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GREEN MOBILITY-
Dubai’s RTA tackles transportation emissions: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has signed two MoUs with the UK’s Urban-Mass Company and US-based RailBus to collaborate on developing new transportation systems, Wam reported on Thursday. The first agreement will explore setting up the Urban Mass Floc Duo Rail system — an electric, driverless, double-track system that boosts transportation efficiency — while the second agreement will explore setting up a solar-powered rail bus system.
RTA is big on sustainable transportation: The RTA announced implementing a new initiative in December to boost the use of electric bikes in the delivery sector. It also collaborated with the Ride-sharing app Careem to launch Dubai’s first electric motorbike delivery fleet in December. The authority is also using AI to improve its public bus service by shortening journeys, reducing fuel consumption, and increasing bus ridership using data gathered from smart cards, buses, and taxis.
WATER SCARCITY-
The UAE will proceed with around 300 cloud seeding missions in 2024 to address water scarcity and boost rainfall, an official at the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science National Center of Meteorology (NCM) told Al Arabiya on Thursday. The UAE is likely to deploy around the same number of missions in 2024 depending on “amenable clouds” availability, the official added. The UAE is testing several methods for the seeding process including using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for atmospheric charge dispersal and cloud measurement, coupled with AI trained on data from weather models.
REFRESHER- Cloud seeding is infusing clouds with substances that help water molecules stick together (like silver iodide) either by spraying it from a plane or shooting it up from the ground. The process can increase precipitation by 15% in turbid atmospheres, Al Arabiya explains.
ALSO- Empower is in Chicago: District cooling firm Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) is attending the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (Ashrae) conference in Chicago currently taking place and concluding on Wednesday, 24 January, according to a DFM disclosure (pdf). The company plans to finalize an agreement related to refining the district cooling guide which it discussed with Ashrae at COP28.
GREEN FINANCE-
Egypt moves forward with smart grid program: Egypt and Germany have approved co-financing a smart grid program as part of Egypt’s Nexus of Water-Food-Energy (NWFE) program, according to a statement released last week. The project will add 450 MW to the Abis power station to stabilize the grid after low-efficiency plants are retired and strengthen the grid to better support the transfer of renewable energy produced from the Red Sea region to the northern coast. The financial details of the co-financing were not disclosed.
In the works: Egypt signed off in October on a tranche of the EUR 54 mn debt swap agreement with Germany, out of the EUR 104 mn allocated to Egypt’s energy transition under the NWFE program. Germany’s KfW Development Bank also signed two development financing agreements totalling EUR 76 mn with Egypt’s International Cooperation Ministry to be allocated to renewable energy and smart grid projects earlier this month.
WASTE MANAGEMENT-
EGA launches Yalla Return initiative: Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) and waste management company Nadeera launched a recycling initiative to support communities living near EGA’s Jebel Ali plant, according to a statement released on Thursday. The Yalla Return mobile application is linked to tech-enabled waste bins and aims to incentivize recycling and boost community engagement by offering rewards in exchange for the amount of materials recycled. Nearly 4k households are set to benefit from the program.
REMEMBER- The aluminum producer launched an Aluminium Recycling Coalition last week to promote aluminum repurposing activities in the UAE. The coalition will include UAE firms Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company (Tadweer) and Bee’ah Tandeef.
GREEN INDUSTRY-
Waste heat recovery project kicks off in Egypt: German cement manufacturer Heidelberg Materials’ launched its new waste heat recovery project at the company’s plant in Helwan, Egypt, Al Alam Al Youm reported Friday. Heidelberg Materials has invested USD 30 mn in the energy system which will supply 30% of the factory’s electricity needs.
Egypt’s ACC taps Redecam for dust emission control project: Egypt’s Arabian Cement Company (ACC) has tapped Italian air pollution control solutions firm Redecam Group to carry out a EUR 8 mn project aimed curbing dust output from ACC’s factory in Suez, according to a statement released last week. The two-phase project will see ACC transition two of its production lines from electrostatic precipitators (main ESPs) usage to Redecam’s bag filters. The project — targeted for completion within a year — is partially funded by the Egyptian Pollution Abatement Programme. ACC produces some 5 mn tons of cement annually, which is 8% of Egypt’s output.
ACC is drafting up a decarbonization strategy: Back in November, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) greenlit investments aimed at helping ACC develop its decarbonization roadmap with a focus on accelerating low-carbon cement production in Egypt. The cement company is already working on transitioning to clean energy, having signed an agreement in 2022 for the 13.2 MW second phase of its solar plant in Suez, which aims to generate 10% of its operational energy needs.
SUSTAINABILITY-
Saudi works with Uplink: KSA’s Economy and Planning Ministry signed two agreements with the World Economic Forum’s UpLink platform to mobilize global solutions to critical environmental and sustainability challenges, according to a statement released last week. The agreements aim to spur investments for solutions related to ocean degradation, biodiversity loss, and the circular carbon economy. Uplink is a WEF initiative that links entrepreneurs to investors and others in a bid to scale innovation technologies towards a more sustainable future.
Background: The latest agreement expands on the 2022 MEP-UpLink partnership, with initiatives such as ‘Food Ecosystems in Arid Climate Challenge’ and the ‘Smarter Climate Farmers Challenge.’
OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-
- Ma’aden gets patent for decarbonization tech: Saudi Arabia’s Ma’aden received a patent last week from the US Trademark and Patent Office for new technology that reduces emissions from phosphate production and recycles phosphogypsum, a byproduct of producing phosphate. (Statement)
- KSA + KAUST partner to boost environmental sustainability: Saudi Arabia signed a strategic partnership agreement with the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust) to enhance innovation in environmental and agricultural science. (Arab News)
