Ahmed bin Saeed witnesses Installation of The World’s Tallest Solar Power Tower at the MBR Solar Park:
H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, accompanied by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, witnessed the lifting and installation of the Molten Salt Receiver, MSR, on top of the world’s tallest solar power tower at 262.44 metres, at the largest Concentrated Solar Power project in the world. The Concentrated Solar Power, CSP, project is part of the 4th phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The 950MW 4th phase is based on the Independent Power Producer, IPP, model with investments totalling AED 15.78 billion. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, accompanied by Al Tayer, checked the progress of construction of the 4th phase. Ahmed Buti Al Mehairibi, Secretary-General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, DEWA’s Executive Vice Presidents and other DEWA officials were present. Abdul Hamid Al Muhaidib, Executive Managing Director of Noor Energy 1, briefed Sheikh Ahmed on the progress and installation of the MSR. Noor Energy 1 is owned by DEWA, the Silk Road Fund, which is owned by the Chinese Government and ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia.
Syria Awaits For 67 MW Bids in Tenders of Solar Power Projects:
Syria has recently released three solar photovoltaic parks tenders with a total combined capacity of 67 MW, an official document shows. Scope of the work for successful bidders will be design, installation and commissioning of the power plants bidders will also be required to supply spare parts and personnel training. The first tender is for a 40-MW solar farm at the Jandar combined cycle power plant in Homs Governorate. The second is a 23-MW PV park that will be installed near Damascus. The third tender is the construction of a 4-MW plant in Hama Governorate. All the three projects will be developed on a turnkey basis. In the past we have covered that the Syrian Ministry of Electricity Transmission Establishment had issued two tenders for the construction of solar power plants with a combined generation capacity of 63 MW. The tender announcement was published by Pakistan’s Alternative Energy Development Board after the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Expatriates forwarded it for issue by what the tender document calls “friendly countries”.
Egypt To Construct 90 kWp Solar Power Plant At University of Zagazig:
The Industrial Modernization Center (IMC) of the Ministry of Industry and Foreign Trade has approved the construction of a small 90 kWp solar power plant. It aimed to supply solar energy to the University of Zagazig in Egypt. This power plant is part of the Egypt-PV project. It is financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and it has been implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which will act as the GEF Implementing Agency. According to the managers of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Zagazig, during the construction phase, the small solar photovoltaic project is expected to offer training opportunity to the students, engineers, and technicians of the faculty, and allow the enrichment of scientific research in the fields of renewable energies and sustainable development. The project targets to install small grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems for households, small and medium-sized enterprises. According to Egypt-PV officials the target is to facilitate at least 4 MWp of new decentralized private PV capacity during the lifetime of the project.
Renewables Continue to Break Records Despite COVID-19:
Despite the devastating impact of COVID-19, during the months of April and May, renewable energy continued to break records, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). Most strikingly, April 2020 saw the Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) award a 1.5 gigawatt (GW) solar tender to French energy group EDF and Chinese solar company JinkoPower. The consortium offered US$13.50/MWh for the power generated at Al Dhafra, Abu Dhabi. This result is 13% below a January 800 megawatt (MW) solar award by the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corp (Kahramaa) at a then record low of US$15.60/MWh to Total and Marubeni Corp, highlighted in the report Renewables Continue to Break Records Despite COVID-19 Impacts.
ACWA POWER Acquires 4.99% Of Samsung C&T’S Share In Hajr Electricity Production Company:
ACWA Power, a leading developer, owner, and operator of power generation and water desalination plants, signed a share purchase agreement with Samsung C&T to acquire 4.99% of its shares, with an option to purchase the remaining stake of Samsung C&T in Hajr Electricity Production Company (HEPC) – the project company running Qurayyah Independent Power Plant (IPP) in Saudi Arabia. HEPC is currently majority owned by Saudi Electricity Company with a 50% stake, and through a holding company, the remaining 50% ownership is held by a consortium of ACWA Power; MENA Infrastructure Fund; and Samsung C&T with shareholdings equivalent to 22.49% (up from 17.5%); 15%; and 12.51% (reduced from 17.5%) respectively. With the purchase of the stake from Samsung C&T, ACWA Power will further solidify its position as the second largest shareholder after the Offtaker Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). The total cost of the project was USD 2.7 billion, with approx. 75% of financing through long term project financed debt and the remaining in the form of equity. With a net capacity of 3,927 MW, Qurayyah IPP is considered one of the most efficient projects of its kind in KSA. Environmentally, the project has the potential to save more than six thousand cubic meters of carbon emissions annually.
GE Renewable Energy’s Grid To Ensure Electric Power Reliability in Middle East:
Dedicated teams of GE professionals are out in the field, ensuring the reliability of power grids across the Middle East region during the hot summer months. GE is supporting the next phase of the fight against COVID-19 in the Middle East by ensuring power grids are ready, as some countries announce plans to reopen major sectors of the economy just as summer arrives. Grid stability is critical for the seamless operations of infrastructure – the flow of power and water to hospitals, homes, offices and other public places. GE’s Grid Solutions Khobar Integration Facility (KIF) in Dammam – which has evolved as a high-end Saudi-based manufacturing ecosystem helping to address gaps in the global supply chain through the pandemic – manufactures protection and control panels that customers need in order to expand and upgrade substations ahead of peak summer electricity demand. In Iraq, GE’s Grid Solutions team has successfully energized two 132/33kv substations that will reduce bottlenecks in eastern Baghdad. The Baladiyat and Al-Ammari substations will support the transfer of energy from generating power plants such as Besmaya, the largest power plant in Iraq, into the community. This is part of GE’s commitment to supporting Iraq in building a sustainable grid.
Danube Appoints SirajPower As New Solar Partner:
SirajPower, UAE’s leading distributed solar energy provider, has been appointed by Dubai developer Danube as its new solar partner for its projects in DUBAI. The group commissioned SirajPower to take over the financing, operation, and maintenance of its 1MWp solar power plant spread across Jafza and Dubai TechnoPark. According to a statement by SirajPower “The solar project will cover 13,000 sq m roof area and is expected to generate 1.7 GWh of annual energy production”. The first PV solar modules have already been installed on four solar rooftop plants that are spread across Jafza and Technopark. This project will also help displace over 1,200 metric tonne of carbon dioxide emission (Co2) per annum, corresponding to more than 150 million smartphones being charged.
Qatar To Inaugurate Solar Energy Cooling Stadium:
Qatar which is the venue for the next World Cup 2022 announced that one of its stadiums named Educacion City which has solar energy cooling will be inaugurated on 15 June.The stadium has a total capacity for 40,000 people. Located in the capital of Doha the stadium was baptized with the name of Education City, it has 140,000 square meters of surface and highly sustainable design, a product of the latest advances in architecture, engineering, and renewable energy, reports the Europa Press agency. The Educacion City will be the 3rd stadium of the Qatar that will be inaugurated after the Khalifa International Stadium and the Al Janoub Stadium which were inaugurated in the year 2017 and 2019.
