ACWA Power inks major renewable development deal with Kazakhstan

n ACWA Power, the leading Saudi developer, investor, and operator of power generation, water desalination and green hydrogen plants worldwide, recently announced a ground-breaking partnership agreement with the Republic of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy and Samruk-Kazyna, the sovereign wealth fund of Kazakhstan to lead and develop a 1GW wind energy and battery storage project within the Central Asian country.

The project marks ACWA Power’s entry into Kazakhstan, and with an initial investment of US$1.5bn, aims to support national climate action, renewables integration, and sustainable development efforts through innovation and technology integration. It is intended to successfully decarbonise fossil fuel-based power generation following its scheduled completion in 2027, the company revealed in a press communique.

The partnership was formalised with a head of terms agreement signed by HE Bolat Akchulakov, Minister of Energy, Kazakhstan; Almassadam Satkaliyev, Chairman, Board of Samruk-Kazyna, and

Mohammad Abunayyan, Chairman, ACWA Power, in the presence of HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman Al Saud, the Minister of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who attended the signing ceremony.

“Given given the Republic’s values and emphasis surrounding decarbonization, we are delighted to expand our operations into the Kazakhstani market and support its government in reaching essential renewable

DHL Express launches GoGreen Plus

n DHL Express recently announced the launch of GoGreen Plus, a new service that will allow customers to reduce the carbon emissions associated with their shipments through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

This is a first for global express carriers, and will initially launch in the UK, shortly followed by Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. Starting this month, customers based in these countries will have the option to select GoGreen Plus when choosing their shipping service through MyDHL+, the company’s online shipping and tracking platform.

GoGreen Plus will become available to all DHL Express customers globally over the coming months, with customers being given the chance to tailor the CO2e reduction they want to achieve and the amount of SAF they use.

The new GoGreen Plus service is made possible following DHL’s recent collaborations with bp and Neste to supply SAF to DHL Express hubs around the world.

Such SAF from wastes and residues can provide greenhouse gas emission reductions of up to 80 percent over its lifecycle compared with the conventional jet fuel it replaces, a press release indicated.

“SAF is currently the primary route to energy targets,”asserted Abunayyan. reducing carbon emissions in aviation, so this is the most effective way to help our customers make their own supply chains more sustainable,” commented John Pearson, CEO DHL Express.

ACWA Power’s involvement will represent the biggest Saudi investment in Kazakhstan’s power sector to date, with wind turbines and battery storage sure to unlock new value and help ensure the involved parties capitalize on emissions abatement and energy transition opportunities, the press statement concluded.

The GoGreen Plus service is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group’s sustainability goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.