Renewable Energy Egypt advances 7,150MW of renewable energy projects Egypt is actively developing 7,150 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy projects, a government official has said. These projects are divided into 3,450MW of wind energy and 3,700MW of solar power. The wind energy projects include collaborations on the Red Sea involving the Orascom-Engie-Toyota consortium, Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power and UAE’s Masdar, Egypt Today newspaper reported, […] August 28, 2024
Renewable Energy Masdar joint venture to build wind farm in Egypt Infinity Power, a joint venture between Egypt’s Infinity and the UAE’s Masdar, has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) for their 200-megawatt (MW) wind farm. The onshore wind project, located in Ras Ghareb, Gulf of Suez region, is estimated to produce 810,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually. Consequentially, it will […] August 19, 2024
Renewable Energy Egypt reveals ambitious hydrogen strategy Egypt’s newly launched hydrogen energy strategy will require the investment of around $60 billion over the coming decades to achieve its ambitious targets. However, research by Bloomberg this week highlighted the fact that the majority of existing hydrogen plants around the world have failed to attract sufficient buyers for their output. On Thursday Egypt launched […] August 16, 2024
Finance Saudi capex expected to shift focus to renewables Saudi Arabia is predicted to drastically scale back its capital expenditure in fossil fuels, allocating less than a quarter of its $1 trillion planned investment to oil. Goldman Sachs Research expects capex in the oil sector to decline by $40 billion between 2024 and 2028, as the kingdom pivots towards renewable energy and economic diversification. […] August 16, 2024
Renewable Energy China wins $972m contract for new Saudi solar plant A Chinese state-backed consortium has won a $972 million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract to build a two-gigawatt (GW) solar project near Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi PIF phase IV Haden photovoltaic project is being developed by Buraiq Renewable Energy Company, a joint venture between Acwa Power, the Public Investment Fund and Saudi […] August 16, 2024
Renewable Energy Acwa Power signs deal on Indonesian solar project Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Indonesia’s state-owned electricity utility PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (Persero) for the 60 megawatt (MW) Saguling floating solar PV project. The Saudi-listed renewable major has a 49 percent stake in the project, with the rest being held by Indonesia Power, a subsidiary of PT […] August 15, 2024
Sustainability Saudi Aramco and Kaust to invest $100m in R&D Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust) are to invest $100 million in research and development projects. The 10-year investment will support projects focused on energy transition, sustainability, materials innovation, upstream technologies and digital solutions, aiming for both environmental and commercial benefits. NewsletterGet the Best of […] August 12, 2024
Opinion Aviation The Gulf will play a major role in sustainable aviation GCC airlines are leading the charge to make flying greener August 12, 2024
Analysis Mining Rare earth elements: a complex issue that’s vital to net zero Used in everything from car batteries and fridges to iPhones and elevators, rare earth elements are an ever-present – but rarely noticed – part of daily lives. They are also now central to the global energy transition, and their importance to Gulf states was highlighted this week by a $180 million investment by Qatar. The […] August 12, 2024
Energy Tunisia powers up green energy plan with new solar plants Two new solar photovoltaic (PV) plants are set to be constructed in Tunisia, helping the country reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Proparco, a French development agency, will provide €25 million ($27.31 million) funding for the construction of two 60-megawatt (MW) solar power plants in Tozeur […] August 11, 2024
Renewable Energy Acwa Power profit surges on divestment gains Saudi Arabian renewable energy company Acwa Power reported a net profit of SAR927 million ($247 million) in the first half of 2024, up 35 percent from SAR684 million a year ago. Revenue increased by 3 percent year on year to SAR2.8 billion, driven by a gain from divestment and higher finance and other income. The […] August 6, 2024
Analysis Renewable Energy Oman’s entrepreneurs hope to turn biofuels into liquid gold A bus powered partly by date kernels launched on the streets of Muscat at the end of 2022. It was a Sultan Qaboos University project, set up as Oman strives to develop sustainable sources of energy. The bus successfully runs on a mix of biodiesel made from the oil extracted from date kernels and conventional […] August 6, 2024
Opinion Economy Trump redux could bring in the law of unintended consequences Gulf states need to expect the unexpected as an 'America First' agenda could fragment global trade August 5, 2024
Renewable Energy Masdar and TotalEnergies team up to produce SAF Masdar, the UAE’s state-backed clean energy company, has partnered with the French energy major TotalEnergies to develop the commercial production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) using methanol produced from green hydrogen in Abu Dhabi. The two companies agreed to assess the project’s viability after a “successful test flight” during Cop28 last December, which demonstrated the […] August 2, 2024
Renewable Energy Tunisia signs green hydrogen deals to step up production Tunisia has signed six agreements with international companies to develop green hydrogen production as it seeks to expand its clean fuel production capacity. The North African country aims to produce 8.3 million tonnes of green hydrogen and its derivatives by 2050 under its green hydrogen strategy, which was released in October 2023. Much of the […] July 31, 2024
Renewable Energy BP buys 49% of Oman’s green hydrogen project BP, the UK oil and gas company, will acquire a 49 percent stake in Oman’s Hyport Duqm green hydrogen project. The oil major signed an agreement with state-backed energy company OQ and Brussels-listed Dredging, Environmental and Marine Engineering (Deme) on June 13, BP said in its second-quarter 2024 financial statement. The acquisition is subject to […] July 31, 2024
Analysis Renewable Energy Kuwait playing catch-up with ambitious green energy plans Kuwait, Opec’s fifth-largest oil producer but long a laggard in the energy transition, is taking steps to catch up with its neighbouring Gulf states and ease reliance on falling oil revenues. State-owned Kuwait Oil Company last week mandated KBR, the US oilfield services company, to develop a master plan to produce 17 gigawatts (GW) of […] July 28, 2024
Renewable Energy Masdar buys stake in Spanish utilities company Endesa The UAE’s state-owned clean energy company Masdar has agreed to acquire a minority stake in Spanish electric utility business Endesa to partner for 2.5 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy assets in Spain. Under the agreement, subject to regulatory approval, Masdar will invest nearly $890 million to acquire a 49.99 percent stake in Endesa, with an […] July 26, 2024
Renewable Energy Abu Dhabi seeks developers for greenfield power storage project State-owned Emirates Water and Electricity Company has requested proposals from 27 qualified companies and consortiums to develop a greenfield 400-megawatt battery energy storage system project in Abu Dhabi. The request for proposals is being issued to bidders who passed the qualification process following the expression of interest in April 2024. A total of 93 companies […] July 26, 2024
Analysis Energy Middle East needs stronger policies to expand carbon capture A lack of firm policy, regulatory frameworks and funding is limiting carbon capture capacity development in the Middle East and Africa, according to an industry expert. Carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) involves separating out the carbon dioxide created in industrial processes, then treating it and using in other processes or storing it. Globally CCUS […] July 19, 2024
Finance Masdar taps green debt market to finance expansion Masdar, the UAE’s state-backed clean energy company, has raised $1 billion through its second green bond issuance, made up of dual tranches of $500 million each. The bonds are part of a larger programme to raise up to $3 billion to fund its renewables projects. The bonds, of five and 10 years, met strong appetite […] July 18, 2024
Energy Acwa Power gets Chinese partner for Uzbek green projects The Saudi renewable energy company Acwa Power has divested a 35 percent stake in two subsidiaries to a state-backed power grid contractor in China for SAR596 million ($159 million). Acwa Power signed sale and purchase agreements for the stake in Acwa Power Bash Wind Project Holding and Acwa Power Uzbekistan Wind Project Holding to China […] July 18, 2024
