{"id":79158,"date":"2023-08-28T01:00:48","date_gmt":"2023-08-28T01:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/climate\/2023\/08\/28\/today-jordan-increases-investment-in-its-local-solar-industry-supply-chain-iran-is-nearing-completion-on-the-largest-lead-and-zinc-processing-factory-in-the-region\/"},"modified":"2023-08-28T01:00:48","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T01:00:48","slug":"today-jordan-increases-investment-in-its-local-solar-industry-supply-chain-iran-is-nearing-completion-on-the-largest-lead-and-zinc-processing-factory-in-the-region","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enterpriseam.com\/climate\/2023\/08\/28\/today-jordan-increases-investment-in-its-local-solar-industry-supply-chain-iran-is-nearing-completion-on-the-largest-lead-and-zinc-processing-factory-in-the-region\/","title":{"rendered":"TODAY: Jordan increases investment in its local solar industry supply chain + Iran is nearing completion on \u200b\u200bthe largest lead and zinc processing factory in the region"},"content":{"rendered":"

Good morning, friends. <\/strong>We have a hefty issue with climate updates from around the region, cutting across all parts of the industry, but first \u2026<\/p>\n

Behold, we now have an International Day of Clean Energy: <\/strong>The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has adopted a resolution declaring 26 January as International Day of Clean Energy to coincide with the founding date of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), according to a statement<\/a> released on Thursday. \u201cBy selecting the 26th January, the 193 Member States of the UNGA acknowledge Irena\u2019s leading role in accelerating the global, renewables-based energy transition,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n

OUR TOP STORIES TODAY- <\/strong>Jordan will invest JOD 100 mn (c. USD 140.9 mn) to build a solar cell production plant in Amman and the first phase of Iran\u2019s state-owned USD 1 bn Mehdiabad lead, zinc and barite mine complex is nearing completion.<\/p>\n

^^ We have all the details on these stories and much more in the news well, below.<\/strong><\/p>\n

THE BIG CLIMATE STORY OUTSIDE THE REGION- No single climate story is <\/strong>dominating international headlines this morning<\/strong>, but Japan Fukushima\u2019s radioactive water disposal<\/a> continued to catch ink over the weekend. Seawater tests from 11 points near Fukushima nuclear power plant have not detected on Sunday any radioactivity a few days after authorities began disposing treated water from the tsunami-hit Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean. The samples showed concentrations of tritium below the lower limit of detection, the country\u2019s Environment Ministry said, stressing that it \u201cwould have no adverse impact on human health and the environment\u201d. Last week\u2019s disposal has been condemned by several nations, including China which described the move as \u201cextremely selfish\u201d and placed import controls on Japanese seafood.<\/p>\n

The story grabbed headlines during the weekend:<\/strong> Reuters<\/a> | Bloomberg<\/a> | The Financial Times<\/a> | The Guardian<\/a> | BBC<\/a> | The New York Times<\/a> | The Washington Post<\/a><\/p>\n

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OVER AT COPLAND-<\/strong> Meet the EU\u2019s temporary new climate heavyweight: <\/strong>The European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic was named the EU\u2019s temporary climate chief after long-time climate head Frans Timmermans quit the post<\/a> to run as a candidate in the Dutch national elections, according to a statement<\/a> released last week. The Slovakian EU official will be temporarily appointed as climate lead until the appointment of a new member of the commission of Dutch nationality, according to the statement. \u201cFollowing a successful legislation phase, the focus of Executive Vice-President Sefcovic will be the successful roll-out of the European Green Deal as Europe\u2019s growth strategy,\u201d EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Sefcovic currently governs the bloc\u2019s ties with Britain<\/a> and its joint-gas buying programme to wean off Russian gas supplies after being in charge of the EU\u2019s energy policy.<\/p>\n

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WATCH THIS SPACE #1- <\/strong>A renewed effort to break the GERD deadlock:<\/strong> Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have resumed negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) after a two-year hiatus, according to a statement<\/a>. The new Cairo-hosted round of talks come a few weeks after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed said they aim to finalize an agreement<\/a> on the dam within the next four months.<\/p>\n

REFRESHER-<\/strong> The three countries have failed during years-long negotiations to reach a consensus on how to share the Nile\u2019s water. Cairo fears the dam presents an existential threat to its water security as Ethiopia continues to unilaterally fill the reservoir<\/a> without a binding agreement. The unilateral filling pushed Cairo to withdraw in 2021 from African Union-led negotiations.<\/p>\n

No alternative to a legally binding agreement:<\/strong> Egypt\u2019s Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam stressed the necessity of reaching a legally binding agreement on the operations and filling of the dam, according to the statement. He stressed the importance of suspending \u201cany unilateral steps\u201d regarding the dam, and that the unilateral filling of the reservoir is a violation of a Declaration of Principles signed between the three countries in 2015. He said that there are many technical and legal solutions that can meet the interests of the three countries, without providing further details.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>WATCH THIS SPACE #2-<\/strong> India\u2019s <\/strong>Hinduja Group<\/a><\/strong> is set to sign a final agreement with Egypt to <\/strong>support local EV manufacturing in the country by the end of 4Q 2023<\/strong>, an informed source at Egypt\u2019s Trade and Industry Ministry\u2019s Trade Representation told Enterprise Climate. Hinduja will pour USD 500 mn as a potential investor Egypt\u2019s state-owned El Nasr Automotive Manufacturing Company under a bid to manufacture EVs in the country and turn Egypt into a regional hub for EVs manufacturing, the source said, adding that some legal procedures were currently being finalized ahead of signing the contract.<\/p>\n

We saw this coming:<\/strong> Representatives from Hinduja visited Egypt in May<\/a> for talks with Egyptian officials on a project to manufacture electric vehicles and spare parts. The company was exploring the possibility of establishing a factory in Egypt to serve as a manufacturing and export hub in the Middle East and Africa, CEO Amandeep Singh said at the time. Earlier in May, Hinduja\u2019s commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland expressed interest in cooperating with Egypt\u2019s state-owned El Nasr Automotive Manufacturing Company to manufacture commercial EVs<\/a> in Egypt.<\/p>\n

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WATCH THIS SPACE<\/strong> #3- Aramco in hot water over climate-tied investigation: <\/strong>Saudi Arabia\u2019s oil giant Aramco is being investigated by the UN on grounds that its fossil fuel production expansion and exploration is putting human rights at risk, Reuters<\/a>reported on Friday. In a letter to Aramco CEO Amin Nasser, four UN individual experts and a working group expressed concerns over \u201cadverse impacts on human rights\u201d caused by Aramco\u2019s expansion of fossil fuels production and the resulting effects on climate change. They also raised worries that the Saudi company\u2019s moves may weaken the 2015 Paris Agreement and international cooperation efforts. Similar letters were also sent to the Saudi government and several countries and banks in which Aramco operates.<\/p>\n

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DATA POINT- Oman has taken the number one spot for highest solar capacity pipeline in <\/strong>the region<\/strong>, Oman Observer<\/a> reports, citing recent data released by the Global Solar Power Tracker<\/a>. Oman ranked 11th worldwide with a prospective capacity of some 18.4 GW, accounting for almost 1.6% of the world\u2019s capacity. The tracker considered solar projects with capacities of 20 MW or higher, and that are in different phases of development, including construction, pre-construction, and those that have only recently been announced.<\/p>\n

REMEMBER- <\/strong>Oman\u2019s Nama Power and Water Procurement recently announced its 7-year energy strategy<\/a>, which included a plan to issue requests for qualification for three new mega solar projects. The plants are planned for commissioning in 2029.<\/p>\n

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NON-CLIMATE REGIONAL HEADLINES OVER THE WEEKEND:<\/strong><\/p>\n