategic agreement was first signed in 2018 to boost investment in Greece’s high-growth sectors.

More green infrastructure: Masdar and the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy, signed an agreement to implement more projects under the GR-Eco Islands initiative which aims to accelerate the green transition of the Greek isles. Masdar will develop energy efficient infrastructure projects and boost the deployment of renewable energy in the transportation, agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure sectors, as well as implement water and waste management initiatives.

Already in the works: Masdar signed an agreement last December to collaborate on a green infrastructure in Poros Island including renewable energy projects, decarbonising the island's vehicle fleet and maritime transportation, and waste management projects.

More waste management plants in Egypt and Turkey’s solar company Fides heads to Macedonia

WASTE MANAGEMENT-

AOI to set up USD 42.4 mn waste recycling plant in Egypt: The Arab Organization for Industrialization has been awarded a EUR 38. 8 mn (USD 42.4 mn) contract to build four solid waste recycling and treatment plants for the Kitchener Drain in the Egyptian Nile Delta, according to a statement. The development of the four plants will be financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

About the plants: Three of the plants will be built in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate and will have a processing capacity of 1.8k tons of waste daily. The fourth treatment facility will be in Daqahliyah governorate and will have a capacity of 600 tons per day. The plants are expected to be completed by December 2025, with construction set to commence this month.

WATER TREATMENT-

KSA’s SWPC develops a new sewage treatment plant: The Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) signed 25-year concession agreements with unnamed private sector companies to develop Al Haer independent sewage treatment plant in Riyadh, according to a statement. The statement did not disclose details of the value of agreements or name the private sector firms. The plant’s capacity will be 200k cubic meters per day, with commercial operations slated to start in 4Q 2026, according to the statement.

Ironing out the details: The partnership builds on previous public-private partnerships (PPP) agreements with the private sector in wastewater treatment. The award was made under the BOOT (build, own, operate, and transfer) model.

SOLAR-

Turkey’s Fides to establish 8 MW solar plants in North Macedonia: Turkish energy company Fides Elektrik Enerjisi is set to construct two solar PV plants with a total capacity of 8 MW in North Macedonia’s Directorate for Technological Industrial Development Zones (TIDZ), See News reports. The projects will be developed under a 25-year public-private partnership (PPP) contract, with Fides allocating 10% of revenues to the government. TIDZ plans to launch a call in March for solar power plant development in other zones, aiming to draw EUR 40 mn in investments to build up a capacity of 50 MW across five zones.

The American uranium industry is waking up to renewed interest in nuclear energy

Uranium miners are back in business: A shift towards nuclear power and the desire to move away from Russian imports has spurred a revival of the US uranium industry after a four decade lull, The Financial Times reports. Global uranium producers are responding to high prices and increased interest in nuclear energy, with about 60 plants currently under construction and 110 more in the pipeline, according to the World Nuclear Association.

Demand is only gonna grow: The World Nuclear Association expects demand to reach 83.84k tonnes by 2030 compared to 65.65k in 2023, and to double to 130k tons by 2040. Uranium producers worldwide, including in the US, Australia, and Canada, are ramping up production as prices soar to 16-year record high of over USD 100 a pound in January. Current prices are still above average at $92 a pound, the FT writes.

REMEMBER- Global attitudes towards nuclear energy are shifting: President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Nadia Calviño recently decided to shift the bank’s stance on nuclear power, positioning it in favor of the controversial green energy source. However, the EU is still divided, with France leading the charge for nuclear power as a clean energy source while Germany and Austria are pushing for a focus on renewable energy instead.

Taiwanese firm develops chemically recyclable wind turbine blades

Taiwan-based Swancor Holding is looking to develop chemically recyclable blades and is aiming for the production of zero-waste turbines by 2040, Bloomberg reports. Wind power has been criticized as “ trash energy,” CEO Robert Tsai told the news outlet, because of the unrecyclable blades mainly due to hardened resin which makes it difficult to extract and reuse the carbon fibers.

The solution: Swancor is developing a new dissolvable resin that possesses the same physical properties as traditional resins currently used in manufacturing. The resin can be dissolved in a degradation liquid produced by the company, called CleaVER, allowing the blades to be more easily repurposed.

Why does this matter? With the number of wind turbines installed worldwide growing as the world accelerates the transition to renewable energy and shifts to wind power, waste from retired blades is expected to grow 20x to reach 782k tons by 2044, according to Bloomberg. Brussels-based wind energy advocacy group WindEurope previously estimated that about 25k tonnes of blades a year will reach the end of their life cycle by 2025, with projections of that number rising to 52k tonnes a year by 2030.

More firms are taking a crack at it: Denmark-based wind turbine manufacturer Vestas revealed last year that it developed a chemical dissolvent capable of breaking down wind turbine blades in a bid to crack down on landfill waste levels. Michigan State University scientists also developed a new resin coating for blades that can be dissolved and used to help make a range of products including car tail lights, windows, laptop covers, diapers, and countertops, or even wind turbine blades.

CALENDAR

MARCH 2024

19-29 March (Monday-Friday): International Seabed Authority Assembly and Council, Kingston, Jamaica.

APRIL 2024

16-18 April (Tuesday-Thursday): World Future Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

16-18 April (Tuesday-Thursday): Middle East Energy, Dubai, UAE.

22-24 April (Monday-Wednesday): Oman Petroleum and Energy Show, Mustac, Oman.

23-25 April (Tuesday-Thursday): Connecting Green Hydrogen MENA, Dubai, UAE.

24-26 April (Wednesday-Friday): Global Education & Training Exhibition (GETEX), Dubai, UAE.

28-29 April (Sunday-Monday) Global Cooperation, Growth and Energy for Development,Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

28 April-2 May (Sunday-Thursday) Oman Sustainability Week, Oman International Exhibition Center, Muscat.

30 April-2 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Autonomous E-Mobility Forum, Doha, Qatar.

MAY 2024

7-9 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Global Waste Forum, Algiers, Algeria.

14-16 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Airport Show, Dubai, UAE.

18-25 May (Saturday-Saturday) The World Water Forum, Bali, Indonesia.

19-21 May (Sunday-Tuesday): Saudi Energy Convention, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

20-22 May (Monday-Wednesday): Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

28-30 May (Tuesday-Thursday): Make it in the Emirates Forum, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

JUNE 2024

5 June (Wednesday): World Environment Day, Saudi Arabia.

OCTOBER 2024

15-17 October (Tuesday-Thursday): EV Auto Show, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

NOVEMBER 2024

4-8 November (Monday-Friday): World Urban Forum, Cairo, Egypt.

11-14 November (Monday-Thursday) Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC), Abu Dhabi, UAE.

DECEMBER 2024

2-13 December (Monday-Friday): Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

EVENTS WITH NO SET DATE

2024

Early 2024: The 2023 US Algeria Energy Forum, Washington DC, USA.

12-14 February (Monday-Wednesday): Sustainable Aviation Futures MENA Congress, Dubai, UAE.

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.

2025

International Union for Conservation of Nature World Conservation Congress, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

UAE to have over 1k EV charging stations installed.

2026

26-29 October (Monday-Thursday): World Energy Congress, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

UITP Global Public Transport Summit, Dubai, UAE.

Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Bangkok, Thailand.

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

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

2027

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

World Water Forum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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.

2050

Tunisia’s carbon neutrality target.

2060

Nigeria aims to achieve its net-zero emissions target.

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UAE launches Masdar’s hurricane-resistant solar plant in the Caribbean

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TODAY: Masdar heads to the Caribbean + Morocco rolls out green hydrogen investment framework

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UAE launches Masdar’s hurricane-resistant solar plant in the Caribbean

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Morocco rolls out green hydrogen investment framework

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Global emissions are still on the rise but at a slower speed, report finds

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BYD rolls out three new electric and hybrid models to the UAE

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UAE and Greece expand green investments + implement more green transition projects

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More waste management plants in Egypt and Turkey’s solar company Fides heads to Macedonia

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The American uranium industry is waking up to renewed interest in nuclear energy

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Taiwanese firm develops chemically recyclable wind turbine blades

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