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CONTENT NEWS
INSIGHTS
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26 IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (MENA) REGION, COUNTRIES HAVE ADVANCED IN REACHING THEIR RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGETS
SOLAR PV TO GENERATE $182 BILLION INVESTMENT IN MIDDLE EAST RENEWABLES BY 2025
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ABHAYJIT SINHA,
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AYMAN RASEKH
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SOLAR ENERGY
MIDDLE EAST NEWS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
299 (MW) OF ROOFTOP SOLAR INSTALLED UNDER THE SHAMS DUBAI INITIATIVE “Shams Dubai has connected over 6,727 buildings with a capacity of 298.7MW,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA. “We support the success of the Shams Dubai initiative, which we launched in accordance with the Smart Dubai initiative to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world. We strive to develop the initiative to provide more opportunities for Dubai residents to transform their buildings into sustainable ones. This reduces the Emirate’s carbon footprint and increases the proportion of solar power in Dubai’s environmentally-friendly energy mix. HabReeh Interactive Web Service supports the design and installation of solar photovoltaic panels rooftop energy systems according to the highest quality levels and the best international standards. It accelerates the assessment and approval of these systems as well as ensuring their compliance with DEWA’s quality energy standards. This saves the time and effort of Shams Dubai project constructors” added Al Tayer.
ACWA Power the contract at a world record-breaking tariff of US Cents 2.3417/kWh (8.781 halalas/kWh). The plant will cover an area of six square kilometers at Al Jouf. With an investment of US $302 million, this project is the first of a series of projects under the Saudi national renewable energy programme which aims to produce 9.5GW of renewable energy by 2023. The projects are part of a push towards renewable energy under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
BAHRAIN TO SAVE BD230 MILLION IN 5 YRS BY INVESTING ON RENEWABLE ENERGY Dr Abdulhussain bin Ali Mirza, Chairman. Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) said that Bahrain is aiming to produce 5% of its total power through green energy by 2025. This will enable the Kingdom to save BD230 million in energy production. The Kingdom has 535 buildings that can accommodate solar systems on their roofs, he added. The national renewable energy plan revolves around three main policies and seven projects and that the national goal aims to increase the share of renewable energy in the total energy mix by 5%, equivalent to 250 MW by 2025 and 10% by 2035. SEA in collaboration with the Education Ministry has tendered to set up solar systems at eight schools. Also 23 Government entities have expressed their interest to have the solar rooftop projects.
SAUDI ARABIA INAUGURATES SAKAKA IPP PV POWER PLANT Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has inaugurated the Sakaka IPP PV power plant, the country’s first renewable energy plant. The 300 MW Sakaka IPP photovoltaic (PV) solar project is the first ever utility scale renewable energy project under the National Renewable Energy Program of Saudi Arabia. The Renewable Energy Projects Development Office (REPDO) awarded
| MIDDLE EAST | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
PG 5
MIDDLE EAST NEWS
DUBAI SUPREME COUNCIL OF ENERGY LAUNCHES 2021 EDITION OF STATE OF GREEN ECONOMY REPORT The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy released the seventh State of Green Economy Report. The 2021 edition was compiled by DSCE in collaboration with the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). Under the theme ‘2020: Towards the next 50’, which is also the official 2020 government theme for the largest national strategy to prepare the country for the coming 50 years and its Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2021, this edition focuses on those public and private sector initiatives that will contribute to the country’s development and transition to a green economy in the upcoming 50 years. The report is structured as per the focus areas decided upon by the country’s wise leadership, namely in the economy, education, infrastructure, health and media.
LARSEN & TOUBRO BEGINS CONSTRUCTING THE 300 MW SOLAR PLANT IN SAUDI ARABIA The Renewables arm of Larsen & Toubro’s Power Transmission & Distribution Business has secured the go-ahead to begin constructing the 300MW Jeddah Solar PV Power Plant. The turnkey EPC order has been received from the consortium of Masdar, EDF Renewables and Nesma Company. Awarded by Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) to the consortium under design, finance, build and operate mode, the project has now attained financial closure after the signing of the power purchase agreement and thereby the notice to Larsen & Toubro to proceed with the construction. The project is in Third Jeddah Industrial City, 50km south-east of Jeddah. This large utility scale power plant utilizes state-of art technologies including bifacial modules, single axial trackers, string inverters and robots for module cleaning.
SIRAJPOWER SIGNS NOTABLE 7 MWP SOLAR DEAL WITH AL SHIRAWI GROUP SirajPower, UAE’s leading distributed solar energy provider, announced today a major solar partnership with Al Shirawi Group, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in the GCC, spanning trading, industrial, distribution, contracting, and service industries. SirajPower has been engaged as a long-term partner starting with a significant 7 MWp solar rooftop installation for Emirates Printing Press in three of their plants, one of the region’s leading, high-quality press facilities in Dubai Industrial City (DIC) and Al Quoz. The solar rooftop project covers an area of 56,000 m2, and will produce 10.6 GWh of clean energy annually, offsetting more than 7,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions.
| MIDDLE EAST | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
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MIDDLE EAST NEWS
ACWA POWER SINGS FINAL PROJECT AGREEMENT FOR 200 MW KOM OMBO PV PLANT WITH EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT Saudi-based water and power projects developer ACWA Power said that it has signed final project agreements including power purchase pact with the Government of Egypt for the 200 MW Kom Ombo PV Plant. The virtual ceremony was held in the presence of senior government officials and representatives from the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC); The New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA), and ACWA Power. The plant will be one of the largest privately developed utilityscale solar plants, supporting the Egyptian Government’s green energy development program.
BELECTRIC, CCC SIGN CONTRACT FOR EGYPT’S 50 MW ZAAFARANA SOLAR PLANT A consortium of Germany’s Belectric and Athens-headquartered Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) has been awarded a contract to build and operate a 50 MW photovoltaic (PV) solar plant in Zafarana, Egypt. The consortium signed the contract with Egypt’s New & Renewable Energy Authority. Egypt’s Electricity Minister Mohammed Shaker attended the signing ceremony in Cairo. The project will be funded by German Development Bank (kfW). The project is part of Egypt’s ambitious target for 20 per cent of the total energy produced in the country to come from renewables by 2022 and for this to increase to 42 per cent by 2035.
SAUDI NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAM TARGETS SR60 BILLION ($15.9 BILLION) PROJECT INVESTMENTS The Riyadh Chamber, represented by the Business Support Observatory, has launched a report on indicators of the development of the renewable energy sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The report targets monitoring the status of the sector, the development of indicators of its top resources and shedding light on the national program of renewable energy projects, with the aim of improving the general investment environment in Saudi Arabia. The report also focuses on local and foreign investors alike in light of the Saudi Vision 2030, where the investment volume in the national program of renewable energy projects is expected to reach SR60 billion. The report showed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through the vision and the program, seeks to increase the actual generation capacity of renewable energy resources to some 58.7 gigawatts by 2030.
| MIDDLE EAST | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
4TH PHASE OF THE MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM SOLAR PARK USES THE IPP MODEL WITH INVESTMENTS UP TO AED 15.78 BILLION HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), inspected the work progress at the 950MW 4th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The 4th phase uses the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model with investments up to AED 15.78 billion. Al Tayer also reviewed work progress at the Visitors’ Centre of the 4th phase of the solar park. This is the largest Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project globally and features the world’s tallest solar power tower at 262.44 metres.
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MIDDLE EAST NEWS
EXTREME ENVIRONMENT AT UL’S SAUDI ARABIA TEST FACILITY HIGHLIGHTS WHY RISK MITIGATION IS CRITICAL TO PV MODULE LIFETIMES Increased understanding of reoccurring weather events, such as sand, dust and hailstorms, is critical to driving future project efficiencies and extending photovoltaic (PV) module lifetimes, according to UL, the global safety science leader and one of the world’s top advisors on the development, evaluation and optimization of renewable energy projects. This, coupled with deeper knowledge of extreme air temperatures and wind load, corrosivity, abrasion, hail and PV module mounting techniques, is essential if global solar owners and operators are to unlock future project performance gains. Gulf Renewables Lab, a UL- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Labs joint venture, is able to evaluate PV module durability after exposure to extreme conditions at an outdoor test facility in Saudi Arabia, co-located with a state-of-the-art indoor PV testing laboratory. UL recently completed a yearlong study at the Saudi facility that provides guidance to drive future industry best practice for PV lifetime performance in extreme environments.
IRAQ AND TOTAL AGREES TO WORK ON SOLAR POWER PROJECTS Iraq and French oil major Total agreed to jointly work on developing four associated gas and solar power projects, the country’s oil ministry said, as OPEC’s second largest producer seeks to reduce dependence on Iranian energy imports needed for power generation. Iraq, which is second only to Russia in terms of gas flaring, is nearing an agreement with Total to implement dual-energy megaprojects to capture that gas and wean the country away from sanctioned Iranian gas and electricity imports. Solar power will play a major role. Iraq’s oil minister, Ihsan Abdul Jabbar, gave an update. The most important project is construction of complexes and units to treat associated gas, which will be in two phases with a capacity of 600 million cf, the ministry said. The other projects are a solar energy plant with capacity of 1,000 MW for the Ministry of Electricity, a sea water project and development of the Ratawi field to increase natural gas output.
ALEC ENERGY ANNOUNCES 10.4 MWP WORTH OF NEW SOLAR PROJECTS IN Q1 2021 Alec Energy, a leading provider of turnkey solutions for both rooftop and ground mounted solar PV plants, has announced the successful signing of eight new solar project contracts during the first quarter, yielding an aggregated capacity of 10.4MWp. Eight new solar projects include thermal energy storage, innovative car parks and tailor rooftop solutions across the UAE. Commenting on the announcement, ALEC Energy General Manager, James Stewart, said “Through a combination of national policy and an increasing commitment from corporates to make the transition to clean energy, we’ve been able to provide companies with bespoke, end-to-end strategies that make complete sense in terms of cost and environmental sustainability.
| MIDDLE EAST | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
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MIDDLE EAST NEWS
ENERWHERE SIGNS LONG-TERM AGREEMENT TO POWER MINE IN THE UAE WITH SOLAR-HYBRID MICRO-GRID Enerwhere and Al Barrak Crushers signed a long-term agreement which will see Enerwhere finance, operate and maintain a solarhybrid microgrid with a capacity of 4.1 MVA to power Al Barrak’s quarry in Fujairah. To power their mining activities, Al Barrak, like most other quarries in the Middle East, used to rely solely on diesel generators, which are noisy, very expensive to operate and emit harmful emissions. The collaboration with Enerwhere will allow Al Barrak to reduce their carbon footprint by over 30% by using solar power instead of diesel generators to power their crushing machinery, as well as the workshop and offices. The operation in Fujairah will be the third solar-powered crusher in the UAE, joining two other sites already being powered by Enerwhere’s solar-hybrid systems in Abu Dhabi and Fujairah.
OMAN AND UK PARTNERING TO POWER SULTANATE’S GREEN GOALS Oman and Britain are partnering to power the Sultanate’s green goals by discovering common ground between UK’s industrial and energy strategy priorities and the Sultanate’s visionary sustainability plans. UK businesses are well placed to partner with Oman to optimise the country’s vast domestic renewable resources. Several major British green tech businesses, across sectors such as waste-to-energy, desalination, wind power and solar storage, are already on the ground helping Oman to meet its sustainability goals. UK-based GreenFuels is powering Oman’s first sustainable biodiesel plant in a joint venture with local company Wakud. The facility will use old cooking oil as feedstock and is expected to be operational by Q2 2021. The innovative plant is set to produce around 20 tonnes of biofuel daily and has plans to supply the whole of Oman and surrounding Gulf nations. | MIDDLE EAST | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
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MIDDLE EAST NEWS
MASDAR COMMITS TO SUPPORT ETHIOPIA’S SOLAR ENERGY OBJECTIVES
IFC, ALEXBANK PARTNER TO PROMOTE EGYPTIAN FARMERS’ SWITCH TO SOLAR IRRIGATION SYSTEMS IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and ALEXBANK, a leading Egyptian private bank, today announced a partnership to help Egyptian farmers access financing to purchase solar irrigation systems, reducing their reliance on diesel-powered generators and boosting their productivity and incomes. Through the partnership, IFC and ALEXBANK will design new financial products to enable farmers – most of whom may lack direct access to the electricity grid – to purchase and install solar powered irrigation pumps. IFC estimates that using solar powered pumps could save farmers up to 14 billion Egyptian pounds ($875 million) annually in diesel fuel costs, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions. An estimated one million diesel-powered pumps across Egypt could potentially be replaced by solar.
BASF, SABIC AND LINDE JOIN FORCES TO BUILD RENEWABLES-FUELED PETROCHEMICAL FURNACE BASF, SABIC and Linde have signed a joint agreement to develop and demonstrate solutions for electrically heated steam cracker furnaces. The partners have already jointly worked on concepts to use renewable electricity instead of the fossil fuel gas typically used for the heating process. With this innovative approach focusing on one of the petrochemical industries’ core processes, the parties strive to offer a promising solution to significantly contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions within the chemical industry.
| MIDDLE EAST | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
Oman and Britain are partnering to power the Sultanate’s green goals by discovering common ground between UK’s industrial and energy strategy priorities and the Sultanate’s visionary sustainability plans. UK businesses are well placed to partner with Oman to optimise the country’s vast domestic renewable resources. Several major British green tech businesses, across sectors such as waste-to-energy, desalination, wind power and solar storage, are already on the ground helping Oman to meet its sustainability goals. UK-based GreenFuels is powering Oman’s first sustainable biodiesel plant in a joint venture with local company Wakud. The facility will use old cooking oil as feedstock and is expected to be operational by Q2 2021. The innovative plant is set to produce around 20 tonnes of biofuel daily and has plans to supply the whole of Oman and surrounding Gulf nations.
TAQA TO FOCUS ON RENEWABLE ENERGY, UNVEILS 2030 STRATEGY FOR SUSTAINABLE GROWTH TAQA announced to substantially increase its gross power and water desalination capacity in the UAE and internationally. Abu Dhabi National Energy Company TAQA, one of the largest listed integrated utility companies in the region, announced today its 2030 vision for sustainable and profitable growth. The strategic plan places at its core the global acceleration of the energy transition, and TAQA’s ambition to become a champion for low carbon power and water.
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MIDDLE EAST NEWS
MASDAR’S MAURITANIAN SOLAR PLANT SET TO PROVIDE 15 MW TO GRID Masdar’s Sheikh Zayed Solar PV Plant in Nouakchott, Mauritania, has been inaugurated, and is now set to start producing 15 MW of renewable energy to the country’s grid. The new plant consists of 29,826 micromorph thin-film panels, and has been constructed at a cost of US $31.99 million. Masdar says it has reduced the project’s carbon footprint further by designing the support PV module support structure to be piled into the ground, rather than using a concrete base. The facility now accounts for 10 percent of the country’s total electricity capacity.
SAUDI ARABIA’S DESERT TECHNOLOGIES IS BREAKING THROUGH WITH SAHARA
DEWA COMMISSIONS 400/132 KV SUBSTATION AT MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM SOLAR PARK HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), has commissioned a new 400/132 kV substation named ‘Shams’ at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. It has a conversion capacity of 2020 megavolt-amperes (MVA) with 223 kilometres of 400kV overhead lines to connect with DEWA’s network. Hussein Lootah, Executive Vice President of Transmission (Power) at DEWA, said that Shams substation uses the latest digital technologies in line with DEWA’s efforts to enhance digital transformation in all its services and operations. He noted that the new substation at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park increases the total number of 400/132 kV substations in Dubai to 24, in addition to three new substations that DEWA is currently building. ABB Linxon implemented the project. Shams substation uses the latest control and protection systems. It includes 14 (400 kV) Gas Insulated Switchgears (GIS), 28 (132 kV) GIS, and four 400/132 kV transformers with 2020 MVA capacity.
For the very first time, Desert Technologies (DT) is going to launch SAHARA Containerized Solar Generator (CSG) in collaboration with Green Corp Konnection (GCK) to power part of the bivouac in NEOM during the Dakar Rally. Using 1 small container (20ft), 2 standard containers (40ft), with a power range of 62 kW. The SAHARA CSG, whether in events, military sites, desert camp sites, or even in the most inhospitable locations, is capable of providing 100 % clean energy directly from the sun during the day or through a battery pack during the night. With its quick and easy installation, the SAHARA is a silent, 24/7 operating compact and portable unit with cost effectiveness and minimal maintenance. SAHARA is an international product that has been launched in Saudi Arabia in line with vision 2030 and the reduction of dependency on oil. The solution is fitted off-grid projects that require cheaper and sustainable alternatives to diesel generators and other energy sources. The 40ft SAHARA container can power about 100 households in remote villages in Africa, providing energy day and night to cover the basic needs. The solution is modular and can be sized case by case to meet different demand loads; households, schools, commercial activities.
| MIDDLE EAST | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
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MIDDLE EAST NEWS
TOTAL AND ZAHID GROUP JOIN FORCES TO DEVELOP SOLAR ENERGY IN SAUDI ARABIA Pursuing the development of renewable energy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jeddah-headquartered Zahid Group, represented by “Altaaqa Alternative Solutions” and the French energy company Total, represented by “Total Solar Distributed Generation”, announce the establishment of a joint venture named SAFEER – Saudi French for Energy Efficiency and Renewables. Specializing in commercial and industrial solar installations on rooftops and carports, the joint venture will leverage Total´s expertise across the entire solar value chain and Altaaqa’s 18 years of leadership in delivering independent power and water utility solutions in the Kingdom. Both the Zahid Group and Total have a track record of successful investments in the Kingdom’s Oil & Gas and Energy Sectors, creating numerous career opportunities while also being catalysts in the elevation of industry standards and best practices. Establishing SAFEER comes as a natural response to the Ministry of Energy´s announcement to promote Renewable Distributed Generation in the Kingdom.
L&T CONSTRUCTION SECURES GREEN EPC ORDER TO ESTABLISH ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST SOLAR PV PLANTS BY CAPACITY The Renewables arm of Larsen & Toubro’s Power Transmission & Distribution Business has secured a turnkey EPC Contract, from the consortium of ACWA Power and the Water and Electricity Holding Company (a subsidiary of the Public Investments Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF), for Sudair Solar PV Project of 1.5GW capacity. This project is considered the largest Solar Plant in Saudi Arabia with PPA signed. It is also one of the largest such plants in the world. The project that is coming up in Riyadh Province has a 30.8 square kilometre land parcel available to install a total capacity of 1.5GW PV Solar modules with associated single axial tracker and inverters.
| MIDDLE EAST | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
SIRAJPOWER MAXIMISES 1.5 MWP SOLAR ROOFTOP SYSTEM FOR FIT-OUT FIRM IN DUBAI UAE’s distributed solar energy provider SirajPower has integrated and continually maximises Dubaibased fit-out firm Bond Interior’s newly constructed facility in Dubai Industrial City with a 1.5MWp solar rooftop system. SirajPower provided thoughtful consideration of how best to integrate and maximize the 1.5 MWp solar rooftop system’s output for the leading interior fit-out company- Bond Interior’s building at Dubai Industrial City. Bond Interiors, one of the largest high-end interior fit-out companies in the UAE, only employs the best and high-quality standards that provide comfort and energy efficiency to its clients. While solar panels can be worked out on a constructed facility, it is ideal to realize the value of solar energy and have it installed in a newly built building/property. Since 2020, the solar plant has generated 2.4 GWh of clean energy to date and has helped displace nearly 2,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, corresponding to over 28,000 tree seedlings grown for a decade.
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MIDDLE EAST NEWS
DEWA WINS “RENEWABLE DEAL OF THE YEAR” AWARD FOR PHASE 5 OF MBR SOLAR PARK Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has won the ‘2020 Middle East and Africa Renewables Deal of the Year’ from Project Finance International (PFI) magazine for the photovoltaic 5th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. PFI magazine, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters, focuses on tracking and analysing projects, financial budgets and project deals worldwide. HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, received the award. Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence, and the project team also attended. “We are proud to receive this award, which is added to the outstanding global award-winning projects of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is one of the pillars of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to provide 75% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050. The solar park is the largest singlesite solar park in the world with a planned production capacity of 5,000 megawatts by 2030,” said Al Tayer.
SIRAJPOWER’S STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH MAJOR UAE LOCAL GROUPS CONTINUES TO FLOURISH UAE-based logistics provider, Airlink International UAE, signs a solar leasing agreement of 1.3 MWp for its logistics center in JAFZA. SirajPower, UAE’s leading distributed solar energy provider, announced yet another significant solar leasing agreement signed with Airlink International UAE, one of the leading providers of cargo and logistics in the UAE. SirajPower has been appointed as a longterm partner to finance, operate and maintain a 1.3 MWp solar rooftop plant for Airlink’s Logistics Centre in JAFZA. The project covers over 2,000 solar panels that will annually produce 2.1 GWh of clean energy and offset nearly 1,500 metric tons of CO2 emissions, corresponding to approximately 6,000,000 kilometers driven by an average vehicle passenger (or equivalent to more than 24,000 tree seedlings grown for 10 years).
TURKEY’S SUCCESS IN RENEWABLES IS HELPING DIVERSIFY ITS ENERGY MIX AND INCREASE ITS ENERGY SECURITY Efforts to boost production and accelerate energy efficiency will help Turkey achieve its energy security goals, but it should consider its longer-term emissions trajectory too, IEA report says. Turkey has made solid progress in recent years in improving the security and diversity of its energy supplies but should also pay close attention to the sustainability and longer-term carbon footprint of its energy sector, according to a new policy review by the International Energy Agency. Turkey has also sought to strengthen the security of its energy supply by increasing production of renewable energy and reducing energy consumption through increased energy efficiency. Auctions, in particular, have proven successful in driving down costs and increasing investments in renewables. The planned commissioning of Turkey’s first nuclear power facility in 2023 will further diversify the country’s low-carbon fuel mix.
THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK APPROVES $27 MILLION LOAN TO ESTABLISH KOM OMBO SOLAR PLANT IN EGYPT The African Development Bank’s Board of Directors today approved $27.2 million in loan financing for the design, construction and operation of a 200 MW photovoltaic solar power plant at Kom Ombo, in Upper Egypt on the river Nile. The project is expected to lower electricity costs for businesses and residences, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating construction and other jobs. The project’s total cost is estimated at $156.4 million. In addition to the Bank’s financing, structured as a senior loan, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Arab Bank and the OPEC Fund for International Development will contribute funding. The plant, 800 km south of Cairo, is owned by ACWA Power, a leading Saudi Arabian developer, investor and operator of power generation and desalinated-water plants worldwide.
| MIDDLE EAST | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
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MIDDLE EAST NEWS
TAQA GROUP REPORTS AED 2.8 BILLION INCOME FOR THE YEAR 2020 Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, one of the largest listed integrated utilities in the region, has reported pro-forma consolidated financial results for the year ended December 31, 2020. The results incorporate the full year performance of the substantial assets transferred by Abu Dhabi Power Corporation (ADPower) to TAQA on July 1, 2020. Group revenues of AED 41.2 billion, 6% lower than the prior-year period, primarily due to lower commodity prices and production volumes within the Oil & Gas segment, EBITDA was AED 16.0 billion, down 13%, reflecting lower revenues that were partially offset by lower expenses. Net income (TAQA-share) decreased to AED 2.8 billion, which reflected a significantly lower contribution from the Oil & Gas segment that was impacted by a AED 1.5 billion post-tax impairment charge taken in Q1 2020. Capital expenditure was AED 4.0 billion, a decrease of 19% primarily due to lower spending in the Oil & Gas segment. We have made great progress and I look forward to building on our success during 2021.” said H.E. Mohamed Hassan Al Suwaidi, TAQA’s Chairman.
WOOD COMPLETES SOLAR PLANT PROJECT IN OMAN Aberdeen-based Global Consulting and Engineering Company Wood completes Solar PV project in Oman. It will help turn the hot desert sun of Oman into renewable energy for a ferrochrome production plant. Wood said that the development would displace gas-fired power and save more than 25,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually while announcing the completion of its part of Oman Shell’s first utility-scale, photovoltaic (PV) solar project in the Middle East. The Qabas solar plant, consisting of more than 80,000 PV panels, is in the Sohar Freezone in northern Oman. Joe Sczurko, executive president of Wood’s consulting business, said “Wood is focused on supporting its clients through the global energy transition. This milestone project supports Shell’s sustainability goals, aligns with Oman’s Vision 2040, and advances the sultanate’s national economic ambition.”
DEWA WINS EFQM UN SDGS CHALLENGE 2021 Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has won the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Challenge 2021. The award recognises DEWA’s efforts in sustainable development and its support of the UAE’s efforts to achieve the UN SDGs. HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, expressed his happiness on DEWA winning this global challenge, which demonstrates its efforts to achieve the vision of the wise leadership to build a more sustainable environment and develop long-term solutions in line with the UN SDGs. As a member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), DEWA supports the UN’s role in achieving sustainable development goals. Our work plans, initiatives, programmes and projects are aligned with the SDGs. During this period, there is an urgent need to mobilise global efforts to contain the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, enhance efforts to overcome poverty and inequality, address climate change, and develop strategic and vital sectors,” said Al Tayer.
| MIDDLE EAST | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
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MIDDLE EAST NEWS
BAYARA AND TOTAL SOLAR DISTRIBUTED GENERATION CELEBRATE FIRST YEAR OF SOLAR ROOFTOP INSTALLATION Bayara, a leading Gyma Food Industries across the Middle East and Africa region (MEA), is celebrating one year of its solar energy transition. This project has been powered by Total, through its affiliate Total Solar Distributed Generation (DG) Middle East, a regional leader in the development of solar solutions for commercial and industrial businesses. This project falls under Bayara’s vision and future plans for more sustainable practices through reducing the utilisation of plastic and reducing transportation by processing and farming their products in the United Arab Emirates. Over 3,700 photovoltaic (PV) panels were installed on the rooftop of Bayara’s main production facility in Dubai Investments Park (DIP), spanning around 7,000 square-meters which roughly equals the surface area of 27 tennis courts. Total Solar DG also installed an electric vehicle (EV) charger in the production facility’s parking lot, which uses solar energy to charge Bayara’s employees’ vehicles.
MASDAR SIGNS STRATEGIC AGREEMENT WITH PETRONAS TO EXPLORE RENEWABLE ENERGY OPPORTUNITIES IN ASIA Masdar, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies and a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, and PETRONAS, a global energy and solutions company, announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore renewable energy opportunities across Asia and beyond. The two companies have agreed to explore joint participation in a range of areas, with a focus on utility-scale renewable energy, including ground-mounted and floating solar projects, as well as offshore wind projects in Asia, and potentially other regions and other technologies. Apart from Malaysia, the companies are also interested in countries in the region that have pledged to accelerate the development of renewable energy, including Vietnam and Taiwan.
SOLAR ONE ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF LARGEST ROOFTOP PROJECT IN BAHRAIN Bahrain’s first solar panel manufacturer Solar One announced that it has completed installing the kingdom’s largest rooftop solar energy systems at three prime locations. At Al Raja School in Manama, Prime Mall in Sanad and BRC Weldmesh in Mina Salman represent the largest in-category solar energy systems in the kingdom. 100 percent locally manufactured more than 4000 solar panels were used to build three projects, totalling over one megawatt in capacity. Solar One’s mission is to lead Bahrain towards meeting the renewable energy goals set by the kingdom’s leaders. Since its inauguration in 2017, the company has installed over two megawatts in solar energy capacity, and aims to continue adding to this in all sectors (commercial, industrial, residential) in 2021 and beyond.
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LFIGP TAKES UP THE CHALLENGE OF ENERGY TRANSITION “E3D – Establishment in a sustainable development approach”, the LFIGP has always ensured in its establishment policy the development of projects focused on respect for the environment and “eco-citizen” initiatives. In pursuit of this commitment, Management is proud to announce the signing of a contract for the installation of solar panels on the Academic City sites with the company TOTAL Solar Distributed Generation Middle East. To support this project and federate the support of the LFIGP community and students, many educational workshops around the themes of renewable energies will be organized. A dedicated kit, entitled “Solar Educational Initiative” will thus be made available to teachers of technology, physical sciences, biology or even mathematics and will make it possible to carry out class projects by including the establishment as a place of learning. global sustainability. Educational outings will also be offered, during the school year, to allow students to understand more concretely the issues related to renewable energies. They will thus have the privilege of visiting, for example, Shams 1, the largest solar park in the Middle East.
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MIDDLE EAST NEWS
TABREED AND IFC TO SET UP $400 MILLION ENERGY INVESTMENT PLATFORM
SIRAJPOWER SIGNS 1.3 MWP SOLAR DEAL WITH AIRLINK INTERNATIONAL UAE UAE-based logistics provider, Airlink International UAE, signs a solar leasing agreement of 1.3 MWp for its logistics center in JAFZA. SirajPower, UAE’s leading distributed solar energy provider, today announced yet another significant solar leasing agreement signed with Airlink International UAE, one of the leading providers of cargo and logistics in the UAE. SirajPower has been appointed as a longterm partner to finance, operate and maintain a 1.3 MWp solar rooftop plant for Airlink’s Logistics Centre in JAFZA. The project covers over 2,000 solar panels that will annually produce 2.1 GWh of clean energy and offset nearly 1,500 metric tons of CO2 emissions, corresponding to approximately 6,000,000 kilometers driven by an average vehicle passenger (or equivalent to more than 24,000 tree seedlings grown for 10 years).
National Central Cooling Company PJSC (DFM: Tabreed), the leading UAE-based international district cooling developer and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, are planning to establish a district energy investment platform in Singapore that will invest in district cooling, trigeneration and cooling as a service offering with primary focus on India followed by other Southeast Asian countries. The joint venture aims to build on Tabreed’s ongoing development activities in India following establishment of its wholly owned subsidiary in the country and will seek to provide more energy efficient end to end cooling as a service offering through an outsourced utility model for real estate developments, new urban master plans and ongoing redevelopments across target cities.
THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK APPROVES A LOAN OF OVER $27 MILLION TO ESTABLISH KOM OMBO SOLAR POWER PLANT The African Development Bank’s Board of Directors approved $27.2 million in loan financing for the design, construction and operation of a 200 MW photovoltaic solar power plant at Kom Ombo, in Upper Egypt. The project is expected to lower electricity costs for businesses and residences, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating construction and other jobs. The project’s total cost is estimated at $156.4 million. In addition to the Bank’s financing, structured as a senior loan, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Arab Bank and the OPEC Fund for International Development will contribute funding. The plant, 800 km south of Cairo, is owned by ACWA Power, a leading Saudi Arabian developer, investor and operator of power generation and desalinated-water plants worldwide.
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INCONVERSATION
ABHAYJIT SINHA, DIRECTOR, EY (ERNST AND YOUNG) MENA INFRASTRUCTURE ADVISORY Abhayjit is a Director at EY’s (Ernst and Young) MENA Infrastructure Advisory practice based in Dubai, UAE. He has more than a decade’s experience working in the Infrastructure sector with a focus on Power and Utilities. Views expressed below are personal and may not reflect the stated position of his employer.
How is the Middle East solar market coping up in 2021 after the pandemic crisis? The Middle East (ME) solar market has been on a roller coaster ride during this pandemic. The sector witnessed record low consumption, much like around the world and then a very quick bounce back, unlike the rest of the world. The best example of this bounce back are the numerous PPAs executed for Solar IPPs. Case in point are the recently executed PPAs for KSA’s 600 MW Al Faisaliyah solar IPP and 1.5GW Sudair solar IPP, at record shattering tariffs of $0.0104/kWh and $0.01239/kWh, respectively.
Interesting, how has the pandemic helped the growth of the Solar industry? The Power and Utilities’ sector has benefited from the pandemic. In other words, the Infrastructure sector always benefits during an economic downturn, be it due to the pandemic or otherwise.
"THE MIDDLE EAST (ME) SOLAR MARKET HAS BEEN ON A ROLLER COASTER RIDE DURING THIS PANDEMIC. THE SECTOR WITNESSED RECORD LOW CONSUMPTION, MUCH LIKE AROUND THE WORLD AND THEN A VERY QUICK BOUNCE BACK, UNLIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD" This is on three key accounts: First, during any economic downturn, investors (as well as lenders) are drawn to stable, non-cyclical, low risk investments. ME Solar projects, backed with 15-25 years PPAs offer an annuity-based business opportunity, i.e. low risk and stable cash flows. Second, during such times, interest rates are soft. For example, 3M USD LIBOR dropped from 2.79% (02 Jan 19) to 0.24% (04 Jan 21). Interest costs contribute to 1218% of total capex for a Solar IPP. Hence, this drop significantly reduces the capex and therefore, the tariff. Lastly, Governments offer financial stimulus packages to revive the economy. One of the best ways to induce this stimulus in the economy is by promoting local manufacturing and Infrastructure development. This jump starts the SME and capital intensive sector, with a ripple effect on the consumer spending and economy. A 2019 World bank report quantifies the economic benefit as $4 in benefit for each $1 invested in
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Infrastructure in low-middle income countries. Triangulating these components, of greater investor interest, cheaper finance and Government support, you see Infrastructure projects, inter alia, Solar projects being clear winners.
What are the distinguishing attractive factors for the development of solar power in the Middle East market, when compared to India, for example? In other words, why are the Solar IPP tariffs lower in the Middle East compared to India? Some of the key factors benefiting ME Solar projects (especially GCC markets) are matured financing projects, dollar-based returns, rapid project development lifecycle and Government credit risk and support.
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Regarding financing products, most ME Solar projects utilize soft mini-perms (with Abu Dhabi allowing hard mini-perms in Al Dhafra project). Other products under sustainable financing like green bonds & loans, sukuk, project bonds provide developers access to a greater pool of funding,with increased bargaining power on financing costs. Most of the GCC/ME currencies are pegged to dollar, allowing for dollar-based returns. The general equity return expectation on a utility scale Solar IPP is in the midhigh single digit numbers. The regulatory framework allows for rapid project development. For example, for GCC in most Utility scale projects, the procurer provides encumbrance-free land to the developer. There is no time lost in land acquisition related issues. Lastly, many of the Utility scale Solar IPPs have significant shareholding of the Government/ Utility. For e.g. DEWA invests 5160% equity and Qatari SNIs invest 60–70% equity in the projects. This substantially reduces the risk profile of the project sponsors, leading to better financing costs. Another major factor, when compared to India is the Procurer’s credit risk. As an example, there has not been any PPA termination in recent memory and hardly any long-drawn litigations involving PPAs. Procurers honour the payment obligations under the PPA, and project companies receive payment within the stipulated due date. Take DEWA as an example, that holds a strong balance sheet and is debt free since end-2020.
With everything going so well for Solar projects in the Middle East, where do you see challenges for the sector? There is a new kid on the block – hydrogen economy! The Hydrogen economy has the potential to tilt the balance against Solar projects.
The big benefit of Hydrogen is its direct use for energy’s largest consumer, i.e. transportation. Currently, there is research for using solar cells as well as hydrogen cells for electric vehicles (EVs) and seems like hydrogen is winning the race. Goldman Sachs says that hydrogen could supply up to 25% of global energy needs by 2050 and its market potential is pegged at the $10 trillion mark. The risk is for hydrogen being produced through non-Solar energy sources and transported to end consumers, within and outside the ME. Hence, it could be a strong challenger to Solar projects. However, I foresee a convergence of these two wonderful energy sources, i.e. the green hydrogen economy, with ME becoming the world’s factory for producing hydrogen using Solar energy. All major Government sponsored as well as regional private players have committed to/ already invested in this field. Hydrogen Power Abu Dhabi (Masdar-BP’s JV), DEWA-Siemen’s solar power hydrogen electrolysis project, ACWA’s Air Products are some examples in this field.
How do you think the Renewable Energy sector is going to be in the next 5 years in the Middle East? The ME is blessed with abundant solar energy, in terms of irradiance as well as hours in a year. This is a natural competitive advantage for this region, and one that will remain. Hence, the RE sector will remain and thrive in the ME in some form and shape. I see this sector maturing on multiple fronts.
Mini-perms are now considered vanilla products and will give way to more complex financial products. On the technology front, ME has always been an early adopter. ME accepted bi-facial modules much before there were internationally accepted forecasting methodology for degradation and generation for the albedo. Today, ME is reaping the benefits of its calculated risk, with most projects deploying bi-facial panels leading to better efficiency and lower tariffs. Enhancements in core technology like the real-time forecasting of solar irradiance, supported by small storage, makes it a highly “dispatchable” generation source. The third big change will come from the changing market definition. Gigacities like KSA’s Neom and Red Sea Development Company have paved the way for large-scale distributed/ off-grid Solar generation. Moving away from concentrated utility scale grid-connected projects, such distributed generation will play a big role. This is already seen in the areas like BiPV (Building integrated PV panels) and simple solar panel energized street lighting. Electric Vehicles and charging stations will provide an impetus to such small scale distributed generation. In conclusion, this is still an exciting time for the industry. Solar energy/ RE will see fast paced evolution on all fronts. While it will keep cannibalizing into the share of global thermal generation, the sector needs to align itself to new entrants like the hydrogen economy to remain relevant.
On the financing front, the hunger for cheaper financing and access to funds will drive the sector to innovate. Whether it is in the form of collaborative financing like the Yellow Door philosophy or sustainable financing with greater focus on ESG.
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INCONVERSATION
KAREL DE WINTER COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER, HY-ENERGIE FZ
SolarQuarter Middle East interviewed Mr. Karel De Winter Commercial Director and Cofounder, Hy-Energie FZ and got some insights on the services provided by the company Hy Energie, its project performance and technological innovations. We also got to know his future outlook on the solar sector in the Middle East region.
Please tell the readers about the services Hy Energie provides in the renewable energy domain. Hy-Energie FZE is a boutique energy engineering company, based in Umm Al Quwain Freezone and Business Bay, Dubai, UAE. Hy-Energie was created to provide the right hybrid or storage based solar solution to off-grid clients that want to implement renewables in their projects in a straightforward & cost competitive way. We do the engineering so you don’t have to. Our focus is on robust, reliable cost-effective storage & hybrid solutions allowing our residential, commercial & industrial clients to tap into the enormous potential solar & storage brings. We pride ourselves to create optimal, plug & play energy solutions for specific industry applications without complexity, allowing drop in replacements.
"WE PRIDE OURSELVES TO CREATE OPTIMAL, PLUG & PLAY ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR SPECIFIC INDUSTRY APPLICATIONS WITHOUT COMPLEXITY, ALLOWING DROP IN REPLACEMENTS."
How have your projects performed last year, financially and technically especially with the Covid crisis? Any key learnings? There was of course a slowdown at the start of the pandemic as in every sector, however we are very optimistic on the uptake now as we are continuing to see strong interests & growth in our solutions. In times of uncertainty, it makes sense for our customers to look at their costs and to study how they can reduce these. Solar and storage allows for just that and is a low hanging fruit. Our self-reliant systems offer significant financial savings and are thus quite recession proof.We are glad that the UAE has vaccinated almost the entire population as this allows for more face-to-face meetings
. In doing so our passion shines through and it is easier to convince our clients of the benefits and how we can execute. Thanks to or despite covid we are covering a wider area as on-line meetings become the norm so it is easier to reach out and have interactions with clients that are not that physically accessible. So, I would say we prefer to look at the flipside of the coin and make the best of it!
Technological innovations are playing a remarkable role in the Solar sector. What are some of the key milestones achieved recently by your esteemed company with respect to technological advancements? The world of batteries and storage is abuzz with new technologies, innovations and massive scale increases. And also, solar seems
HY-ENERGIE WAS CREATED TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT HYBRID OR STORAGE BASED SOLAR SOLUTION TO OFF-GRID CLIENTS THAT WANT TO IMPLEMENT RENEWABLES IN THEIR PROJECTS IN A STRAIGHTFORWARD & COST COMPETITIVE WAY."
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to be humming along nicely with continuous improvements finding their way in new product releases! The future is bright indeed! It seems that every other month a new low-cost breakthrough is achieved or a new storage innovation is promising the end of fossil fuel electricity generation as we know it.On top of that, don’t forget the constant innovations in business models! On our side we have been successful in breaking through in proof-of-concept solutions that build confidence at the customer side because of the robustness of our solar/storage solutions. allows our customers to confidently migrate more and more legacy systems to Solar & Storage. One of those key realizations for clients is that Solar + Storage is not intermittent – it provides a costeffective, more convenient and solid replacement to diesel fueled legacy systems.
all to the end goal of value for money for the customer. This requires an open mind and a broad knowledge of many fields. But if you love what you do, you can feel a lot of satisfaction from such cooperation & networks.
Lastly, how do you see the solar sector progressing in the Middle East market in the next 5 years? The on grid solar sector & the utility scale market will boom! I truly believe we have finally turned the corner and are gathering more and more speed. Where few years back we only had few companies (less than 20) and few sales people reaching out and spreading the news, we now have close to 200 companies active plus many more looking to enter and spreading the news on what solar can do and how much it can save. We do expect that a consolidation will be happening– especially in the Commercial & Industrial segment – where volume is King & cheap finance is Queen. In our segment of solar solutions, storage & hybrids, I expect more success stories to make the frontpages. Great solutions exist but need to be put in the limelight and many people want a 1st hand experience before making the switch from fossil to renewables. However, this is only a matter of time, Solar will be mainstream - there is no stopping solar.
Word about your recent successful contributions to this industry? What has been your biggest challenge so far? There have been a couple. One of our biggest challenges has been to drive speed & accelerate the uptake of Solar+Storage in the industry. Of course, as industry veterans we live and breathe solar every day and we recognize a good deal when we see one, but this may not be the case with our clients who may get confused by the offerings available. And with so much innovation and speed in the market, who can blame them? We understand that fully and are passionate about solar and love to teach & convince. A second challenge is that not one company controls all levers anymore which means a networking mindset is mandatory. If you want the best finance, the best monitoring, the best storage etc etc, you need to be able to optimize the network of companies and solutions and drive
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INCONVERSATION
AYMAN RASEKH CHAIRMAN, CEO, SOLARSOL SolarQuarter MiddleEast interviewed Mr. Ayman Rasekh Chairman, CEO, SolarSol and got some insights on the services provided by SOLARSOL in Egypt. He also told us about the smart technologies being adopted in the region along with the growth outlook and SOLARSOL’s future expansion plans.
Please tell the readers about the services SOLARSOL provides in solar Energy space. SOLARSOL is the only all in one solar lighting manufacturer in Egypt and maybe in MEA with the best reputation of 10 years guarantee. Also, SOLARSOL is one of the 20 best fortune companies out of 400 working as EPC for PV rooftops. SOLARSOL executed over 150 rooftop projects for different market segments. Also, we are the sole representative and distributor for HT-SAAE, a Chinese state owned company for PV modules manufacturing. Also, soon we will be manufacturing and assembling our unique solution for E-cars charging.
What are the current challenges and opportunities especially in the rooftop solar sector in the Middle East? The major challenges are : Funds to facilitate grants and long term loans, Governmental tariffs and mandates, and Regional awareness campaigns and collaboration.
"SOLARSOL IS THE ONLY ALL IN ONE SOLAR LIGHTING MANUFACTURER IN EGYPT AND MAYBE IN MEA WITH THE BEST REPUTATION OF 10 YEARS GUARANTEE. " How can the challenges be faced? Alliances between all countries to open borders for generating electricity of large solar farms (MEA solar hub). Regional collaboration in putting common mandates, schedules to reach 30% and business plans on how to reach it, not only conference speeches and promises. Eliminating any taxes on netmetering, and adding tariffs or tax rebates for self consumption.
What are some smart technologies being adopted in the Solar sector in the Middle East region? Although it takes a little bit longer to adopt any new technology in MEA than Europe, I can see a big transition in MEA in terms of digitalization, IOT, and robotic solutions for O&M.
Solar sector is constantly evolving with time. Is there anything that you are looking forward to in the next few years?
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Couple of things: All the regions are reaching 30% renewable energy! And all stakeholders are growing very fast such that the MEA solar sector becomes one of the biggest sectors helping in decreasing unemployment.
How do you see your company contributing to the clean energy sector in the Middle East in the next couple of years? In the next couple of years, we will be expanding our factories, increasing our products, and absolutely adding as many PV rooftop projects as we can. Also, assisting in adding new funds and investors, and negotiating with the governments such that we undertake the upliftment and maturity of the solar sector development.
ALL STAKEHOLDERS ARE GROWING VERY FAST SUCH THAT THE MEA SOLAR SECTOR BECOMES ONE OF THE BIGGEST SECTORS HELPING IN DECREASING UNEMPLOYMENT."
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INSIGHTS SOLAR INVESTMENT OVERVIEW IN THE MIDDLE EAST
The theme of sustainable development is gaining unprecedented levels of interest and importance around the world. The Middle East is home to some of the world's largest oil exporters as well as some of the world's largest carbon emitters. The region has taken on the responsibility of reducing greenhouse gases (GHG), and as a result, the countries in the region have set ambitious goals to encourage renewable energy and thereby minimize carbon emissions. To meet its environmental obligations and meet its rising energy needs, the region is diversifying its power generation energy mix by investing in renewables, especially solar energy. Due to ample solar resources, the area has substantial solar energy potential.
Attractive Investment Factors In The Middle East Capabilities and opportunities are vast in the middle eastern regions as these areas fall directly under the sunny belt. Renewable energy investment is increasing in the Middle East. The rise in total energy needs is due to the region's population growth and economic development. Around 26% of Middle Eastern investors said they were currently investing in the energy transformation, marking the area as the most common for current renewables investment, while some of the investors claim that they are considering investing in such an industry that has so much potential. Solar energy plays an important role in the Middle East and is expected to expand significantly in the coming years. Utility-scale solar projects account for the majority of installed renewable energy in the Middle East. As of 2019, the total installed solar capacity was 5583 MW. With the concentration of polysilicon production in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, manufacturing of solar cells and assembling of solar panels become two important points of investment. Market opportunities have resulted in the development of various solar technologies, most notably Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). The area is home to some of the world's largest current and planned CSP plants. Solar PV investments are projected to add the most value over the next five years, accounting for 67.4% of the opportunity size, led by solar CSP investments at 17.5%. In terms of technology, solar PV is expected to gain the most momentum followed by CSP over the next five years as compared to other options.
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With the concentration of polysilicon production in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, manufacturing of solar cells and assembling of solar panels become two important points of investment. Market opportunities have resulted in the development of various solar technologies, most notably Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). The area is home to some of the world's largest current and planned CSP plants. Solar PV investments are projected to add the most value over the next five years, accounting for 67.4% of the opportunity size, led by solar CSP investments at 17.5%. In terms of technology, solar PV is expected to gain the most momentum followed by CSP over the next five years as compared to other options.
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Planned Investment The Middle East' s renewable energy share is proj ected to more than triple from 5. 6% in 2016 to 20. 6% in 2035, with solar accounting for the maj ority of this increase. With capacity additions of more than 57. 0 GW in the works, there are plenty of opportunities. Numerous investment opportunities emerge for renewable companies in this region as a result of this serious effort to promote renewables in the Middle Eastern states, as well as localization efforts by these countries as they move towards building well-diversified, non-oil based economies.
T h e M o ha m m e d B i n R a s h i d S o l a r P a r k i n t h e U n i te d A r a b E m i r a t e s ( U A E ) , f o r e x a m p l e , i s t h e w o r l d ' s l a r g e s t c o n c e n t r a t e d s o l a r p o w e r p l a n t . G i v e n t h e r e g i o n ' s v a s t r e n e w a b l e e n e rg y r e s o u r c e s , i t i s n o s u r p r i s e t h a t t h e M i d d l e E a s t a n d N o r t h A f r i c a r a n k e d s o h i g h i n t e rm s o f t h e c u r r e n t a n d p o t e n t i a l i n v e s t m e n t . F u r t h e r m o r e , t h e r e g i o n ' s r e c o r d - b r e a k i n g l o w s o l a r p ric e s m a k e t h e t e c h n o l o g y e x t r e m e l y a p p e a l i n g t o d e v e l o p e r s . B y 2 0 5 0 , t h e r e g i o n ' s e l e c t r i c it y d e m a n d is projected to triple. Over the forecast era, an increase in electricity demand is likely to fuel an increase in solar energy demand. Saudi Arabia is also pursuing renewable energy growth. Saudi Arabia' s Vision 2030 demonstrates a transition toward clean energies and a reduction in the country' s reliance on oil revenue. Thanks to the government' s economic diversification programme, the solar sector is gaining a lot of attention. The government is putting a lot of money into solar power plants. The government of Saudi Arabia is also attempting to entice key global players to invest in its solar sector by offering a variety of incentives.
Conclusion T h e M i d d l e E a s t i s s t i l l w e a n i n g i t s e l f o f f o f h y d r o c a r b o n s , a p h a s e t h a t h a s b e e n f ra u g h t w it h difficulties due to the high costs and political tensions associated with taking such a risky new p a t h . T h e M id d l e E a s t e r n s o l a r i n d u s t r y i s s t e a d i l y g a i n i n g g r o u n d a n d a t t r a c t i n g l a r g e s t r e a m s o f f o r e i g n a n d d o m e s t i c i n v e s t m e n t , w i t h t h e p r i c e o f s o l a r e n e r g y p r o v i s i o n t u m b l i n g in t h e l a s t t e n years, bolstered by the proliferation of advanced solar technologies and expertise globally.
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PRODUCT FEATURE HI- MO5 540W: DELIVERING TRUE VALUEHIGHER POWER, LOWER LCOE
Hi-MO5 540W Since its founding 20 years ago, LONGi has been deeply involved in the photovoltaics industry and has continuously promoted its breakthrough innovations. Every LONGi’s successive technological innovation had brought about an industrial transformation. LONGi believes that the value of every innovation lies in real world applications. With scale, volume production of the product delivers true value. LONGi is committed to delivering maximum value for our global partners and customers.
Lowest LCOE solutions for ultra-large power plants: Lower logistics cost: This Optimizes use of container space in transport and Logistics costs 10% lower than mainstream products. Improved system capacity ratio: Matched with string inverters, cost per watt on the AC side is reduced. Reduce Equipment & Material Cost: Hi-MO 5 enables higher power per string, significantly reducing racking, pile foundation, cable, combiner box and land cost. Saves Labor Cost: Reduce Installation costs for modules, cables etc. Power Generation: 1. H i g h m o d u l e p o w e r a n d e x c e l l e n t p o w e r g e n e r a t i o n performance under low light. 2. L o w p o w e r t e m p e r a t u r e c o e f f i c i e n t . 3. R e l i a b l e b i f a c i a l m o d u l e p o w e r . g e n e r a t i o n g a i n . 4. I n d u s t r y - l e a d i n g p o w e r w a r r a n t y .
Power output M10 wafer with gallium-doped technology P-PERC cell technology Half-cut cell with multi-busbars 72-cell format
Module Efficiency Voc: 49.5V Imp: 13.0A Power temperature coefficient: -0.35%/ ℃ Weight: 32.3kg
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Double-glass with frame-The strongest bifacial module Hi-MO 5 adopts bifacial double -glass with frame which provides exceptional strength for higher load capacity. Qualified for 5400P a static load on the front when there is no cross-beam on the back of the module (as shown in the figure). Avoids shading loss due t o cross-beam a t the back of the module.
Optimized module size which are Perfectly matched with tracking systems A Hi - M O 5 m o d u l e l e n g t h i s a b o u t 2 . 2 5 m e t e r s. Compatible with mainstream 1P and 2P horizontal single axis tracking system. Bifacial module + tracking system can achieve the lowest LCOE in low latitude areas.
Double-glass with frame THE STRONGEST BIFACIAL MODULE
5400/2400 PA Front/rear side load
Optimized electrical parameters which are fully compatible with inverters
Hi - M O 5 e x t e n d s t h e H i - M O s e r i e s o f L O N G i ' s h i g h p e r f o r m a n c e m o d u l e p r o d u c t s. C o n c u r r e n t l y available with Hi-MO 4, LONGi’s product portfolio is suited for a wide range of photovoltaic applications.
The operating current of LONGi Hi-MO 5 module is about 13A.Including bifacial gain, the operating current remains within the maximum input. Current range of advanced inverters, hence there is no power generation loss.
High power generation and excellent reliability throughout the product life cycle are fundamental to LONGi’s products.
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INSIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (MENA) REGION, COUNTRIES HAVE ADVANCED IN REACHING THEIR RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGETS
SOME OF THE MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2020 INCLUDE: • Noor Abu Dhabi solar PV plant has achieved a net production of 2,000 GWh providing electricity for its first year • The world largest solar PV project, 2 GW in Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra region, was awarded • The first renewable IPP in Oman, Amin PV plant, began commercial operations in May. Amin PV project is currently the world’s largest single-unit solar park that adopted bifacial modules
• The Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN) issued an EOI to pre-qualify developers for the construction of the 400 MW Noor PV II solar power plant • The Tunisian Ministry of Mines and Energy awarded 500 MW solar projects to be built in various provinces in Q1 of 2020
• Ibri PV II, the 500-MW project in Oman, successfully achieved financial closure in Q1
• KSA’s Electricity & Cogeneration Regulatory Authority (ECRA) launched a regulatory framework for addressing small scale solar distribution systems connected to the utility grid
• The first 80 kW offshore floating solar PV project achieved commercial operations in February in Nurai Island, Abu Dhabi
• New rules on net metering were set by the Egyptian Electricity Utility and Consumer Protection regulatory agency (EgyptERA) in April
• In Dubai, the Mohammad Bin Rashid Solar Park phase 3 was inaugurated and phase 5 successfully reached financial closure
• Future of solar for C&I in Iraq is becoming more feasible
• In KSA, REPDO issued the RFQs for Round 3 including four solar power projects with a combined capacity of 1.2 GW
• KSA, UAE, Morocco, Egypt and Oman, among others, are looking to invest into large green hydrogen projects based mainly on solar
While the global pandemic (COVID19) has impacted the pace of launching new projects and the industry has had to face several challenges from supply to maintenance and workforce, the industry has also demonstrated its resilience and capacity to adapt. Despite the global lowdown in issuance of new RFQs and contracts, countries in the region have realized the importance to engage in a more sustainable future. From this point of view, renewable energy – and solar in particular – are more than ever at the forefront to provide adequate answers for decarbonization and energy security. | MIDDLE EAST | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
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PRODUCT FEATURE JINKOSOLAR LAUNCHES NEW TIGER PRO MODULES WITH HIGH-POWER AND ULTRA-EFFICIENCY FOR THE DISTRIBUTION MARKET." New Tiger Pro Modules for Distribution Market
Wide Variety of Application Scenarios
JinkoSolar launches new Tiger Pro modules with highpower and ultra-efficiency for the distribution market. The new module is based on Tiger Pro 182mm with a 54 cell design that delivers a maximum power of 415W and an ultra-efficiency of 21.3%.
Thanks to its improved size design, higher module power and higher conversion efficiency, Tiger Pro Modules Series can provide customers with lower LCOE and long-term reliable power generation for a wide variety of distributed scenarios, from industrial and commercial rooftops to residential needs. Tiger Pro module will meet the need of most residential customers with its small size and elegant appearance and will become the best PV module choice in the residential market.
More User-friendly Module Size and Weight Design Size and weight of Tiger Pro modules are designed to be suitable for the height and arm length of installers as well as the rooftop size, to be more user-friendly. Therefore, the module can better meet the market demand in terms of installation, manual handling, and transportation compared with conventional modules.
JinkoSolar has been leading the industry through the strength of its continuous R&D and innovation, reliable production and quality as well as outstanding customer service. The company will provide optimized renewable energy solutions for global customers to help all industries to achieve carbon neutrality.
Best Warranty of the Industry JinkoSolar Tiger Pro Series offers the industry’s best 15-year product warranty and 25-year linear warranty. The degradation is 2% in the first year, and the maximum annual degradation is 0.55% from the second year to the 25th year.
Superior Mechanical Load Safety and Reliability With upgraded module materials and optimized process design, Tiger Pro modules provide superior mechanical load safety and reliability. Excellent mechanical load performance makes the module suitable for installation in high snow/wind load areas.
| INDIA | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
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COMPANY FEATURE JINKOSOLAR IS SOLE PV COMPANY GIVEN HIGHEST AAA RATING FOR CREDIT QUALITY IN THE CHINESE MARKET
JinkoSolar at a Glance JinkoSolar is one of the largest and most innovative solar module manufacturers in the world. JinkoSolar distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, and other countries and regions. JinkoSolar has built a vertically integrated solar product value chain, with an integrated annual capacity of 22 GW for mono wafers, 11 GW for solar cells, and 31 GW for solar modules, as of December 31, 2020. JinkoSolar has 9 productions facilities globally, 20 overseas subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, United States, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Australia, Portugal, Canada, Malaysia, UAE, Kenya, Denmark, and global sales teams in China, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, Ukraine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Morocco, Kenya, South Africa, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Poland and Argentina, as of December 31, 2020.
Mission: Optimize the energy portfolio and take responsibility for enabling a sustainable future.
Vision: Provide an one-stop solution for clean energy and become an industry leader.
Steady Development in 2020:
Comprehensive Breakthrough for Continuous Innovation
Operations Outlook for 2021 Shipment Expectation: Full-year shipments are expected to grow by more than 30% in 2021, between 25 and 30 GW (including shipments of wafers, cells and modules). Capacity Expectation: In 2021, vertical integration of production lines will increase significantly, and the capacity will continue to be expanded. By the end of 2021, the planned capacity for monocrystalline silicon wafers, high-efficiency cells and modules is expected to reach 33 GW, 27 GW and 37 GW respectively. Vertical integration ratio will reach 75%+
Ensuring the Highest Return on Investment Tiger Pro series cumulative orders have exceeded 10GW and it’s expected to account for 40%-50% in 2021 shipments. It will provide global customers with even lower LCOE and higher ROI.
Annual shipment 18.8GW
Year-over-year growth rate 31.4%
Total revenues $5.38billion
Year-over-year growth rate 18.1%
Gross profit $945.8million
Year-over-year growth rate 13.6%
EBITDA
＄463million
Year-over-year growth rate 20.5%
| MIDDLE EAST | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
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Deepening the Global Layout
Improving the Industry Ecological Chain
By the end of 2020, cumulative shipments exceeded 70GW, making JinkoSolar ranking first in the world, selling our products to more than 160 countries. With localized production, operation and service network covering global customers, we provide the most professional clean energy solutions.
Continuously optimize supply chain management through industrial chain networks and partners: 1. Long-term order lock for core materials 2. Strategic cooperation between the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain 3. Alternative technology and material stockpiling
Return to A Shares through Stock Split, Expand Financing Channels In October 2020, JinkoSolar completed a 3.1 billion yuan financing to prepare for the IPO of Jiangxi JinkoSolar, the company's main operating subsidiary Fulfil Our Social Responsibility 1.Signatory of the Global Heavy Industry Framework Principles to continue decarbonizing the heavy industry, while actively shifting to clean energy.
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Leading Technological Innovation JinkoSolar has never stopped to set new world records – Jinko has broken R&D records for 15 times. In the next 1-2 years: the highest efficiency target of the Ntype mono cell is 25.5%+.The highest efficiency target for stack cell is 29%+.As of December 31, 2020, JinkoSolar has applied for 1,428 patents,959 patents were approved. Deploying “PV+”, focusing on BIPV, energy storage, PV hydrogen production, etc., thanks to advanced technical capabilities and widespread marketing promotion to foster sustainability and pave the way towards carbon neutrality. Schneider Group China's first distributed soft-top PV project was completed and connected to the grid. China's first BIPV carport project in operation.
| INDIA | MAR-APR ISSUE 2021
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2.In order to support the global epidemic prevention work, JinkoSolar launched “Jinko Anti-Pandemic Guardian Angel Program”. A total of 12 million RMB, 1 million masks and other essential supplies were donated to fight the COVID-19 Pandemic..
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LAUNCHED NEW EXCLUSIVE PUBLICATION for ASEAN Solar Industry
EMPOWERING HIGH GROWTH ASEAN MARKET
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