Good morning, friends. The news cycle remains calm as we slide into the last weekend in Ramadan. There’s some significant EV battery news making waves from Ras Al Khaimah and updates from KSA on the water treatment and decarbonization front.

THE BIG CLIMATE STORY OUTSIDE THE REGION- There's no single story dominating the headlines, but the US and EU have delayed finalizing a trade agreement on critical mineral supply chains due to be signed during a meeting in Belgium today. The meeting will now only serve to “advance negotiations” in preparation for finalization later this year. Once in effect, the accord would act as a trade agreement allowing European companies to reap some of the benefits of the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). EU critical materials — of which the US imported USD 9.26 bn worth in 2022 — would be eligible for IRA subsidies, but recycled critical minerals and final assembly provisions will likely be excluded.The US and EU have been looking to launch a new initiative to reduce their dependence on China for critical minerals. The initiative would align outreach efforts to buyers in developed countries and resource-rich nations to cooperate on projects and policies and develop standards on investment, trade, research and environmental issues. The story got ink in Reuters and Bloomberg.

SOUNDBITE OF THE WEEK- “I don’t know what it is, but I find myself literally nauseous when I fill up a petrol car,” head of sustainability at Polestar Fredrika Klarén said in a long-winding feature in Bloomberg. We’re not sure if it’s a case of hyperosmia or her strong beliefs, but Klarén provided some levity on a caffeine-less day.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Egypt’s SCZone to implement waste management initiative: The Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) is set to implement a new waste management system aimed at reducing waste dumping from ships, Al Mal reports. The system — developed in collaboration with Antipollution Egypt, the Red Sea Ports Authority, and the Egyptian Marine Supply and Contracting company — will ensure no ship crosses the canal with solid or liquid waste onboard. The Egyptian Marine Supply and Contracting company — affiliated with the Ministry of Transport — will oversee contractors hired to collect waste from the passing ships and provide a legal umbrella for its handling. SCZone also initiated a “tree for every ship” campaign, planting a tree for each vessel passing through the canal.

REMEMBER- Antipollution is a waste management joint venture launched by Greek V Group subsidiary Antipollution and two subsidiaries of the Suez Canal Authority — Canal Rope Company and the Suez Shipyard — last year. The JV provides solid and liquid waste management services to ships using the Suez Canal.

ALSO- SCZone bags SDG certificate: SCZone was awarded the SDG Model Zone Partner certification from the Global Alliance of Special Economic Zones, according to a statement. The SCZone was selected from 7k economic zones due to its efforts in green fuel production and reducing industrial and maritime emissions.

#2- Algeria to establish six new desalination plants: Algeria is studying the potential development of six new seawater desalination projects along its Northern Mediterranean coast in a bid to achieve self-sufficiency in drinking water production, according to the AlgeriaPress Service, citing comments made by the President and Director General of the Algerian Energy Company Mohamed Boutabba. The country is also looking into developing mobile seawater desalination plants with a production capacity between 2.5-2.7k cbm per day.

And we have an update on five other announced desal stations: 50-60% of five desalination plants under construction in Oran, Tipaza, Boumerdes, Bejaia and El Tarf cities have been completed, Boutabba said. The plants — which have a combined capacity of 300k cbm per day — are expected to be launched in December 2024. With the addition of these stations, the total capacity for desalinating seawater will be increased from the current 18% to 42% of the country’s water supply.

#3- Renewables could power most of Africa’s energy needs by 2040: If all current wind, solar, and hydropower plants in Africa operate at full capacity, and all proposed projects are completed, 76% of the continent’s electricity needs could be met by 2040, according to a report in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. The share would be broken down into 82% hydro, 11% solar, and 7% wind, but the latter two are expected to grow as prices for solar PV and wind turbines decrease. However, not all African countries have made the same progress in the sector — Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Libya, Cape Verde, Morocco, and Tunisia still have a ways to go in terms of renewable energy development and decreasing fossil fuel dependency, the report concluded.

#4- Chinese solar panel manufacturers are merging together to withstand falling panel prices, pushing smaller players out of the market,Reuters reports. Despite the recent consolidations in the crowded solar sector in China, its solar panel makers are still at risk of the plummeting panel prices due to a major oversaturation in production capacity fueled by years of subsidies. The excess supply has caused a significant drop in prices of Chinese solar panels last year, making them over 60% cheaper than US-made ones. Despite its panel prices also dropping, the competitive advantage held by giant Chinese manufacturers — who produce 80% of the global consumption — has helped them gain an advantage over global competitors in Europe and the US.

How much is China oversupplying? China's annual production capacity for finished solar modules reached 861 GW — more than double global installations, Wood Mackenzie analyst Huaiyan Sun told Reuters. Forecasts indicate a further increase of 500-600 GW in 2024, driven by major Chinese companies like Longi, Jinko Solar, and JA Solar. “China's estimated wafer, cell and module capacity that will come online in 2024 is sufficient to meet annual global demand now through to 2032,” China energy policy analyst at Climate Energy Finance Xuyang Dong said.

And the rest of the world isn’t happy: US treasury secretary Janet Yellen recently warned Beijing against dumping key components of the global green economy on other markets, claiming China is dumping excess production of solar panels, EVs, and lithium ion batteries on other countries. She said the practice “distorts global prices and production patterns and hurts American firms and workers, as well as firms and workers around the world.”

IN OTHER CHINA NEWS-Xiaomi’s shares surge amid signs of EV success: Shares in China’s smartphone giant Xiaomi have risen as much as 16% following strong initial orders for its debut EV, Bloomberg reports. Orders for Xiaomi's SU7 reached nearly 90k units within the first 24 hours, surpassing analysts’ expectations and driving optimism about its potential success in China's competitive car market. Goldman Sachs expects orders to reach 100k this year, while Citigroup estimates full-year sales at 55k to 70k units, Bloomberg writes. The question now is whether Xiaomi can keep up with the demand.

ICYMI- Xiaomi introduced the SU7 last weekend: Customers lined up for test drives until 3am on launch day, and the 2024 production run sold out in just 24 hours — some 120k units were ordered in the first day and a half it was on sale, one report suggests. Xiaomi plans to start deliveries in 28 cities, with mass deliveries expected by the end of April.

WORTH LISTENING-

Bloomberg discusses decarbonizing the shipping industry: A recent episode of Bloomberg NEF’s Switched On podcast discussed the shipping industry’s emissions reductions targets and the plausibility of achieving them, as well as the role of EU policies. Host Dana Perkins and guest Mohith Velamala delved into how the maritime industry accounts for over 5% of global oil demand and 2.5% of global emissions — with a 20% growth forecast by 2050 — emphasizing the need to switch over to alternative fuels such as green methanol. The EU currently has the strictest shipping regulations in place but only accounts for 14% of shipping emissions, so other governments will have to follow suit to make an impact on the industry, the pair shared.

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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.