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WASTEWATER TREATMENT-
KSA to rehabilitate two wastewater treatment plants in Taif: PIF-owned National Water Company (NHC) awarded Spanish water unit Aguas de Valencia a SAR 555 mn contract to rehabilitate, operate and maintain two wastewater treatment plants in Taif for 15 years, it said in a statement. The plants will have a treatment capacity of 147k m3/day, the statement said, adding that the facilities will have a tariff level of SAR 0.67 per cubic meter.
All under one ambitious plan: The NHC said it has embarked on a plan since the start of the year to offer 113 existing treatment plants to local and foreign investors under efforts to rehabilitate its existing assets. The facilities being offered to the private sector have an overall treatment capacity of 2.4 mn m3/day, according to the NHC. The plan comes under a strategy to open the sector to private investors to help achieve environmental sustainability.
GREEN FINANCE-
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) signed a USD 150 mn financing agreement for Tajikistan’s Rogun hydropower plant which will boast a total installed capacity of 3.6 GW when completed, the Jeddah-based multilateral lender said in a post on X. The funds will finance the construction of a 335-meter-high clay core rockfill dam on the Vakhsh River in the Rogun district. The dam will have six turbines of 600 MW each.
The IsDB has emerged as a key backer for the project: Tajikistan’s government said in April that it secured USD 550 mn from the IsDB and other development institutions in the region for the megaproject. It said earlier this year that it needs USD 6.2 bn to complete the project which will help increase the Central Asian country’s energy production and ensure energy security.
GREEN POLICY-
Moroccan think tank PCNS partners with UN to boost sustainable industrial development: Morocco’s Policy Center for the New South (PCNS) and the UN Industrial Development Organization (Unido) have partnered to promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development in developing countries and transitioning economies, Morocco World News. The agreement focuses on collaboration in industrial decarbonization, climate action strategies, and the promotion of circular economies.
Unido’s been active in the region: The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) signed a joint financing agreement worth USD 60 mn with Tunisia last month to support SMEs in various sectors including renewable and low-carbon energy, USD 10 mn of which comes in the form of a grant under a partnership with Unido. Egypt’s Environmental Affairs Agency also signed an agreement with Unido in March to invest more than USD 3 mn — funded by the UN’s Global Environment Facility — to develop green policy frameworks for Hurghada.
DECARBONIZATION-
Masdar signs the Global Compact initiative: UAE renewables giant Masdar has become a signatory to the UN Global Compact initiative, making it one of 12k companies from 160 countries that have committed to enact environmentally sustainable and socially conscious policies, according to a statement. By signing the initiative, Masdar commits to the Ten Principles of the Global Compact, which cover human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption.
The Global Compact has climate commitments: The Global Compact has launched the Climate Ambition Accelerator, which aims to scale up credible climate action by companies of all sizes, sectors, and regions, enabling them to set and deliver on meaningful commitments to reduce emissions. The Global Compact’s Just Transition Think Lab engages companies on resilience, health, and a just transition, and calls on companies to set science-based targets aligned with limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 C.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES-
Al Futtaim Electric Transport signs MoU with Uber for battery charging infrastructure: Al Futtaim Electric Transport partnered with Uber to provide drivers with a wide range of electric and hybrid vehicles, Al Khaleej reports. Under the agreement, Al Futtaim Electric Transport company will also provide support to develop the infrastructure for EV battery charging. It will also offer Uber access to its Charge2Moov platform for car charging stations.
OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-
- Wadi Solar building solar plant at Madayn’s KOM: Oman’s Public Establishment for Industrial Estates’ (Madayn) tech arm Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) has partnered with Solar Wadi to establish a 1.4 MW solar PV power plant at KOM. The project, valued at approximately RO 500k and is set to be operational within a year, will be built under a 25-year installation, operation, and maintenance contract. (Oman Observer)
- Lush + Waste Lab collaborate on waste-to-resource solutions: Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics’ UAE branch has partnered with The Waste Lab to use compostable waste from Lush’s manufacturing facility in Dubai to support local farms, improve soil quality, and bolster regenerative agricultural practices. (Press release)
- Egypt parliament considering plan to increase green spaces: Ayman Mohseb, a member of Egypt’s House of Representatives, has called for a national campaign to increase green spaces, with community involvement, to mitigate rising temperatures caused by climate change. Expanding greenery in urban areas will help reduce air pollution and lower temperatures in densely populated areas, Mohseb said. (Khabar Masr)
