SolarQuarter- Middle East Sep-Oct Issue 2021 by SolarQuarter

Empowering, Insightful, Engaging

W W W . S O L A R Q U A R T E R . C O M

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‫ المشاركة‬، ‫ الثاقبة‬، ‫التمكين‬

Middle East

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CONTENT 04

NEWS

MIDDLE EAST NEWS

IN CONVERSATION

AYALON VANICHE

PUBLISHING Firstview Media Ventures Pvt. Ltd.

CEO, EDF Renewables Israel SirajPower Head of On-Grid Business,

IN CONVERSATION

ANTOINE POUSSARD Managing Partner, Business, FinergreenSirajPower Head of On-Grid

EDITING

IN CONVERSATION

Ashwini Chikkodi

DR. MARCUS SCHUMACHER

Nikita Salkar

Groupof CEO, JubailiBusiness, Bros Head On-Grid SirajPower

editorial@firstviewgroup.com

CONTENT Sadhana Raju Shenvekar Anand Kumar Sanjana Kamble publishing@firstviewgroup.com

DESIGNING Neha Barangali design@firstviewgroup.com

ADVERTISING Smriti Charan Andrew Ferreira advertise@firstviewgroup.com

CIRCULATION Sadhana Raju Shenvekar

SUBCRIPTION subscribe@firstviewgroup.com

ADVERTISE WITH US Contact: Smriti Charan e: smriti@firstviewgroup.com

INSIGHTS

FUTURE OUTLOOK: HOW WILL EGYPT SEE SOLAR RISE? Head of On-Grid Business, SirajPower

INSIGHTS

REPUBLIC OF TUNISIA: HOW READY IS IT FOR RENEWABLES? Head of On-Grid Business, SirajPower

INSIGHTS

SOLAR EVOLUTION IN ISRAEL: HOW IS IT GAINING GROUND? Head of On-Grid Business, SirajPower

OPINION

HOW CAN GOVERNMENT'S GOAL OF PRODUCING 30% OF THE ELECTRICITY Head of On-Grid Business, SirajPower IN THE STATE OF ISRAEL THROUGH RENEWABLE ENERGY BE ACHIEVED?

OPINION

Head of ARE On-Grid Business, SirajPower WHAT THE FACTORS LEADING TO THE GROWTH OF SOLAR IN EGYPT?

FEATURED TALKS

RYAN WANG Sr. Director, LONGiBusiness, Solar Head of On-Grid SirajPower

PRODUCT FEATURE

LONGi

Head of On-Grid Business, SirajPower

PRODUCT FEATURE

Sungrow Head of On-Grid Business, SirajPower

COMPANY FEATURE

Sungrow

Head of On-Grid Business, SirajPower

LONGi

COMPANY FEATURE

MIDDLE EAST NEWS BUZZ >

INDUSTRY >

ACWA POWER TO LAUNCH $1 BILLION IPO A CWA Power, a leading private developer, owner, and operator of long-term contracted power generation and desalinated water projects worldwide announced its intention to float on the Riyadh bourse in an initial public offering (IPO) that could raise more than $1 billion. The company, which is half-owned by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, plans to issue 85.3 million shares, representing 11.67% of the company after a capital increase. Around 4.14 million shares, representing 0.57% of the company, will be allocated to certain employees of the company and its subsidiaries as part of its employee IPO grant plan. ACWA Power’s IPO is anticipated to raise more than $1 billion, valuing the company about $10 billion. An additional growth driver is the development of 70% of Saudi Arabia’s 2030 renewable energy target of 58.7 GW under the National Renewable Energy Programme, which ACWA Power is developing with the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a majority shareholder in the Company, under a strategic framework agreement. The share of renewables in ACWA Power’s total gross power capacity is currently 33%, which is targeted to increase to 50% by 2030.

Middle East

NADEC COMPLETES PHASE 1 OF 30 MW SOLAR POWER PROJECT S audi’s

National Agricultural Development Company (NADEC) recently announced that it has completed the 10 MW (first phase) of its 30 MW solar power project. NADEC is one of the largest foods and agricultural companies in the Middle East and North Africa region. The remaining 20 MW of the final phase will be completed by the end of October 2021, the company said. The preliminary estimates show that the first phase is expected to reduce the company’s fuel consumption in the range of 2,900,000 liters, which would reduce energy costs by 740,000 Saudi riyals ($197,303.60). The cost savings would be reflected in the financial results for the fourth quarter. The company said the expected total decrease in fuel consumption once the entire project starts operations will be around 16,000,000 liters, equivalent to 4.1 million riyals ($1.09 million), which will reduce the company’s energy costs by 4%. NADEC signed a 25 year PPA in July 2019 with France’s Engie at a fixed price of 9.4 halalas per kWh to implement the solar power project.

DETAIL >

GREEN HYDROGEN IS POTENTIALLY A NEW ECONOMIC ENGINE FOR OMAN: OPAL CEO Green hydrogen’ – a carbon-neutral energy resource is

seen as imperative to driving the global energy transition as well as achieving climate change goals – also has the potential to ignite the growth of a new, carbon-free economy in Oman. According to Abdulrahman al Yahyaei, CEO of the Oman Society for Petroleum Services (OPAL) – the umbrella organization of energy companies and service providers in the Sultanate – the climate-friendly energy resource will be a game-changer for the Omani economy and the wider global community. The CEO however acknowledged that the pace of green hydrogen’s adoption as the agent driving the energy transition would depend largely on two factors: global dynamics, and society’s responses to climate change.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 4

INDUSTRY >

LATEST>

ALSTOM TO INTRODUCE HYDROGEN MOBILITY FOR RAIL IN MENA REGION A lstom has initiated several

sustainable mobility solutions across the MENA region. The company is a global leader in rail transport and sustainable mobility. The Coradia iLint is a perfect illustration of the commitment to designing and delivering innovative and environment-friendly solutions. This made Alstom the first company to develop and put into operation hydrogen trains. Railway applications are ideally suited for the use of hydrogen, as the quantities of hydrogen required are large, predictable, localized, and constant over a long period of time. It can cover ranges up to 1,000 kilometers. Through innovations in electric transport and hydrogen fuel, Alstom aims to shape the future of the region’s mass transit and mobility for the better. It remains dedicated to significantly reducing carbon footprint, and decarbonizing rail transport.

Middle East

KUWAIT PLANS TO RAISE ITS POWER CAPACITY FROM 7.5GW TO 14GW K uwait is planning to speed up its power generation projects to 14GW capacity by 2041 to focus on the present and future demands. The country is hoping to attract outside investors to fund several power projects under a public-private partnership (PPP) program that will cover more than half of its future electricity needs over the next two decades. Around 7,500 MW (7.5GW) of 14,000 MW (14GW) will come from these partnerships over the coming 20 years which requires billions of dollars of investment. The projects under the PPP program comprise Al-Khiran, with the capacity of 1,800 MW, the Al-Zour 2 & 3 plant, with 2,700 MW of capacity, and Al-Shaqaya and Al-Debdiba, with a combined capacity of 3,000 MW.

DETAIL >

MASDAR INAUGURATES 100 MW SOLAR PROJECT IN UZBEKISTAN Masdar has inaugurated the Nur Navoi Solar Project

– Uzbekistan’s first successfully-financed independent power producer (IPP) solar project. In the first quarter of 2023, the operation of the project will start Samarkand and Jizzakh, in Uzbekistan. The 100-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) plant, Uzbekistan’s first utility-scale solar project, has begun energization, making its first contribution to Uzbekistan’s renewable energy targets. After completion, the plant will provide power to 31,000 households and displace around 150,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. Nur Navoi is the first Masdar project to begin operations in Uzbekistan, with the company has committed to a number of other solar and wind projects in the Central Asian country. In July, Masdar signed agreements to develop two PV projects in the country for a combined capacity of 440 MW.

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INSIGHT >

LATEST>

IRAQ TO BOOST ITS POWER CAPACITY TO 45,000 MW WITH SOLAR AND OTHER RE SOURCES

JORDAN TO ADD 50 MW CAPACITY OF SOLAR POWER PLANT J ordan will add a 50 MW solar power plant to advance

in its clean energy portfolio. The commercial operation date of the solar plant was 1st September 2021. The power plant project Al Husainiyah is sponsored by AMEA Power with a 70% stake and Jordan-based Philadelphia Solar with a 30% stake. AMEA Power now has 100 MW of operational power projects in the country with Abour wind project and the latest one. The project was awarded following the second round of Jordan’s renewables feed-in-tariff (FiT) program. This power plant is situated in Ma’an Governorate that is 200km south of Amman. The operation of the project will last for 20 years. This will avoid carbon emissions of more than 3 million tonnes. The power plant will supply clean and affordable energy to nearly 50,000 households. In the process of construction, around 400 people will be employed.

S olar energy plants and other

power projects will more than double Iraq’s electricity generation capacity to nearly 45,000 megawatts (MW) within five years, the official Alsabah newspaper said. Currently, the country produces around 20,000 MW but capacity will sharply increase as part of a five-year development plan devised by the Electricity Ministry said the Ministry’s spokesman Ahmed Al-Abadi. “The five-year plan comprises expansions and new projects will boost Iraq’s power production to around 45,000 MW at the end of that plan,” Abadi said. He told that the plan is divided into three parts including short, medium, and long-term stages, adding that phase 1 would see the addition of 5,000 MW by year-end. The medium-term phase comprises projects that will add 7,000 MW while the rest will be installed in the third stage, he added. Last month, Abadi said Iraq intends to build several solar power plants and that some of them, with a combined capacity of 3,000 MW would be executed by Total of France and Masdar of Abu Dhabi. Also in August, the Electricity Ministry signed an initial agreement with the stateowned Power China to build solar power plants with a capacity of 2,000 MW.

Middle East

BUZZ>

DEWA PARTNERS WITH ARAB YOUTH CENTER FOR CLEAN TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and the

Arab Youth Center (AYC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to prepare youth leaders specialized in clean technology innovation. This will be achieved by using the capabilities of DEWA’s Innovation Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The MoU supports the shared vision of DEWA and AYC to empower young people and build their capabilities. The MoU was signed by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, and HE Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Vice-Chair of the Arab Youth Center. Officials from both sides were present. “Youths are the powerhouse of the future and the core of the human capital our Arab societies need to accelerate socio-economic development. That is why empowering youth with advanced skills, that link qualifications with the current and rising dynamics of the labor market as well as foster competitiveness of Arab countries, is fundamental in our mandate,” said Al Mazrui.

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LATEST>

TOTALENERGIES IN AGREEMENT WITH IRAQI GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT ELECTRICITY GENERATION USING RENEWABLE ENERGY TotalEnergies, the Iraqi Ministries for oil

and electricity, and the country’s National Investment Commission have signed, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Iraq, major agreements covering several projects in the Basra region, designed to enhance the development of Iraq’s natural resources to improve the country’s electricity supply. Iraq, a country rich in natural resources, is indeed experiencing electricity shortages while it faces a sharp increase in demand from the population. TotalEnergies, with the support of the Iraqi authorities, on the one hand, will invest in installations to recover gas that is being flared on three oil fields and as such supply gas to 1,5 GW of power generation capacity in a first phase growing to 3 GW in a second phase, and, on the other hand, will also develop 1 GW of solar electricity generation capacity to supply the Basra regional grid.

INSIGHT >

IRENA SIGNS MOU WITH WORLD GOVERNMENT SUMMIT FOR ENERGY TRANSITION T he International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and World Government

Summit signed an MoU to jointly promote the development of the renewable energy sector globally. With a focus on the energy system, the two organizations will use their convening power to identify effective solutions to meet global challenges, promote sustainable development, and support governments as they work to shape a better future for coming generations. The agreement was signed by Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, and Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications and Managing Director of the World Government Summit. Al Olama said, “This partnership with IRENA reflects the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to promote areas of cooperation and to share successful experiences and expertise with governments and global organizations, in sectors most associated with human life, and His Highness’s focus on diversifying energy sources and promoting them.”

BUZZ>

LULU GROUP INKS ITS MAJOR GREEN MILESTONE PROJECT WITH SIRAJPOWER L ulu Group, the region’s leading multinational retail conglomerate, announced its

collaboration with SirajPower on a significant solar initiative aimed at achieving major green milestones. SirajPower, UAE’s leading distributed solar energy provider will design, build, fully finance, operate, and maintain a 1 MWp solar carport installation and 4 Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations for Lulu Group’s Dubai Silicon Central Hypermarket. The solar carport project covers 7,209 sqm and will produce 1.7 GWh of clean energy annually, offsetting more than 1,205 metric tons of CO2 emissions equivalent to nearly 20,000 tree seedlings grown for 10 years. Lulu Group’s brand-new Silicon Central boasts a GLA of 78,500 sqm of retail, F&B, cinemas, including a Lulu Hypermarket & department store spanning 16,800 sqm.

Middle East

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INSIGHT >

LATEST>

EIGHTEEN AND TAQA POWER SIGNS A DEAL FOR ENERGY SOLUTIONS

HITACHI ABB POWER GRIDS TO SUPPLY STEP-UP TRANSFORMERS TO AL DHAFRA SOLAR PROJECT H itachi ABB Power Grids recently announced

that it will supply large generator step-up (GSU) transformers, protection, and telecommunication systems to China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC), the EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) Contractor for the construction of the Al Dhafra PV2 Solar project in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) is developing the plant along with Abu Dhabi’s Masdar, EDF Renewables, and Jinko Power. The project is located about 35 kilometers from Abu Dhabi city and will supply power to Emirates Water and Electricity Company. The Al Dhafra PV2 Solar project, consisting of approximately 3 million solar panels, will be the world’s largest single-site solar farm. With 2 gigawatts of power capacity, the farm will generate electricity for an estimated 160,000 homes across the UAE, contributing to the shift to sustainable renewable energy. The project is expected to be put into operation by November 2022.

E IGHTEEN, the luxury real estate

project of twin cities, has signed an agreement with electricity giant TAQA Power, the power arm of TAQA Arabia for the electrification of the “EIGHTEEN project” and to put in place an effective distribution network to meet the developers’ needs with highly reliable & effective power solutions. EIGHTEEN is an exclusive joint real estate venture of Egypt-based Ora Developers, and Saif Group, and Kohistan Builders (KBD) of Pakistan. Located just 10 minutes from the New Islamabad International Airport, the grand project occupies a focal place in the twin cities. With an aim to connect sophistication with convenience, EIGHTEEN turns your dream of a lavish lifestyle into reality.

Middle East

BUZZ>

BATELCO SOLAR PARK TO COMPLETE IN OCTOBER S enior management from Batelco’s Network

and Corporate Communications Divisions made a site visit to view the progress of Batelco’s Solar Park, which is currently being built in Ras Abu Jarjoor next to Batelco’s Satellite Earth Station and RJR Data Center. Construction on the Solar Park, which began in February 2021, is on target to be finished on schedule in October 2021. Once complete, the solar energy generated from the park will be used to power Batelco’s RJR Data Center. The Batelco Solar Park forms an important part of Batelco’s sustainability efforts and supports the company’s goal of becoming an eco-friendly corporation by producing clean energy to power its operations.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 08

INSIGHT >

LATEST>

BBK LAUNCHES SOLAR PANEL LOAN IN BAHRAIN

AMERICAN MISSION HOSPITAL (AMH) PROJECT IS 40% COMPLETE IN BAHRAIN A ccording to American Mission Hospital (AMH), 40% of the work on its eco-friendly solar power-run private hospital in Bahrain is now complete. The state-of-the-art BD25 million King Hamad American Mission Hospital in A’ali is expected to be commissioned in November next year. The hospital will become the first one to introduce robots with a hybrid operation system on a large scale. Around 3,000 solar panels will be installed on the hospital’s roof, and it is expected to generate 1MW of power to run the multi-specialty facility. This facility is designed and developed on futuristic digitalized platforms which aim at linking patients with the hospital 24×7 if needed. The first phase consists of a maternity and children’s hospital and the second a 100-bed multi-specialty hospital.

B BK, Bahrain’s pioneer in retail and commercial banking, recently announced that it will be offering loans with lenient repayment terms to purchase solar panels, in cooperation with a number of accredited local Bahraini suppliers, at competitive rates. This initiative comes in line with the Bank’s social responsibility strategy that focuses on the Environment in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and in support of the national efforts to preserve and enhance the energy efficiency and increase the shift to renewable energy sources, and its commitment to support the sustainable development goals, with special emphasis on the 7th goal “clean energy at affordable prices” and the 13th goal “climate action”.

Middle East

BUZZ>

LOCALIZATION OF THE PV INDUSTRY IN KSA E ng. Majid Al-Rifai, Group Chief Commercial Officer

at the leading provider of renewable energy solutions Desert Technologies, confirmed that solar energy projects are at the forefront of renewable energy projects being established throughout the Kingdom in accordance with Vision 2030 and the initiatives that fall under it in the renewable energy sector. Embodying efforts to localize the renewable energy sector, promoting local content, and enabling the manufacture of solar energy production components locally. This will qualify the Kingdom to become a global center for Solar energy and its technologies during the next ten years, develop the Kingdom’s economy, and adopt the latest innovations in it to confront the effects of climate change and mitigate global warming.

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INSIGHT >

LATEST>

STERLING & WILSON SOLAR COMMISSIONS 66 MW SOLAR PROJECT IN JORDAN S terling and Wilson Solar today announced that it has commissioned the 66 MWp Al Husainiyah solar power plant in Jordan. The project is located on an area of 1.3 sq. km in Ma’an Governorate, 200 km south of Amman. The Al Husainiyah project will save around 50,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, thus reducing the dependency on fossil fuels and unlocking large-scale solar opportunities for the country. Amit Jain, Global CEO, Sterling, and Wilson Solar Group said, “Due to the outspread of COVID19 and subsequent lockdowns in India and other countries, there were delays in manufacturing, FAT of material and construction work of the Al Husainiyah project in Jordan. However, we arranged priority deliveries for material from OEMs, enabled remote monitoring, hired a local team, and provided the necessary training to them, to deliver the project as per the agreed timelines.”

Middle East

BP, ADNOC, AND MASDAR PARTNERS TO PROVIDE CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR UK AND UAE B p, ADNOC and Masdar have signed three agreements with the potential to lead to billions of dollars of investment into clean and low carbon energy, creating potentially thousands of energy jobs. The first agreement would see the companies collaborate to initially develop 2GW of low carbon hydrogen across hubs in the UK and UAE, with the intention to expand as the project progresses. Access to clean hydrogen – a critical fuel in the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries – can reduce emissions, ‎e nable new, low-carbon products, and unlock future fuels. A recent announcement could enable a significant contribution towards the UK Government’s target to develop 5GW of hydrogen production by 2030. The expected areas of collaboration align with the key areas of both the UK government’s 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution and the UAE Government’s ‘Principles of the 50’, which includes the development of a dynamic domestic economy through scientific and technical excellence.

BUZZ>

119% INCREASE IN SOLAR ENERGY USAGE – REPORT Almarai’s Sustainability Report 2020 revealed a 119%

increase in solar energy use compared to 2019, as part of the company’s keenness to implement more sustainable solutions to reduce emissions every day. According to the annual report, Almarai is aware of the serious risks involved in climate change and the impact of greenhouse gas emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption. The report monitored the progress of pastures in 2020 at the level of achieving a 4% reduction in car fuel consumption through the sales, distribution, and logistics department compared to 2019, while clean energy accounted for 2.5% of total electricity consumption (4.4% within the limits of the sustainability strategy), and the development of a road map based on ISO 50001 standards. Al-Otaibi explained that raising energy awareness is an essential element in our overall energy management strategy, our ability to benefit from technological solutions as well, and we strive to establish an energy concession center that serves as a collaborative information exchange platform and plays an important role in the success of initiatives that help to advance our strategic objectives.

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INSIGHT >

LATEST>

23 NEW SOLAR PANEL FACTORIES ARE COMING UP IN THE KINGDOM

GREEN HYDROGEN IS ONE OF THE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABLE FUTURE – HE SAEED MOHAMMED AL TAYER

recent news, Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) said that 23 new solar panel factories are coming up in Saudi Arabia. These factories will manufacture solar energy systems and panels. The plants will be spread over a 360,000 sq m area in 12 industrial cities. It comprises Riyadh 2nd Industrial City; Sudair City for Industry and Businesses; Al-Kharj Industrial City; Dammam 2nd and 3rd industrial cities; Jeddah 1st, 2nd, and 3rd industrial cities; AlMadinah Industrial City; AlBaha Industrial City; and the two incubators in private industrial cities that are under the supervision of Modon. CEO Engineer Khalid Bin Mohammed Al Salem stated that Modon works on supporting the renewable energy sector through empowering supply chains and localizing its main components.

Middle East

H E Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA),

has emphasized that green hydrogen represents one of the pillars of a sustainable future that depends on accelerating the transition to carbon neutrality to support a green economy. Al Tayer made these remarks during his speech at Gastech Exhibition & Conference 2021, which is hosted in the UAE under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and supported by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. The Green Hydrogen project, which has been implemented in collaboration between DEWA, Expo 2020 Dubai, and Siemens Energy at DEWA’s R&D Centre in the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa to produce hydrogen using solar power. The plant was designed to facilitate future applications and test platforms of different uses for hydrogen, such as energy production, transportation, and industrial uses.and RCREEE were proud to organize the online launching event of the 2nd phase of the EU-funded project “Mitigation Enabling Energy Transition in the Mediterranean Region (meetMED) on the 7th of April 2021, gathering more than 130 participants from all Mediterranean countries. Following the success of its first phase (MEETMED I, from 2018-2020), meetMED project commences a new phase aiming to enhance the energy security of beneficiary countries (namely Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia) while fostering their transition to low carbon economy. meetMED II will also be contributing to the creation of more stable, efficient, competitive, and climate-resilient socioeconomic contexts in the targeted countries. The second phase of meetMED will run until June 2024. MeetMED II activities aim at strengthening the implementation of EE measures and improving countries’ energy mix focusing on building and appliances’ sectors through a multiscale, multipartner, and inclusive approach at local and regional levels, thereby fostering regional cooperation.

BUZZ>

OMAN AND BELGIUM SIGNS MOU FOR GREEN ENERGY O man and Belgium recently signed an MoU to partner on green

energy-related issues under the presence of Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad al Rumhy, Minister of Energy and Minerals. This MoU is linked to the development of a world-scale green hydrogen scheme – dubbed HYPORT Duqm – at the SEZ in Duqm which agreement was signed last year. HYPORT Duqm is a joint initiative of OQ Alternative Energy (a division of OQ – the Sultanate’s integrated energy group) and DEME Concessions of Belgium (which is a key shareholder in Port of Duqm). A couple of days ago, an MoU was signed with German energy giant Uniper to provide engineering services and negotiate an exclusive offtake agreement of green ammonia from the project. HYPORT Duqm will connect to Port of Duqm’s brand-new export terminal, storage infrastructure, and liquid jetties and will use Port of Duqm as its gateway to deliver competitive decarbonized molecules across global users.

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TURKEY LAUNCHES 1.5 GW OF SOLAR PV TENDER

ALGERIA AIMS AT GENERATING 15,000 MW OF SOLAR ENERGY BY 2035 A ccording to Energy Transition and Renewable Energy of Algeria, Ziane Ben Attou,

In recent news, under the national renewable energy program Yeka (Yenilenebilir Enerji Kaynak Alanları), Turkey launched 1.5 GW of solar tender. The announcement was made by Turkey’s Ministry of Energy. This is the fifth in the Yeka series where a 10 to 30 MW capacity of around 76 largescale solar PV projects will be selected. While the last date for application is January 12, the ministry has set a maximum price limit of TRY0.40/kWh ($0.045). Eren Engur, a board member of Turkish solar association, Günder, and president of its energy storage committee, said, “With this new announcement of YEKA-5, we can easily say that we’re on the right track of having a sustainable gigawatt PV market in Turkey with the support of the government.” “Furthermore, we are on the final phases of the inclusion of energy storage capacity in the upcoming YEKA tenders,” he added.

the country is planning to set up a funding body for energy projects. He said, “Algeria’s energy transition roadmap is based on three pillars. The first is to enact laws to facilitate the transition, the second is to opt for renewable and clean energy, and the third is to develop human resources by promoting research and development activities to achieve the transition.” The Minister also said that Algeria aims at producing 15,000 megawatts of solar energy by 2035 and would soon launch a bidding process for the same. The country is promoting renewable energy in housing, agriculture, and the industrial sector and encouraging electric cars. It also wants to rely on green hydrogen as an asset for the future and become an active player in the field.

BUZZ>

DEWA INAUGURATES PILOT PROJECT USING TESLA’S LITHIUM-ION ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTION A s part of its efforts to diversify the energy mix and enhance energy storage technologies, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has inaugurated a pilot project for energy storage at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park using Tesla’s lithium-ion battery solution. The project has a power capacity of 1.21 MW and an energy capacity of 8.61 MWh with a life span of up to 10 years. Al Tayer noted that DEWA is implementing other energy storage projects. These include using Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) in the 4th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which combines CSP and photovoltaic solar panels with a production capacity of 950MW. Bin Salman said that both pilot systems allow bi-directional charging (charged from the grid and/or solar plant and discharged to the grid).

Middle East

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LATEST>

COLLABORATION OF SNAM AND IRENA FOR GREEN HYDROGEN

CENTRAL PLUS STRING INVERTER, SUNGROW’S MULTIFACETED APPROACH LIGHTENS UP THE MIDDLE EAST MARKET T he new PV installation capacity in the Middle East will exceed 50GW by 2030, estimated by IHS. The Middle East, a region full of resources, boasts vast and sunny desert land, large PV installation capacity benefiting from scale economy, supportive policies from governments and public sectors, friendly financing environment, etc., which provide perfect conditions for PV plant building. This market now is becoming a coveted region for global renewable enterprises to snag a spot. Amid the fierce competition, Sungrow’s multi-faceted approach, namely the combination of central and string inverters, has proved successful in this promising market. Statistically, by the end of June 2021, the cumulative installation of Sungrow’s inverter equipment in the Middle East and North Africa exceeded 3GW; thus, ranking first in market share.

E urope’s largest energy infrastructure operator and IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency), the leading intergovernmental organization supporting countries in their sustainable, renewables transitions, have announced a Partnership Agreement aimed at developing hydrogen-based on renewables (‘green hydrogen’) to support the energy transition worldwide. The signing ceremony was held at the presence of Roberto Cingolani, Italy’s Minister for the Ecologic Transition, and the agreement was sealed by Marco Alverà, CEO of Snam, and Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, during the “The H2 Road to net zero” conference organized in Milan by Bloomberg in collaboration with IRENA and Snam. The two parties will cooperate to study and possibly implement alongside other partners, pilot projects on renewables generation, transport, and distribution of green hydrogen with a view to the development of replicable business cases.

Middle East

BUZZ>

ACWA POWER WILL ISSUE GREEN BONDS TO FINANCE RE PROJECTS: CEO A CWA Power at the starting of 2022, will issue

green bonds for financing its renewable energy projects. ACWA Power is partly owned by Saudi Arabia’s PIF sovereign wealth fund. The company already has 5 projects certified for green finance, which together will require around $10 billion in financing. Earlier this month, ACWA Power announced its intention to float on the Riyadh bourse in an initial public offering (IPO) that could raise more than $1 billion. In August, ACWA Power and a consortium secured financing for Sudair Solar PV, a 1.5-gigawatt plant that is the first under the Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) renewables program. The project is worth 3.4 billion riyals ($907 million), will be one of the largest single-contracted solar photovoltaic plants in the world and the biggest in Saudi Arabia said the company.

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MASDAR SIGNS AGREEMENT IN IRAQ FOR 1 GW SOLAR PROJECTS

M asdar, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies signed a strategic agreement with the Republic of Iraq to develop five solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the country with a combined capacity of 1 gigawatt (GW). Masdar has signed an implementation agreement with Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity and the National Investment Commission to develop the following projects: a 450-megawatt (MW) plant in the Dhi Qar Governate in southern Iraq; a 100 MW and a 250 MW plant, both located in Ramadi in central Iraq; a 100 MW plant in Mosul in the north; and a 100 MW plant in Amarah in the southeast. The agreement was signed by Suha Al-Najar, President of the National Investment Commission for the Republic of Iraq, Maha Hamoudi AbdulJabbar the Director-General of the Investments and Contracts Department at the Ministry of Electricity, and Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar.

Middle East

STC AND ERICSSON SIGNS AN MOU FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY S TC and Ericsson have signed a memorandum of

understanding (MoU) to jointly explore sustainable initiatives to power the STC network infrastructure with intelligent and renewable energy. The partnership will further explore other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) green-site solutions and sustainability initiatives for the Kingdom. As part of the partnership, Ericsson will use its expertise to provide the most energy-efficient strategies to the STC network to positively contribute to society. Under the first phase of the MoU, STC and Ericsson will deploy several sustainable site solutions that will showcase how renewable energy can power networks of the future. Collaborations will include implementing a solar-hybrid site and initiatives to reduce Carbon dioxide emissions, which will help preserve the environment.

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IRAQ WILL BUILD 525 MW TWO SOLAR PLANTS WITH NORWAY-LED CONSORTIUM I raq signs a deal with a Norway-led consortium for

building 2 solar power plants of 525 MW capacity. Scatec will help in building the solar plants in the south of Baghdad. The cost of the project is estimated to be around $500 million. One plant will be built in Babel and the other one in Karbala. Iraq is the second-largest producer in the OPEC region but still, the country faces serious energy threats and power cuts. Abdelaziz Atribi, Scatec’s Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, told AFP construction should begin “as quickly as possible” and take around a year. The consortium also includes Egypt’s Orascom Construction and Iraq’s private Albilal Group. Iraq recently signed another deal with UAE’s Masdar to develop five solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the country with a combined capacity of 1 gigawatt (GW). With these deals, Iraq aims to add 7,500 MW to its grid by 2023. Crude accounts for 90% of Baghdad’s revenue. As of now, the country generates 16,000 MW of electricity, which is short than the estimated 24,000-MW to meet the requirements of Iraq’s population which as per the UN is expected to double by 2050.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 14

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AIR LIQUIDE, TOTALENERGIES, VINCI, AND OTHERS LAUNCHES CLEAN HYDROGEN INFRASTRUCTURE FUND Air Liquide, TotalEnergies and VINCI, are combining forces with other large international companies to sponsor the creation of the world’s largest fund exclusively dedicated to clean hydrogen infrastructure solutions. The fund aims to reach 1.5 billion euros and has already secured initial commitments of 800 million euros. Its objective is to accelerate the growth of the clean hydrogen ecosystem by investing in large strategic projects and leveraging the alliance of industrial and financial players. The clean hydrogen infrastructure fund will invest in the entire value chain of renewable and low carbon hydrogen, in the most promising regions in the Americas, Asia, and Europe. It will invest as a partner, alongside other key project developers and/or industry players, in large upstream and downstream clean hydrogen projects. Total commitments to the fund have already reached 800 million euros out of a target of around 1.5 billion euros at the signature.

Middle East

INSIGHT >

UTICO TO SET UP ENERGY COMPANY FOR HYDROGEN U tico, the Middle East’s leading full-service utility and the only private water and

power company in the UAE today announced its entry into Hydrogen production by 2024. In a statement at the ongoing WETEX and Dubai Solar Show, Utico also said that it was exiting the Clean Coal Carbon capture project it had signed with Shanghai Electric in 2014, for which it had obtained the Middle East’s first Federal Environmental Permit in 2016 done by TUV Nord. Utico had also planned and announced the same scale 350MW supercritical project at the Duqum Special Economic Zone in 2016 with a Bio Fertilizer plant using Carbon to produce Agro & Pharma grade Algae with a 200MW solar facility that would offset carbon emissions by greater than 70%, making it cleaner than natural gas. Both projects would have captured greater than 1 million tons of CO2 per year.

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APICORP’S RAISES US $750 MN FROM ITS DEBUT GREEN BONDS The

Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP), a multilateral development financial institution focused on the energy sector, announced that it has successfully raised US $750 million from its debut green bonds. The US-denominated fiveyear benchmark issuance, the first green bond in the MENA region issued by an energy-focused investment institution, was nearly three times oversubscribed, garnering USD $2.2 billion in orders from more than 80 institutional and sovereign investors. All projects funded by APICORP using these green bonds will be aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a focus on renewable energy, green buildings, pollution prevention and control, and low-carbon technologies and solutions.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 15

INSIGHT >

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DESERT TECHNOLOGIES EXPANDS ITS INVESTMENTS TO FRANCE, GREECE, AND KAZAKHSTAN

SIRAJPOWER BUILDS FIRST SOLAR CANOPY AT DUBAI INDUSTRIAL PARK S irajPower has installed the first of its kind solar canopy

structure in Dubai for Hepworth in DIP. This overarching solar canopy is the third solar initiative installed by SirajPower at Hepworth, in addition to the rooftop and carpark solar systems, which have been operational for 4 years. The solar canopy serves the dual purpose of shading outdoor stored materials from direct sunlight while making use of the area to generate clean energy. This innovative solution is possible today due to the decline in the cost of solar energy, where SirajPower continues to innovate by customizing solar solutions that integrate into available spaces for new and existing clients to provide additional sustainable savings. The 400 kWp solar canopy is a visual reminder of Hepworth’s commitment to a sustainable future and is expected to generate 700 MWh of clean energy.

BUZZ> D esert Technologies, one of the world’s leading companies in the field of renewable energy, recently signed an agreement with contracting companies for the construction of a 12 MW solar photovoltaic plant on the Greek island of Trifyila. The project is Desert Technologies’ first investment in the Greek market with a capacity of 12 MW and spanning over 24 sites, the capacity of each being 500 KW. The project is funded by the Saudi Exim Bank under its established regulations aimed at financing the export of Saudi non-oil products and enhancing their presence in global markets. This came on the sidelines of representatives of the Desert Technologies Group participating in the Saudi private sector delegation accompanying the Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid Abdul-Aziz Al-Falih represented the National Companies Promotion Program “NCPP” during his official visit to Greece.

Middle East

PVH SIGNS SOLAR TRACKER SUPPLY AGREEMENT WITH CEEC FOR 300 MW PROJECT IN SAUDI ARABIA PV Hardware (PVH), one of the world

leaders in innovative solar tracking solutions, have signed an agreement with CEEC to supply solar trackers for the 300 MW solar photovoltaic independent power project located at Rabigh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia The company is currently in one of its most successful phases in the region, where it has already contracted more than 3 GW and it expects to reach another 2 GW in the coming months. The project will be equipped with the Monoline solar tracker in 2V bifacial configuration, designed and tested by the company in adverse weather conditions. The trackers are specially designed to maximize the performance of bifacial modules, increasing production, and reducing the LCOE. The poles are manufactured with a specific coating for the project, which will prevent the corrosiveness of the soil from affecting the structure, explained the company.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 16

INSIGHT >

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MIDDLE EAST COMPANIES SIGNS 19 PARTNERSHIPS WITH KOREAN FIRMS FOR SOLAR SERVICES

K orean companies in the solar energy sector clocked contracts worth AED 550 million from the UAE and Middle East companies, indicating the growth potential for solar services and products in the MENA region. The contracts were signed at the just concluded Korea Energy Week UAE on October 7, 2021, where Korean solar energy companies signed over 19 MoUs with local UAE partners for solar products and services. “The show’s success endorses the robust market for solar products and services in the UAE and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market, where investments could reach reportedly US$182.3 billion by 2025,” said Chulwon Im, President, Energy Valley Enterprise Development Institute (EVEDI), Korea, one of the organizers of the event.

Middle East

MADAYN, MUBADRAH AND SOLAR WADI SIGNS DEAL TO ESTABLISH 100 MW SOLAR PV FARM The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates –

Madayn, Mubadrah, and Solar Wadi today signed an agreement with the objective to construct a 100MW Solar PV Farm in Suhar Industrial City to be operational by next year as part of the overall strategy of Madayn in providing a significant portion of the energy needs of its tenants from a sustainable renewable energy source, in line with Oman Vision 2040’s sustainability goals, and in so doing help to reduce the electricity costs for the tenants. The agreement was signed by Eng. Musallam bin Mohammed Al Shehri, Head of Operations Sector at Madayn, Mustafa Al Lawati, Chief Executive Officer of Mubadrah; and Yazan Faouri, Chief Executive Officer of Solar Wadi, and forms part of the larger overall Madayn Renewable Energy Project initiative which is being undertaken to transform the way the electricity needs of all industrial cities and free zones under Madayn umbrella are being met in order to have a significant portion being powered by renewable solar energy during the day.

BUZZ>

SAUDI ARABIA TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HYDROGEN ECONOMY – SIEMENS ENERGY CEO A ccording to the CEO of Siemens Energy Christian Bruch,

Saudi Arabia will be a leading player in the generation of hydrogen economy in the coming future. “Many of the elements required for the hydrogen economy are present in the Kingdom,” Bruch said in an interview. “You have a resource of solar energy and good existing infrastructures. If I look five or 10 years ahead, I expect that hydrogen will play a key role.” Green hydrogen is one of the major growing areas for Siemens Energy. The Company recently signed an MoU to develop a hydrogen-based industry with export potential with Egypt’s state-owned Egyptian Electricity Holding Company. The expansion of the company’s Dammam Energy Hub (SEDH) is a “trigger point” for the energy transition in the region and growing the talent pool of skilled local workers in the industry.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 17

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ABU DHABI DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND KUST SIGNS MOU ON RE

SAUDI ARABIA SHORTLISTS BIDDERS FOR 1.2 GW SOLAR TENDER; SAR 55.626 LOWEST BID

In line with its leading role in developing

the energy sector and working on policies and regulations that support sustainable development in the emirate, the Department of Energy in Abu Dhabi (DoE) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Khalifa University of Science and Technology. The agreement is aimed at strengthening partnerships with the government and academic sectors to exchange knowledge and experiences in developing advanced policies for renewable energy and sustainable and smart technologies. It is expected to lead to improvements in enhancing energy efficiency, demand-side management, and in supporting joint efforts to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position as a global hub for clean energy and sustainability.

INSIGHT >

GLOBELEQ ACQUIRES 66 MWP OF EGYPTIAN SOLAR PV PLANT Globeleq, the leading independent

power company in Africa, has completed the acquisition of the ARC for Renewable Energy S.A.E (ARC) 66 MWp solar PV plant located at the Benban Solar Park near Aswan, Egypt. The ARC plant was developed by the SECI Energia, Enerray, and Desert Technologies consortium as part of the second round of the Egyptian government’s feed-in-tariff program. It achieved commercial operation on 4 November 2019 and provides clean electricity to the Egyptian Electricity and Transmission Company (EETC) under a 25-year power purchase agreement. The project was financed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Globeleq’s shareholder, CDC Group (CDC), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Europe Arab Bank, and Finance in Motion.

Middle East

S audi Arabia has announced the shortlisted bidders of the third round of its National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) tender, which includes four solar plants totaling 1.2 GW. The four solar plants are Wadi Al Dawasir, Layla, Ar Rass, and Saad. The shortlisted developers are Jinko Power, Total Energies, ACWA Power, Alfanar, and a consortium formed by Masdar and EDF. The NREP will allow bidding in two categories. The first one covers the 80-MW Layla and the 120-MW Wadi Al Dawasir solar projects, while the 300-MW Saad and the 700-MW Ar Rass schemes will be offered in the other category. Each project will be developed in line with the country’s local content requirements. The successful bidders will enter into 25-year PPAs with the Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC). The lowest bid proposed stands at SAR 55.626 (USD 14.83/EUR 12.78) per MWh. It was offered for the Saad project. The shortlisted bidders for the Wadi Al Dawasir project are Total Energies and ACWA Power with bid prices (SAR/MWh) 70.01 and 98.38 respectively. For the Layla plant, the two pre-selected bidders are ACWA Power and Alfanar, which submitted a bid for the price (SAR/MWh) 111.89 and 121.87. ACWA Power and Jinko Power are the two shortlisted bidders for the Ar Rass plant, for which they offered prices (SAR/MWh) 56.23 and 57.62 respectively. For the Saad solar plant, Jinko Power offered a price (SAR/MWh) of 55.63, and Masdar and EDF offered a price of 68.53 (SAR/MWh).

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 18

INSIGHT >

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SCATEC PARTNERS WITH FERTIGLOBE AND THE SOVEREIGN FUND OF EGYPT TO DEVELOP GREEN HYDROGEN

ASTER PARTNERS WITH EMIRATES ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS

Scatec has entered into an agreement with Fertiglobe

A ster DM Healthcare signed a deal with Emirates Electrical

plc, a leading ammonia producer jointly owned by OCI N.V. and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and The Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE), to jointly develop a 50-100MW green hydrogen facility as feedstock for green ammonia production. Scatec will build, operate and majority own the facility and a long-term off-take agreement will be entered into with Fertiglobe’s subsidiary EBIC. The facility will be located near EBIC in Ain Sokhna and is the first step towards developing a green hydrogen hub in Egypt. This new partnership forms part of Scatec’s strategic initiative, “Power to X”, with the objective of enabling and realizing industrial projects that contribute to reducing carbon emissions through the provision of competitive renewable energy. The ambition is to develop long-term partnerships where Scatec can capitalize on its expertise in renewable project development in high-growth markets globally.

Engineering LLC to install solar panels. The solar energy panels will be installed across four hospitals in the UAE which is Aster Hospitals in Mankhool, Qusais, Cedar, and Medcare Hospital in Al Safa Dubai. Aster DM Healthcare is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in India and GCC whereas Emirates Electrical Engineering LLC is a member of Al Rostamani Group and a leading ESCO company in the UAE. This project will be implemented by Eurohealth Systems, and the total solar power generation will help reduce carbon dioxide generation by 1774 metric tonnes annually. The project aligns with the ESG policies of Aster DM Healthcare. Aster is trying to build a sustainable future by defining a path that creates shared values benefitting the organization, community, and the environment across the seven countries where it has a presence. Over the years the organization has incorporated GRI and Dow Jones sustainability index into its operations to fulfill its commitment to UN Sustainable Development Goals with Climate Action being one of the 8 goals being supported.

INSIGHT >

HUAWEI BAGS CONTRACT FOR THE WORLD’S LARGEST ENERGY STORAGE PROJECT H uawei Digital Power has concluded its Global Digital

Power Summit 2021 in Dubai, UAE, with more than 500 participants from 67 countries attending, on October 16. At the summit, Huawei Digital Power signed a key contract with SEPCOIII for the Red Sea Project with 400 MW PV plus 1300 MWh battery energy storage solution (BESS), which is currently the world’s largest energy storage project. The two parties will cooperate to help Saudi Arabia build global clean energy and green economy center. This 1300 MWh off-grid energy storage project is the largest of its kind in the world and represents a milestone in the global energy storage industry. The Red Sea Project has been listed in the Saudi Vision 2030 as a key project. Its developer is ACWA Power, and the general contractor of EPC is SEPCOIII. Located on the Red Sea coast, NEOM is also known as the city of the future, powered entirely by renewable energy. It will lead to a new way of life and drive new economic growth, as resources such as oil are increasingly depleted.

Middle East

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TAQA ARABIA INAUGURATES 6MWPV SOLAR POWER PLANT AT DINA FARMS TAQA Arabia, Qalaa Holdings’ Energy Sector subsidiary, has

announced in an event the commercial operation of its latest green private-to-private project in Egypt, a 6MWpv solar power plant for Dina Farms. The plant is funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as part of a financing package of up to US$ 10 million to expand TAQA Arabia’s renewable energy business. The event’s opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Alain Pilloux, Vice President of EBRD; Dr. Ahmed Heikal, Chairman & Founder of Qalaa Holdings; Ms. Pakinam Kafafi, CEO of TAQA Arabia and Mr. Raouf Tawfik, CEO of Dina Farms. This PV plant at Dina Farms, Qalaa Holdings’ Agri-subsidiary and the largest integrated dairy farm in Egypt & Africa, is an ideal starting point towards serving the Egyptian government’s pursuit of energy diversification & liberalization, by facilitating a market for private renewable energy development.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 19

INDUSTRY >

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SINGARENI COLLIERIES SEEKING CONSULTANT FOR 250 MW FLOATING SOLAR PLANT I ndian coal miner, the Singareni

Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), is looking for project management consultants for a 250 MW DC floating solar power capacity it plans to develop at Lower Manair Dam in Karimnagar, Telangana. The scope of work will be engineering services including technology assessment; design engineering review services of the EPC contractor; site preparation and construction management services; inspection and testing services and plant handover services; as well as module inspection services. The last date for bid submissions is November 8, 2021 and the duration of the contract is expected to be 24 months. Bidder will need experience of at least five years in solar project works in India, including a detailed project report or management consultancy services for floating solar projects of a minimum 25 MW capacity. The bidder must have offered either project management consultancy, owner engineering services, or pre-bid engineering services for solar power projects other than rooftop solar of at least 50 MWDC capacity in a single contract.

Middle East

ENGIE AND SWPC ANNOUNCES FINANCIAL CLOSURE OF SAUDI’S LARGEST SOLAR-POWERED WATER DESALINATION E NGIE And Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) announced the financial closure of solar-powered water desalination. The Jubail 3B Independent Water Project (IWP) is the largest solar-powered water desalination project in the Kingdom. The project is part of the water schemes in Saudi Arabia developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) structure. The consortium is developing and financing the desalination plant, which will be operated and maintained by ENGIE. The Jubail 3B project was awarded by SWPC as a build, own, operate (BOO) contract, with commercial operation expected in 2024, it said. ENGIE holds 40% of the project, while Saudi-based Nesma Co. and Abdulaziz Al Ajlan Sons for Commercial and Real Estate Investment hold 30% each. On 29 April, SWPC awarded the ENGIE-led consortium a 25-year Water Purchase Agreement, and the contract was signed on 22 June.

DETAIL >

DUBAI TO ACHIEVE NET-ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2050 Dubai Future Council on Energy has conducted an in-depth

study on how the Emirate of Dubai can achieve carbon neutrality (Net Zero Emissions) by 2050. This is in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to promote the transformation of Dubai to a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. The move also aligns with Dubai’s commitment to sustainability and to enhance its proactive role in shaping and supporting the future of energy and climate change. This will be achieved through a clear strategy and roadmap that include the implementation of the strategy and the use of state-of-the-art technologies to take into account the required investments and other enablers, in addition to modeling the socioeconomic impact and opportunities. The study, its findings, and impacts were presented to the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, where it was approved and the decision to proceed with its implementation was taken by all concerned authorities in the Emirate of Dubai.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 20

INDUSTRY >

LATEST>

ADNOC AND EWEC PARTNERS FOR CLEAN ENERGY

MARUBENI AND TAQA GROUP TO DEVELOP POWER AND WATER PROJECT FOR SAUDI ARAMCO A bu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA) – one of the largest listed integrated utility companies in the EMEA region – along with Marubeni Corporation (Marubeni), announced a partnership to develop a greenfield cogeneration power and water desalination project in Saudi Arabia with the world’s largest integrated oil and gas company, Saudi Aramco. The Tanajib Cogeneration and Desalination Project will have a net capacity of 940 megawatts (MW) of power generation, 1,084 tons per hour of steam, and 5.25 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) of desalinated water gross capacity (net capacity: 4.3 MIGD). TAQA and Marubeni have signed a Water and Energy Conversion Agreement for a landmark greenfield industrial facility, as well as for the development of supporting infrastructure including pipelines to connect the desalination and cogeneration plants to end-users. A special-purpose vehicle has been created to develop the plants with TAQA and Marubeni holding a 60% stake and Saudi Aramco with 40%. Under the contract, TAQA and Marubeni will operate the plants for 20 years on a build, own, operate, and transfer basis. This project aims to supply electricity, steam, and desalinated water to Saudi Aramco’s nearby oil and gas facilities.

H is Highness Sheikh Khaled bin

Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, and Chairman of the Executive Committee of ADNOC’s Board of Directors, has launched a landmark clean energy partnership between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and EWEC (Emirates Water and Electricity Company). The strategic partnership, which is the largest of its kind in the oil and gas industry, will see up to 100 percent of ADNOC’s grid power supplied by EWEC’s nuclear and solar clean energy sources, making ADNOC the first major oil and gas company to decarbonize its power at scale through a clean power agreement and strengthening the company’s position as one of the world’s least carbon-intensive oil and gas producers.

Middle East

DETAIL >

IRAQ PLANS FOR 33% CLEAN ENERGY BY 2030 O il Minister of Iraq, Ihsan Abdul Jabbar said that the

country is planning to expand its clean energy sources to 33% by 2030. Iraq is also planning to add new solar energy projects with foreign countries for the same. He said that the projects signed over the past few months and new contracts planned by the Arab country would boost total solar power energy to nearly 12,000 megawatts (MW) in 2030. He also said all solar power projects are part of a 10-year blueprint that was approved by the cabinet a few weeks ago with the aim of tackling a persistent post-war power supply gap that forced Iraq to rely heavily on energy imports, mainly from neighboring Iran.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 21

INDUSTRY >

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SIRAJ ENERGY SIGNS TWO MOUS FOR COOPERATION IN PV ENERGY AND SYSTEMS APPLICATIONS

S iraj Energy has signed two

agreements with the Qatar Foundation and WOQOD for cooperation in photovoltaic (PV) energy and systems applications. Siraj Energy is a joint venture between QatarEnergy (51%) and QEWC (49%). Siraj Energy will study, and evaluate the installation and utilization of PV systems to power Sidra Medicine which is Qatar Foundation’s women’s and children’s hospital and medical research center. The company is aiming to complete the process of study and evaluation by end of the Q2, 2022. Under the MoU signed, Siraj Energy will invest, build and operate PV systems in WOQOD stations – Rawdat Egdaim (347 kWp), and Golf Course (339 KWp).

Middle East

NBB TO PROVIDE FINANCING PLANS FOR CUSTOMERS LOOKING TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) partners with Almoayyed Solar Company to offer exclusive financing plans for its retail customers looking to install solar energy panels for sustainable life. The plan is targeted towards the use of renewable resources and environmental preservation across the kingdom for all the applicants. Solar panel financing also aligns with the company’s target to shift towards alternative clean energy solutions which are provided by the company. “As a leading solar panel provider, Almoayyed Solar Company seeks to encourage environmental conservation as an essential component towards the gradual shift to a more environmentally-conscious society,” said Almoayyed International Group chairman Mohammed Farouk Almoayyed.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 22

LAUNCHING NEW EXCLUSIVE PUBLICATION for AFRICA Solar Industry

AFRICA For Advertising Opportunities, Contact: Smriti Charan, M: +91 7718877514, E: smriti@firstviewgroup.com For Editorial Participation, Contact: Ashwini Chikkodi, M: +91 93727 88474, E: editorial@firstviewgroup.com

IN CONVERSATION

AYALON VANICHE CEO, EDF RENEWABLES ISRAEL

We completed the construction [of Timna project] 18 months before the deadline set by the tender.” In an unusual and interesting interview with SolarQuarter Middle East Magazine, Mr. Ayalon Vaniche - CEO, EDF Renewables Israel gave us deep insights into the renewable energy mix of Israel. He spoke about the major projects executed by their company in the region, and current installed capacity. He mentioned EDF’s Solar+Storage focus and its future projects and growth plans.

How is Israel currently positioned in meeting the government’s objective of increasing solar energy’s contribution to the energy mix to 30% by 2030? Israel is clearly behind the roadmap it has decided a few years ago. Renewable energies represent only 6-7% of the electricity consumption, while the intermediary target was to reach 10% by the end of 2020. This means that the second intermediary target of 20% in 2025 represents a huge challenge that requires immediate, strong and brave decisions. In order to build and connect enough power plants by 2025, we urgently need further increases in the volume of projects authorized now, in 2021 or 2022, not 2024, through new production quotas with tariff for medium-voltage and high-voltage projects. But much more important than announcing projects is to be able to build the projects for which quotas are attributed. The government should lead a better cooperation and engagement of all the stakeholders. It should reinforce the message that we need such projects, and we cannot afford to waste any single opportunity to build a solar field or wind turbines. The country needs a drastic simplification of the procedures for allocation of land rights, and a mobilization of the authorities for heavy investments in the national electricity grid. The reinforcement of the transportation lines, the main distribution lines and the substations in the desertic areas is needed to eliminate the main bottle necks for the connection of the new power plants. Only then will Israel have a chance to reach the 20% target of 2025 and the 30% target of 2030.

Middle East

EDF Renewables has recently commissioned the 60 MW Timna solar power plant located in Israel’s Arava Desert. How comes it took so long to complete this project? We see it rather as a quick and successful project! It is true that the State and the Regional Council started to work on it a dozen years ago, but when EDF Renewables won the tender organized by the Land Authority in July 2016, we had to start all the zoning and development from zero. Timna is close to a spectacular natural reserve, and the land plot on which we were supposed to build is crossed by several infrastructures. We managed the process of new zoning at the Committee for National Infrastructures within a record time, including a complex design that addresses many engineering and environmental challenges. We had to fight against bureaucracy, up to the Supreme Court, in order to obtain all the authorizations required for the building permit. Once we overcame all this, the construction of the PV field itself took less than one year. The construction and the certification of our private substation (step-up to 161,000 V) took a few months more and, overall, we completed the construction 18 months before the deadline set by the tender! We see it as a huge achievement, considering that Timna is by many aspects the most advanced solar project connected in Israel, in terms of performance, of services to the grid and of protection of the environment.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 24

What are the growth goals of EDF for the upcoming year 2022?

The tariff attributed for PV+Storage was challenging since it was similar to the previous tariff for PV only, and this was before the tough implications of COVID 19 on the markets and the increase of raw materials and logistics costs that we saw in 2021.

In 2022, we will start the construction of Ashalim and the PV+Storage projects that I mentioned previously. We will also launch the construction of a new generation of floating projects, using the 50 MWe of connection rights that we won last year. We will be more present in the segment of rooftops: we won the large tender organized by the municipality of Netanya, and see nice progress in other tenders and development efforts that we conduct with our local partner Volta-Solar. And we will launch the construction of our first wind turbines projects in Israel, located in the Jezreel valley. We see 2022 as another year during which we will increase our portfolio of projects by more than 50%!

What is EDF Renewable's current installed capacity in the country? What new projects are you coming up with? We currently operate 20 projects connected to the grid, with a total installed capacity of 394 MWp, which makes of EdF Renewables the clear leader of solar energy in Israel. We completed the construction of 3 more projects that will be connected to the grid in the coming weeks (31 MWp). We are currently building 9 additional medium-voltage projects, including our first 3 floating projects (for a total of 34 MWp) and 6 ground-mounted projects (total of 70 MWp). In Ashalim, the record-breaking BOT project that we won in a tender organized by the Ministry of Finance, we almost completed the building permit and in a few weeks, we will reach the financial closing of our second PV field (42 MWp).

How is Solar+ Storage coming up in the country? What is EDF's focus on the same? The Regulator launched two auctions for PV+Storage projects in 2020 and attributed massive quotas: overall 800 MWe of grid connection applications for such projects, requiring 3.2 GWh of batteries. In 2020, this represented the equivalent of the commitments made by all the European countries together in terms of storage at the horizon of 2023. The problem is the congestion of the grid, as the national grid operator is not able to approve so many connection requests. The tariff attributed for PV+Storage was challenging since it was similar to the previous tariff for PV only, and this was before the tough implications of COVID 19 on the markets and the increase of raw materials and logistics costs that we saw in 2021. EDF Renewables Israel won a 90 MWe quota and applied for 19 grid connections for a total of some 220 MWp, so we are clearly “on it”.

Middle East

In Ashalim, the recordbreaking BOT project that we won in a tender organized by the Ministry of Finance, we almost completed the building permit, and in a few weeks we will reach the financial closing of our second PV field (42 MWp).

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 25

IN CONVERSATION

ANTOINE POUSSARD MANAGING PARTNER, FINERGREEN

Our objective is to be close to our local market to be able to propose a large variety of projects, support on tenders, market analysis, help in finding fundings or strategic partners." SolarQuarter Middle East magazine had an exclusive interview with Mr. Antoine Poussard - Managing Partner, Finergreen, and understood about the solar services the company provides. We learned about the key parameters for financing different types of solar projects on the basis of project scale and the challenges faced. He also gave us insights into the evaluation of consultants along with the company expansion plans.

Please tell the readers about the kind of services FINERGREEN provides in solar energy space for the Middle east region. Finergreen is a global advisory boutique specializing in renewables and energy transition. We assist our clients by providing three different types of services: Merger and Acquisition, Project Finance, and Strategic advisory.

Currently, what is the situation of financing large-scale solar projects in the region? We assume the questions are more about the debt market on a non-recourse basis. The pandemic slowed down many processes in the power sectors, projects that regional banks would have financed quite easily in normal circumstances. This results in a surplus of liquidity in many countries, leading to improvements in financing conditions, well perceived in a context where CAPEX is more on another trend. Having said that, the region is very fragmented and encompasses sophisticated leading institutions, and less experienced ones keen to expand in renewables. Their appetite is growing but the economic situation of the country will here be the driver determining the limits of maximum possible exposures per project.

Merger and acquisition: We structure and execute transactions that maximize value creation for our clients. Project finance: We design and execute the most suitable financing strategies for the projects of our clients. Strategic advisory: We are market makers providing insights to help our private and institutional clients taking the right decisions in terms of the energy transition. Through 10 offices, we are able to support clients almost everywhere in the globe.

Middle East

We recently established our activity and focused primarily on the most active countries like Tunisia, UAE, KSA, Jordan and Central Asia.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 26

What are the key parameters for financing different types of solar projects on the basis of project scale?

What factors should a client consider when choosing a consultant for complex project financing?

We should here make a difference between utility-scale (US) and distributed generation (DG) projects.

Consultants are often evaluated on: Their experience and knowledge of the requirements of targeted markets or projects: This is a time-saving solution as well as an opportunity for a client to scale up on new opportunities. But the consultant can also make a difference by demonstrating how a project can bring value in terms of the development plan of the investor whether from tax, legal, value creation requirements. In a MENA market, in particular, clients may not immediately see the benefit of working on a specific project, or technology due to a lack of service offer or immaturity of the market. The ability to provide bespoke solutions tailored to a client for him to make the right decisions is therefore essential. Track record could also be a relevant parameter but in a context where a market is nascent and developers are learning from the first experience, this should be a less critical parameter. Last but not least, we should note evaluate consultant on the value he could potentially bring either on other projects in other countries or locally. Successful experience on complex projects makes clients captive and keen to keep longstanding relationships. At Finergreen, we definitely value this and are committed to providing topnotch services to make sure our clients are happy and keen to work with us on their global development programs.

While the large utility-scale project will focus on the creditworthiness of the off-taker, bankability of the PPA, and situation of each contractor, DG projects have layers of complexity with respect to parameters for financing, among others: Size is definitely one of them mostly due to costs of due diligence which are not compressible. There is however a trend downward due to 1. increased volumes of projects 2. increased experience of banks, 3. replicated structure & mutualization of costs across many small similar projects. Currency risks: Small private off-takers do not easily see or accept currency risks which on the other hand may be a no-go for many institutions. Bankability of the contracts in a context where 1. The creditworthiness of off-takers is sometimes difficult to assess 2. regulation may not be as well structured and permitting as it can be for US projects. The trend is definitely toward a real maturation of the regulation, improving financing conditions but it takes time. Now that signs show that the pandemic is active but slowing down, governments are definitely on this.

What are the biggest challenges that your clients face when implementing projects in your region? Regulation is among the top ones if we focus on DG markets. Each country has its own specifies and requires good knowledge and Power is another challenge: Though PV technology remains the cheapest technology for power, some oil driven economies may maintain high level of subsidies to overcome the impact of the pandemic. If on top of that we consider the recent evolution of CAPEX, this is definitely a temporary limiting factor. We are however here positive for the upcoming as most renewable targets of each country have been revised up and projects will have to be delivered. COP26 starting now will also be a good opportunity to hopefully see other guidelines in that sense.

What are your plans for expanding your services specifically in the Middle East region? We recently established our activity and focused primarily on the most active countries like Tunisia, UAE, KSA, Jordan and Central Asia. We are now extremely knowledgeable in these countries and can provide relevant development strategy to our any clients interested by these markets. With the whole region reopening doors, we are bringing more resources to increase our product offer in the surrounding countries like Oman, Turkey, Morrocco in particular. We are definitely leveraging on our global presence with our 10 offices to be able to assist our clients everywhere in the globe. Our objective is to be close to our local market to be able to propose a large variety of projects, support on tenders, market analysis, help in finding fundings or strategic partners. We are also specialists in the Energy transition making us knowledgeable partners on many domains directly linked to renewables (mobility, sustainability, etc).

Quality of developers: Fast-growing markets always see opportunistic players with different experiences. Working with reliable and experienced ones is essential to the success of the project.

Middle East

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 27

IN CONVERSATION

DR. MARCUS SCHUMACHER GROUP CEO, JUBAILI BROS

Our partnership with Huawei started in early 2018 and grew organically to where we became a “Value Added Partner” to serve Sub-Saharan Africa and key countries in the Middle East and Central Asia." SolarQuarter Middle East Magazine got to interview Dr. Marcus Schumacher - Group CEO, Jubaili Bros and understood the unique and variety of services and products provided by the company. Dr. Marcus gave us insights into their expansion and growth plans for the coming year as well.

Please tell our readers about how did the journey of Jubaili Bros begin in the solar sector? How has the journey been so far? Over the course of our journey, Jubaili Bros has provided more than 20GW in power solutions to our customers in more than 40 countries. The majority of our off-grid and backup power products provided to our served markets were based on diesel and gas-operated generator sets. However, global energy sustainability needs to be combined with the increased affordability of renewable technologies enabled by exponential cost-efficiency enhancements in solar and energy storage solutions had changed the way we are looking at technology options when it comes to serving our customers’ power requirements. In the end, our partners require the most reliable and cost-efficient power technology at the lowest CO2 footprint to serve the demanded load profile and it is up to power solution providers to find the most economical and reliable set-up. So far, we saw a lot of traction for our solar offerings in all our core regions across GCC, Africa, and Lebanon, particularly where policymakers have built the right regulatory frameworks around emission standards and longterm CO2 reduction requirements which our partners have to adhere to. The latest lack of availability of fossil fuels in some of our targeted markets combined with the hike in fuel cost gave our energy technology transformation program additional tailwind – over an above certainly the strong shift of people’s mindset globally to take a more responsible approach when it comes to controlling of global warming potential.

Middle East

You are a named player in the Solar sector with a variety of offerings. Kindly tell us about your unique services. Jubaili Bros Solar, as a privately owned business with over 45 years in the power generation sector, has thrived in its 360degree customer view. Our global solar expert team focuses on key PV solar system components, PV – Diesel, Hybrid, and Micro-Grid solutions. That entails building local service capabilities and solution domain understanding as well as finished products stock keeping in strategic locations across all our core territories such as Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia in order to enable flawless project supplies. We offer engineering support in our local markets to validate our customer’s designs and reduce LCOE costs, identify and pass along opportunities to our EPC customers, referrals to available finance, and aftersales installation and commissioning support.

Could you please give us more details about the module mounting structures that you provide? Jubaili Bros Solar is a worldwide partner of Lumax Energy mounting structure, which is the number 1 mounting structure in South Africa. The solution is an aluminum mounting structure that includes roof mount, ground mount, aluminum sheet, concrete, carports, and more.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 28

Tell us about the Solar inverter products that you offer in partnership with Huawei. Our partnership with Huawei started in early 2018 and grew organically to where we became a “Value Added Partner” to serve Sub-Saharan Africa and key countries in the Middle East and Central Asia. What our partnership entails amongst others is technical support, installation and commissioning assistance, and stock keeping of their residential, C&I, and utility-scale on-grid solutions, including inverters, batteries, and associated accessories. We directly serve our customer needs for all power requirements below 100MW in these countries or regions. We have accomplished the “Certified Service Provider” status, to where engineers are annually evaluated and examined to provide the same level of technical service as Huawei engineers. This certification requires us to provide after-sales support to our customers to include troubleshooting, site and remote support, warranty services, etc.

What updates/additions are you planning to your product/service portfolio in the year 2022? We are executing on our strategy to expand our portfolio that can cater to both on-grid and off-grid markets to include hybrid solutions which we have been demonstrating in Africa for multiple locations for many years. This includes PV diesel and energy storage solutions. We see a great opportunity in solarizing systems where we already delivered generators to our established customer base, as well as growing our presence in countries with grid instability.

Middle East

What can we look forward to from your company in your core and the solar sector in the next few years? IoT and artificial intelligence are progressing in all areas of what we do and this does not stop in the technology segment we have established ourselves in for many years as a significant player. Connecting assets to the cloud enabling enhanced asset management and predicted service solution methodologies will be key to enhancing equipment life, health, and overall performance. Juibaili Bros already has made significant investments in this field and is about to launch several products around those solutions. In parallel, we are aggressively transforming our power solution programs towards more green solutions both in our core markets promoting natural gas-fired generators but also in the Hybrid and Microgrid space taking the opportunity of the steadily decreasing power storage cost at increasing operating life cycle performance. With access to increased disposable income in our emerging markets, we see a lot of demand for residential power solutions based on energy storage products. Taking all of this into consideration, our overall objective in the future will not change….We will provide power to people.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 29

INSIGHTS

FUTURE OUTLOOK: HOW W SEE SOLAR RISE?

gypt Power Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2021 – Market Trends, Regulations, and Competitive Landscape, a new study from GlobalData, examines Egypt's power market structure and offers historical and forecast data for capability, production, and utilization up to 2030. The country's power market regulatory structure, competitive landscape, and a list of key power facilities are all detailly examined. The research also provides an overview of the country's power sector based on broad macroeconomic, supply security, transmission, generation, and distribution infrastructure, degree of competition, electricity import and export scenarios, regulatory situation, prospective characteristics in the future.

FUTURE OF EGYPT’S RENEWABLE POWER Egypt's renewable power capacity is predicted to expand from 3.51 GW in 2020 to 13.7 GW in 2030, representing a 14.6 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR). From 2021 through 2030, solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind power are predicted to lead the renewable energy sector. Solar PV capacity is predicted to rise from 2.02 GW in 2020 to 7.71 GW in 2030, while onshore wind capacity will rise from 1.39 GW in 2020 to 5.64 GW in 2030. The Egyptian government has adopted an energy diversification policy known as the Integrated Sustainable Energy Strategy (ISES) through 2035 in order to meet rapidly rising energy demand. This policy aims to ensure the country's energy supply remains secure and stable. Renewable energy will account for 20% of total generation by 2022 and 42% by 2035, according to ISES targets.

Solar irradiance in the country ranges between 1970 to 3200 kWh/m2 per year. As a result, it is one of the best places in the world to harness solar energy. Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs), the Sun Initiative program, and the UAE rural electrification program are all intended to help the country's renewable energy development. By 2022, Egypt plans to build an additional 10 GW of solar and wind power installations. These projects will expand Egypt's power generation capacity, reduce the country's reliance on gas and oil for electricity generation, and assist Egypt in meeting its Paris Climate Agreement pledges as it transitions to a more environmentally sustainable power mix

COVID-19 AND EGYPT’S ENERGY CRISIS To combat the spread of COVID-19, Egypt's government implemented a statewide lockdown and social distancing measures in March 2020. The majority of industries were impacted by the shutdown and travel restrictions, but tourism and hospitality took the worst of the hit. Electricity demand fell considerably in March and April 2020, according to the power sector. During the same months, power generation fell. In 2020, however, overall annual consumption and generation did not decrease. The government took a number of steps to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.

Egypt's energy security could be improved while foreign exchange income from gas exports is maintained through the development of renewable energy. With a consistent wind speed of 8-10 m/s, Egypt has a lot of wind energy potential, especially in the Gulf of Suez area. In the Beni Suef Governorates and the El Kharga Oasis, additional prospective areas have recently been discovered east and west of the Nile River. Wind speeds in these places range from 5 to 8 m/s, which is ideal for energy generation. Egypt also has a lot of potential for solar PV facilities to generate electricity. On average, the country receives 2,800 to 3,200 hours of sunshine per year.

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Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 30

WILL EGYPT The government cut heavy industry power costs from EGP1.1 to EGP0.1 per KWh in March 2020, and signaled that other industries' electricity prices would not be increased for the following three to five years. The price of natural gas for industrial use was also cut by the government. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a few important power sector projects have been delayed. The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), for example, postponed the receipt of bids for the building of the Egypt-Saudi Arabia interconnection line by almost two months in April 2020.

During the projection period, several ambitious photovoltaic projects are projected to fuel the solar market in the next few years. In the near future, the impending

CONCLUSION The African Development Bank authorized a €83 million ($98 million) loan in June 2021 to fund the second phase of Egypt's Electricity and Green Growth Support Program. The money comes from the bank's budget support for Egypt's government to improve the country's power infrastructure, which is intended to help the private sector and speed up recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak.

solar power projects in this region, as well as the utilization of hybrid power solutions, could generate enormous prospects for the solar power market.

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 31

INSIGHTS

Republic Of Tunisia: How Ready Is It for Renewables?

unisia has become increasingly reliant on foreign

Tunisia's energy transition is primarily based on:

fossil fuels in recent decades, owing to rising energy use across the economy and declining native

Energy

mix

diversification

and

renewable

hydrocarbon production. Natural gas dominates Tunisia's

integration

electrical generation mix, but production has remained

Improving energy efficiency

stagnant in recent years, making the country increasingly

The energy subsidies should be rationalized

exposed to supply disruptions and variable energy prices.

Improvements to the grid and linkages

ADOPTION OF ENERGY TRANSITION PROCESS BY TUNISIA Over the last two decades, Tunisia's energy balance has become increasingly deficient. This trend is largely due to rising energy consumption across all economic sectors, as well as a drop in hydrocarbon production. As a result, the government's energy imbalance increased to 50% in 2019 compared to 7% in 2010, forcing the country to become more reliant on imported fossil fuels. Natural gas dominates the electrical generation mix, with renewable energy resources accounting for only 3.0% of total generation in 2019. Tunisia's energy security is jeopardized by its heavy reliance on natural gas, as domestic gas production has remained stagnant, if not diminishing, in recent years. Tunisia has decided to embark on an energy transition process as part of its broader sustainable economic and social development policy, in response to energy security challenges in the 2000s and its sensitivity to variable global energy prices. Renewables and energy efficiency have

energy

Implementing an energy management strategy is based on two components: energy efficiency and renewable energy development, with a 30/30 aim of reducing the demand of primary energy by 30% by the year 2030 compared to the current scenario, and renewable energy to 30% of electricity output by 2030. The Tunisian Solar Plan (TSP) is a fundamental tool for implementing the goal to increase the amount of renewable electricity in the country's energy mix. Tunisia's National Agency for Energy Management modified the TSP model in 2015, and the administration adopted it in July 2016. To meet the country's updating goals, the TSP has set a target for total estimated renewable energy capacity of 1,860 megawatts (MW) by 2023 and 3 815 MW by 2030, representing a five-fold and ten-fold increase over the capacity installed in 2017. Tunisia's climate commitment, as pledged in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, was updated in the goals. The energy sector accounts for the majority of the country's mitigation potential, with energy efficiency accounting for 68% and renewables accounting for 32%.

become a crucial aspect of the country's recovery strategies in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020.

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Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 32

KEY POINTS IN TUNISIA’S ENERGY

Procurement procedures for power grid development have been simplified.

TRANSITION This evaluation, prepared in partnership with the National Agency for Energy Conservation (ANME) and the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, outlines Tunisia's primary hurdles in achieving these objectives. It outlines a number of

The creation of a self-contained electric power regulator. Clarity on institutional roles in the energy transition, as well as the development of essential human resource competencies.

obstacles to the development of renewable energy in Tunisia and recommends a number of remedies to help the country's energy transition. These are some of them: The requirement for a renewable energy planning and

Tunisia's Energy Transition Fund (FTE) was activated and funded, making it the country's primary financial mechanism for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

scheduling framework to guide the long-term development of the infrastructure required to support VRE sources such as solar and wind powe Improved renewable resource evaluation capabilities, including

identifying

viable

renewable

development zones across the country.

energy

The creation of a specific solar water pumping finance mechanism. Greater participation of local banks in the financing of renewable energy projects, as well as bilateral cooperation to attract more foreign investment in the field.

BENEFITS OF ENERGY TRANSITION In Tunisia, the Energy Transition Fund (FTE) is the primary source of funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Work must begin to mobilize the required money from the public and private sectors to stimulate the development of renewables in the country for the fund to be effective. To do so effectively, international financing institutions will need to provide a mix of loans, incentives, and credit lines. The move to renewable energy will have numerous advantages, including the potential to develop human resources and skills. In this context, public institutions may choose to expand their current human capacity by holding additional training sessions on the economic, technical, legal, and administrative elements of renewable energy project development.

CONCLUSION Renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency improvements in Tunisia will produce additional employment for between 7,000 and 20,000 people by 2030, according to the Tunisian Solar Plan and other sources. Renewable energy would receive TND 18.28 billion in investment, while energy efficiency would receive TND 1.5 billion. The total installed RE capacity for electricity generation will be 4,045 MW, with an additional 700 MW from solar water heaters. By 2030, 120,000 GWh of energy will have been saved.

Middle East

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 33

INSIGHTS

Solar Evolution in Israel: How Is It Gaining Ground?

s the year 2050 approaches, the need to deploy and

established a law requiring the installation of solar water

replace emission-based energy sources becomes

heaters in houses. By 1990, all new residential structures had

increasingly critical. As a result, renewable energy

have

the

system

installed.

Because

this

early,

solutions are in great demand in the attempt to reduce the

government-backed usage of solar energy, the business has

world's

the

exploded: today, solar energy contributes for 3% of Israel's

accompanying greenhouse gas emissions. Israel's renewable

principal energy consumption, making it the global leader per

energy production capacity reached 2300 megawatts (MW) by

capita. Solar waters can be seen on the roofs of nearly every

2019, according to the International Energy Agency (IRENA),

residential building in the country. Solar panels for water

with solar energy accounting for almost 95% of that.

heating are estimated to save Israel two million barrels of oil

dependence

fossil

fuels

and

remove

each year, according to the Ministry of National Infrastructure.

WHAT TRIGGERED THE ADOPTION OF SOLAR ENERGY IN ISRAEL? Israel is not endowed with an abundance of natural resources. Israel was barren of rich fossil fuels to power its economy until the recent revelation of offshore natural gas. The country does,

however,

have

incidence

rate

sunshine,

particularly in the Negev desert in the south, which it has exploited. Israel has never refrained from utilizing all available resources in order to establish a thriving economy. Since 1948, Israeli engineers have been attempting to harness solar electricity, and the technique has become a need for 90% of Israeli households. Solar water heaters are commonly found on the rooftops of residential structures. The adoption of solar energy and solar water heaters was historically sparked by Israel's fuel scarcity crisis. In 1980,

HOW IS ISRAEL UTILIZING SOLAR ENERGY? The sunniest sections of the country are the Negev Desert in the south and the Arava Valley in the east, which runs between the southern city of Eilat and the Dead Sea. The soil in the south is unsuitable for agriculture. These two elements combined to turn this southern region into the epicenter of Israel's solar sector. The National Solar Energy Institute, founded in 1987 and based at Ben-Gurion University near Sede Boqer in the Negev desert, is a world-renowned research center. It includes initiatives such as the world's largest solar reflector, which was erected in 2007 as part of a cooperative project with Zenith Solar and uses a 10-square-meter reflector dish. In tests, the concentrated solar power technology of the reflector was found to be five times more efficient than typical flat photovoltaic panels.

following the energy crisis of the 1970s, the Israeli Knesset

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Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 34

The concentration of solar energy in a prototype ready for commercialization was more than 1,000 times higher than flat panels. Megalim Solar Power, established in Israel and owned by General Electric, is currently constructing a solar power tower in the Negev desert. After completion, the tower will stand over 240 meters tall and generate up to 121 megawatts of electricity. The project will cost approximately $773 million to build and will generate about 1% of Israel's electricity. In the upcoming years, the government wants to produce 10% of the country's energy from renewable sources. Megalim's tower is one of many large-scale solar projects in the works. EDF inaugurated the 50megawatt solar photovoltaic power facility Zmorot Solar Park in May 2016. The plant, which is located in the Negev desert, is 60 hectares in size and has 207,000 solar panels. More than 1600 solar mirrors are used in the Rotem industrial complex near the Negev desert city of Dimona. Bright Source Industries is to construct three new solar facilities in California in order to test new solar ray technologies. In a few decades, Israeli authorities believe it would be possible to rely solely on solar energy, with some

Conclusion

natural gas power plants serving as a backup. Israel,

The solar energy technology industry is an excellent illustration

which now generates roughly 8% of its electricity from

of how a country can adapt to reality in the lack of abundant

solar power plants, has set a goal of generating 20% of

natural resources. Israeli experts presented Israel's solar energy

its electricity from solar by 2025 and 30% by 2030. "We

options at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in

don't have a lot of various natural resources in Israel;

Paris in November 2015, where officials from over 166 UN

therefore, we don't have a lot of potential for hydro

member states pledged to keep global warming below 2 degrees

facilities, and wind power is also restricted. We must

Celsius over the next couple of centuries. Israel's advanced solar

rely on solar energy to meet high renewables targets

technology might be shared with countries in the region that are

"Acting chairman of Israel's Electricity Regulatory

dealing with comparable climate issues. Despite the discovery of

Authority, Yoav Katsavoy.

natural gas, countries across the world must make use of solar energy to prevent being reliant on a single source of energy.

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JulySep-Oct - Aug Issue 2021 Issue 2021 | Pg 35

OPINION

How Can Government's Goal Of Producing 30% of The Electricity In The State of Israel Through Renewable Energy Be Achieved?

Dealing with the scenario described above requires the system planners

for

integrative

thinking

that

relates

the

establishment of a storage system as an integral part of the national electricity system and raises a number of issues of principle, which must be addressed: How much power and storage capacity is required for the

BARAK RESHEF

economy? When will the storage be required to be set up over

Senior independent consultant

the next decade? Where should the storage be located? What

specializing in electrical transmission

is the correct mix of storage facilities between the transmission

system planning

and distribution systems and how should the economic conditions be regulated in order to enable the storage integration?

In October 2020, the Israeli government has decided to increase the renewable energy target in Israel, to 30% of the production mix by

summary and recommendations

2030. This target is expected to be achieved mainly through photovoltaic facilities with a cumulative capacity of about 16,000

Work I did on the subject, together with Dr. Nurit Gal, which

megawatts, compared to only about 3,000 megawatts currently

included developing an hourly model to analyze the impact of

installed. As a result, Israel is expected to be among the world

the massive penetration of solar renewable energy into the

leaders in the percentage of solar energy in the production mix.

Israeli system, showed that by 2030 (or achieving the government target of 30% renewable energy production),

The significant weight of solar energy in electricity generation in

about 4,000 MW of storage facilities, to deal with the various

Israel is expected to pose a variety of challenges to the management

effects described above.

of the electricity sector. This includes the development of the grid for the transmission of energy from remote production facilities to

From our simulation results, we understood that Israel's urgent

areas of demand, production surpluses in the afternoon, a rapid rate

need for energy storage is a response to the connection of

of increase in the load on gas production units at sunset, and

additional solar facilities to the distribution system, in areas

frequency disturbances. These challenges are intensifying against

where there is congestion in substations and the transmission

the background of the expected increase in demand, the decision to

network. Another significant need is to absorb excess energy at

stop using coal and base electricity production in Israel on gas and

noon and an alternative to evening production capacity is

renewable energy only, and the expected scrapping of some IEC

created mainly in the second half of the decade.

stations towards the end of the decade.

Considering this, it is recommended:

The drop in prices and the rapid development of storage technology

A. Encourage the construction of storage facilities with a

in batteries indicate the possibility of integrating storage in the

cumulative capacity of approximately 2400-3600 megawatts

electricity sector in order to enable the renewable energy target to

for 4 hours that will allow the connection of additional solar

be met while ensuring the reliability of future supply. This includes

facilities soon. These storage facilities should be connected to

storage, which may provide a solution to excess production at noon,

the high voltage side, of about 20-30 substations where the

alleviate congestion in the network, a substitute for the construction

transformers are loaded in a way that does not allow the

of gas production facilities (Peaker Units), and a solution to stabilize

connection of additional potential solar facilities.

the frequency.

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Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 36

B. In light of the structural separation between system

needed in the transmission network. These facilities will be a

management (ISO) and the electricity company and the

tool for managing and maintaining the stability and resilience

understanding that these facilities will have to provide a

of the system and will provide the ancillary services described

variety of services to the system administrator, control of the

above.

storage facilities should be regulated, even though the facilities. Will be connected on the high voltage side.

D. In view of a large number of uses for storage, an economic mechanism must be arranged that will ensure certainty for

C. In the second half of the decade, additional storage

developers, mainly through availability payments for each

facilities with a capacity of about 1,500 megawatts will be

storage volume to be established in the required areas.

“THE AUTHOR BARAK RESHEF IS A SENIOR INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT SPECIALIZING IN ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM PLANNING, AS WELL AS INTEGRATION OF DISTRIBUTED GENERATION AND RENEWABLES TO THE GRID IN COMBINATION WITH ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS.” — BY BARAK RESHEF

Middle East

Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 37

OPINION

WHAT ARE THE FACTORS LEADING TO THE GROWTH OF SOLAR IN EGYPT?

Clear vision and strategy by the Egyptian government: The government worked on the 2035 Integrated Sustainable

MOHAMED OSSAMA

Energy

Strategy,

which

emphasizes

the

importance of renewable energy. Egypt intends to increase

Project Director, TAQA Solar

the supply of electricity generated from renewable sources to 20% by 2022 and 42% by 2035, with wind providing 14 %, hydro power3 %, and solar 25 % by 2035.

Policy and regulation: To reach these targets the

There are several factors that are key to the growth of Solar Energy in Egypt

government had to work on the needed policies and regulations, There are reforms in the regulatory framework and government support, providing great opportunities for the private sector that is needed to encourage the developers and

Location: Egypt energy

markets.

the financing institutes to start investing in Egypt that was in possesses a key role in regional and global This

most

likely

attributed

2010, one of the key milestones in this strategy was the feed-

its

in tariff program with quite encouraging tariff of 14 $ cents for

geographical proximity and strategic location to the global

phase one and 8.4 $ cents for phase two (2017), which

sunbelt. The country is in an advantageous position with solar

encouraged several developers around the globe to start

energy. In 1991 solar atlas for Egypt was issued indicating that

investing in solar energy in Egypt through Benban project one

the country enjoys 2900-3200 hours of sunshine annually with

of the biggest solar parks in the world (A key success story in

annual direct normal energy density 2000-2480 kWh/m2.

Egypt ).

Egypt was known to be among the first countries in the world to utilize solar energy.

The Benban Solar Park is a part of Egypt’s Nubian Suns Feedin Tariff program, which is a major initiative to influence

Egypt possesses an abundance of land, sunny weather, and

private sector capital and expertise, in order to support the

high wind speed, making it a prime resource for three

goal of generating 20% electricity from renewable resources

renewable energy sources: wind, solar, and Hydro

by 2022.

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Sep-Oct Issue 2021 | Pg 38

Benban Solar Park is a photovoltaic power station with a total capacity of 1650 MWp which corresponds to an annual production of approximately 3.8 TWh. It is located in Benban (Aswan Governorate) in the western desert, Initially, NASA had aided in finding the best location to establish the solar park, approximately 650 km south of Cairo and 40 km northwest of Aswan. Benban is currently the 4th largest solar power plant in the world. The idea was to split the project capacity into 50 MW ac plots each is owned by a different developer, which increase the number of developers in Egypt accordingly the private sector is expected to deliver all this capacity. In 2018 it was awarded the best project financed by the world bank, and in May 2019 the president of the world bank Mr.David Malpass visited the Benban project and specially TAQA Solar plot as one of the best plots in Benban developed by the only Egyptian company in Benban, which show the real capability of the Egyptian companies in the field of solar energy.

Economic and political stability Another key factor for the growth of any country is stability, Egypt’s government worked on keeping a stable political and economical environment for the past 10 years, which gave the financing institutes and the foreign investors the confidence to invest in having their investments secured by the Egyptian government.

Continue to grow After the great success to encourage

A new vision was introduced in 2018; Egypt to become the regional energy hub President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi

stressed that Egypt has adopted a comprehensive and ambitious strategy to develop the electricity system in full. Developing Egypt’s electricity system qualifies it to become a hub for the transfer of electricity between the countries of the region and EU countries in the framework of the projects of electric linkage. Egypt's Minister of Electricity Mohammed Shaker recently announced his country’s readiness to increase the capacity of the electricity interconnection line between Egypt and Libya to up to 450 megawatts (MW) and even more in the near future. Commenting on the connection lines between Egypt and other Arab countries, the minister stated that there is power interconnection with Libya, Jordan, and Sudan. He noted that the interconnection with Iraq will go through Jordan since there is no direct power connection line between Egypt and Iraq. Power exchanges between Egypt and Libya date back nearly 22 years

Conclusion:

With all the government reforms plans and strategies, Egypt has risen from a crisis in Energy to an abundance. The country is now on the right track to be a regional energy hub and the increase of renewable energy projects in the country’s energy mix is making it a lucrative ground for domestic and foreign investors.

investors to invest in Egypt and increasing the supply of electricity to cover all the needed consumption and still have around 30% excess electricity that can be transferred to the neighboring countries,

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FEATURED TALKS

RYAN WANG Sr. Director, LONGi Solar

Please tell us how the business has been for LONGi in 2021. Do you want to highlight any specific achievements for this year? As you can see across various public domains, LONGi has achieved number one shipment, for both wafer and module supply globally. Our global shipment quantity is around 58 gigawatt of the wafer and 24 gigawatts of the module for the year 2020. For 2021, we are targeting shipment to increase with our global market share going up to about 30%, from 26%. Our primary focus will be to enhance the overseas market.

Could you brief us about the current strengths of LONGi in terms of its size, financial strength, highest shipment, highest production capacity etc. In 2020, LONGi had the highest production capacity in the world for wafers and modules. Wafer capacity is 85 gigawatts in 2020 while module capacity achieved is 50 gigawatt. So by 2021, this year, we are talking about 105 gigawatts of wafer capacity, and 65 gigawatts of module capacity to be achieved. In 2021, we have achieved operating revenue of around 8.4 billion US dollars. In terms of financial strength, LONGi likes to maintain a good balance in its operating ratios and Its liability ratio is 59%. LONGi is a company that has innovation in its DNA. We have spent over a billion dollars in R&D cumulatively, which makes us the highest spender in R&D globally, amongst PV companies. This ensures that we are able to bring the best product out for our customers continuously.

Middle East

As far as the shipment is concerned, LONGi was the first company globally to achieve shipment of over 20 gigawatts amongst all the PV companies. This was possible because of our spend on R&D and continuous reinforcement of customers’ trust who placed large orders. This reflects in our shipment value as well.

What are some of your existing specialised products for the Middle East region? What products are there in the pipeline? Currently, the master products in the Middle East region are our Hi-Mo 4 and Hi-Mo 5 products. Being a new product released in Q4 last year, Hi-Mo 5 now is well accepted by our the Middle East and Africa distributors and also the CNI projects, developers, EPC. Based on the different project scenarios, our products are well accepted by our customers across the region. Also, we have a release of our 66 cell Hi-Mo 4 monofacial module, especially for residential and commercial projects. For regions like South Africa, black modules are well accepted. So, combined with all these product ranges, we can provide the customer with all project scenario solutions. I want to emphasize especially the N-type. After the black, we will release the new product N Type TOPcon. We just got the testing confirmation from the Institute for Solar Energy Research (ISFH), our entire TOPcon cell has reached a conversion efficiency of over 25% which is the first time for any TOPcon cell with the commercial size silicon wafer to reach such a high level. Also, we are the only ones who have been tested at the ISFH in Germany which is one of the highest credible agencies in the world for testing cell efficiency. Therefore, the next generation after the cell will be TOPcon.

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Which emerging technologies are being deployed by LONGi under the distributed generation segment? The PERC Cell was the first generation technology that developed the mono module. The N-type TOPCon and HJI are the next generation technologies. These are two types of technologies and the new products will be released under these technologies.

Could you please brief us on your presence in the Middle East region? LONGi has made a considerable presence across the world. Due to the market potential, we see the MENA region as our new growth frontier. We have a robust network of around 40 distributors at present and we are building a strong local team to support our clients across the region. For better service, LONGi has its team present in the Middle Eastern, Israel, North Africa, Great Africa and South Africa. So the Middle East and Africa will be the key markets for LONGi going forward.

Your outlook for future opportunities in the Middle East region? We see the Middle East as the potential market in both the segment - utility and distributed generation. Many overseas developers are investing in utility projects. As compared to utility, distributed generation is still an emerging market and developers are concerned over their profits.

Middle East

We entered a bit late in this region as compared to our competitors but we will be moving quite fast. We are planning to increase our market share in the Middle East to 30% from an existing share of 10% at the end of this year. As a part of LONGi’s strategy, we are planning to run the marketing campaigns for promoting solar backed by the personal support from team LONGi’s presence across the Middle Eastern region.

Would you like to add anything else for our readers? Being a leader in innovative products, LONGi is very committed to the Middle East region and we are looking at this market as a very important market for us. We are proud to have achieved 30% of distributed generation market share in the first half of this year itself. We have our three main products on which we have our strong focus. These are the Hi-MO 4 in two configurations 66 and 72 cell and Hi-MO 5 in the 72 cell configuration. Our customers are also showing continuous faith in our products.

We are proud to have achieved 30% of distributed generation market share in the first half of this year itself...."

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PRODUCT FEATURE

LONGi sets another record for P-Type TOPCon cell efficiency LONGi has announced a new world record of 25.19% for P-Type TOPCon cell conversion efficiency, only one month after the company broke the previous record of 25.09%. The new record, based on monocrystalline cells developed at LONGi’s Cell R&D Centre, was confirmed in testing carried out at the German Institut für Solarenergieforschung (ISFH), and raises the conversion efficiency of cells based on CZ wafers to a new level. Based on its original innovative high-efficiency cell and module technology, the Cell R&D Centre consistently drives forward the PV industry’s technology development and industrialization with an impressive series of efficiency records. In January 2019, the conversion efficiency of mono-crystalline bifacial PERC cells reached 24.06%, a record still intact today, whereas, for N-type TOPCon cells, the Centre announced in June the world's highest conversion efficiency of 25.21%, certified by globally recognized testing institutions, further underlining the company’s industry leadership. "We always adhere to the development concept of high target traction, choosing the right direction, focusing on industry-leading technology and seeking to push back the boundaries for product development, thus driving technology change within the industry", commented Dr Li Hua, Head of the Cell R&D Center. Advancement in new energy technologies is one of the key elements in achieving the ultimate goal of carbon neutrality. LONGi’s independent innovation and foresight guarantees its long-term leadership of the industry in terms of efficiency, performance and quality.

Middle East

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About LONGi LONGi, founded in 2000, is a world leading solar technology organization. The company has had a long-term, unswerving commitment to monocrystalline technology, convinced, rightly, that its general adoption would bring about significant technological change for the whole PV industry. With 15 manufacturing bases and more than 30 branches around the world, LONGi produces monocrystalline silicon wafers and modules, delivering solutions for distributed and ground mount power station systems, promoting the development of the global PV industry and driving energy transformation. The company’s shipments have been among the industry’s highest for a number of years and, in 2020, it became the first manufacturer to ship more than 20GW of modules in a year. LONGi’s ongoing high investment in R&D is a significant contributory factor in its success and the company has been rapidly applying new technologies and processes to large-scale production, making important advances in cost control and efficient product innovation. In 2020, LONGi became the first Chinese solar energy company to join the RE100, EV100, EP100 and SBTi initiatives, set up to promote zero-carbon solar and sustainable development.

Middle East

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PRODUCT FEATURE

Central plus String Inverter, Sungrow’s Multi-Faceted Approach Lightens up the Middle East Market "The new PV installation capacity in the Middle East will exceed 50GW by 2030", estimated by IHS. The Middle East, a region full of resources, boasts vast and sunny desert land, large PV installation capacity benefiting from scale economy, supportive policies from governments and public sectors, friendly financing environment etc., which provide perfect conditions for PV plant building. This market now is becoming a coveted region for global renewable enterprises to snag a spot. Amid the fierce competition, Sungrow’s multi-faceted approach, namely the combination of central and string inverters, has proved successful in this promising market. Statistically, by the end of June 2021, the cumulative installation of Sungrow's inverter equipment in the Middle East and North Africa exceeded 3GW; thus, ranking first in market share.

Seizing Opportunity Despite Challenges Despite the policymakers’ support of solar plant construction in the Middle East, the environmental impacts are extremely challenging. Local desert environment experiences high temperatures, heavy amounts of dust, strong wind erosion, drought, and other complexities, resulting in high cost, difficult field construction, impaired power generation and taxing O&M. This region also has the world’s lowest PPA, making cost-reduction an even more demanding task. Moreover, this flourishing market also attracts a number of strong competitors from all over the world. Hence, struggling with the extreme geographical environment, ever-decreasing PPA and fierce competition, how is a company to stand out and take the lead? Sungrow’s approach has proven successful.

Middle East

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A Multi-Faceted Approach: A Combination of Central and String Inverters As the global leading inverter solution supplier for renewables, Sungrow has been committed to the development and production of PV inverter equipment since its establishment in 1997. With over 24 years of experience, Sungrow products boast incomparable advantages in performance, compatibility and flexibility. In addition, under the principle of “Design Meets Demands”, Sungrow advocates the best-fitting equipment selection on the basis of each plant with entral and string inverter solutions to meet customers’ actual needs. The inverters are equipped with intelligent forced air-cooling technology, IP66 and C5 high protection capability, which ensure stable and safe operation without derating in harsh environments. Sungrow has also set up a robust O&M platform to streamline the management procedure. As a result, Sungrow’s solution achieves lower LCOE and higher ROI for customers. Sungrow’s comprehensive and customized service is reputable among customers, too. It often deploys its service team in assisting customers with plant construction, troubleshooting, and operating. In order to shorten the operational time t of grid connection, Sungrow could also provide various additional services for customers, if they had such requests. With the triple warrants provided by most modular design plans, high-quality products, and comprehensive services, Sungrow’s central and string inverter solutions have been successfully applied in several significant solar projects in the Middle East. Well-known examples include a 900MW project with Sungrow’s 6.25MW central inverter solution in Dubai Solar Park, a 526MW project with Sungrow’s 1500V SG250HX string inverter, an 800MW project in Qatar, a 2.1 GW project in Abu Dhabi and so on.

Forecasted Growth Sungrow now owns over 20 branches, over 200 service outlets, and multiple important channel partners across the globe. Its products are being sold to more than 150 countries and regions worldwide. In the Middle East, Sungrow also set up its Dubai subsidiary in 2018, established the local sales network, warehousing system and after-sales service outlets in Saudi Arabia. Sungrow is 7x24 hour ready to serve customers. In the future, Sungrow looks forward to seeing its “Central plus String” combination bloom in more Middle Eastern regions, as an effort to promote its transition to clean energy.

About Sungrow Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. (“Sungrow”) is the world’s most bankable inverter brand with over 182 GW installed worldwide as of June 2021. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial & industrial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions. With a strong 24-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power installations in over 150 countries. Learn more about Sungrow by visiting: www.sungrowpower.com.

Middle East

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COMPANY FEATURE Introduction Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd (“Sungrow”) is the world’s most bankable inverter brand with over 182 GW installed worldwide as of June 2021. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions. With a strong 24-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products’ power installations in over 150 countries.

Vision Sungrow vision: Become the global leader of clean energy conversion technology

Mission Sungrow always takes “Clean power for all” as the mission of our business, and is constantly committed to the research, development, promotion and application of clean energy conversion technologies. Sungrow aims to power more communities and facilities with state-of-the-art products and solutions, facilitating carbon neutrality. As one of the few companies that can offer both PV and energy storage product solutions, Sungrow contributes to the global PV-plus-storage markets with increasing technical innovations, enabling an optimized LCOE and maximized yields for customers.

Company’s Products & Services PV inverter solutions: featured products like SG250HXIN-20, a 1500V string inverter applied in the MENA region; the SG6250HV-MV, 1500V turnkey station for utility-scale plants, resilient in harsh conditions and minimizes LCOE. Energy storage system: Sungrow offers highly integrated energy storage system solutions with a wide

portfolio covering residential, commercial, and utilityscale applications. The Company has expertise in energy storage since 2006 and has products installed in countries like the USA, Europe, Australia, Japan, China and more countries with zero accidents. Sungrow focuses on the clean energy field and has a track record for over 24 years. Sungrow maintains a large proportion of R&D investment and boasts more than 2,100 R&D employees, accounting for over 40% of the total, having applied for more than 3,100 worldwide patents. Sungrow is the pioneer in product innovations and rolls out industry-leading products like the world’s most powerful inverter, the high-efficient, durable and stable 6.25MW turnkey station. Sungrow offers PV and energy storage systems covering comprehensive applications, well matching verified demands with premium and hassle-free solutions.

Middle East

Quality Policy Of The Company: Sungrow has a world-class testing center, which can make sure products pass rigorous inspections. The testing center is certified by TÜV Rheinland, TÜV SÜD, CSA, UL, etc. Sungrow also has the industry-leading 10m anechoic chamber. It can test large electrical equipment like a PV inverter turnkey station as large as 5MW, and as heavy as 20 tons at a distance of 10m.

With the efforts of dedicated Sungrow staff, our products are installed in over 150 countries. With over 20 subsidiaries and over 200 service outlets, Sungrow’ll reach out to customers immediately when they are in demand. We provide 24x7 responsive service worldwide, which could perfectly address your different issues.

Customers & Projects Sungrow powers projects in over 150 countries worldwide. In the MENA region, the Company supplied a large number of landmark projects including Oman’s largest PV project -- the 500MW Ibri 2 solar plant , an 800MW PV project in Qatar , a 900MW PV project in Dubai , and a 200MW PV project in Egypt . Sungrow takes the first place in market share in the MENA region and will facilitate the footprints in both utility-scale and distributed generation segments in this solar hub.

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COMPANY FEATURE

LONGI WINS 2021 INTERSOLAR AWARD FOR HI-MO 5 SERIES MODULE LONGi, the world-leading solar technology company, has been recognized with the 2021 Intersolar award in the Photovoltaics category for its high-efficiency Hi-MO 5 (182mm) series module during an online ceremony forming part of the smarter E industry days held by Intersolar’s organisers. The Intersolar award is presented to companies making a substantial contribution to the success of the PV industry, recognising technological innovations and groundbreaking solutions. Over a period of more than 10 years, the flagship award for the solar industry has provided companies with a unique platform to gain broad international recognition and distinguish themselves from the competition, with LONGi receiving this year’s award based on the advanced technology and innovation behind its Hi-MO 5 series module. The Hi-MO 5 module adopts high-performance bifacial + PERC technology. Designed for large solar plants worldwide, the module features gallium-doped wafers and integrated segmented soldering ribbon connectors, based on the company’s proprietary “Smart Soldering” technology. The wafer (M10 standard) material minimizes output losses over time, while the connectors allow cells to be packed more densely, in turn boosting efficiency to an impressive 21.3%. The high efficiency and power of Hi-MO 5 can reduce BOS costs at solar plants and, combined with a reduction in manufacturing and transportation costs, the module can also significantly reduce LCOE. LONGi is committed to developing and delivering high efficiency, high reliability and high-quality modules. At SNEC 2021, LONGi was also the first solar company to launch “Lifecycle Quality” standards under its brand concept of “Steadfast and Reliable Technology Leadership”, aiming to assist global partners and customers in securing the value of a power plant throughout its lifecycle via technology and product quality. “We are very excited to be the winner of the 2021 Intersolar award, which validates both the product value and the technological innovation of the Hi-MO 5 series module. LONGi values high performance and reliability in its products and, with this recognition, we’ll continue to provide cutting-edge solutions that will accelerate the clean energy transition across the globe and maximize investment returns for our customers and partners worldwide,” commented Dennis She, LONGi Solar’s Senior Vice President.

Middle East

ABOUT LONGI LONGi, founded in 2000, is a world leading solar technology organization. The company has had a long-term, unswerving commitment to monocrystalline technology, convinced, rightly, that its general adoption would bring about significant technological change for the whole PV industry. With 15 manufacturing bases and more than 30 branches around the world, LONGi produces monocrystalline silicon wafers and modules, delivering solutions for distributed and ground mount power station systems, promoting the development of the global PV industry and driving energy transformation. The company’s shipments have been among the industry’s highest for a number of years and, in 2020, it became the first manufacturer to ship more than 20GW of modules in a year. LONGi’s ongoing high investment in R&D is a significant contributory factor in its success and the company has been rapidly applying new technologies and processes to large-scale production, making important advances in cost control and efficient product innovation. In 2020, LONGi became the first Chinese solar energy company to join the RE100, EV100, EP100 and SBTi initiatives, set up to promote zero-carbon solar and sustainable development.

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