Masdar draws massive interest in debut green bonds sale, securing USD 4.2 bn in demand

Good morning, friends. We have a relatively brisk issue this morning as the weekend nears close, which brings us to a quick programming note:

Enterprise Climate will be taking a publication holiday tomorrow in observance of Islamic New Year. We’ll be back in your inbox at the usual time on Monday, 24 July.

THE BIG CLIMATE STORY- The UAE’s state-owned renewables developer Masdar is expected to raise USD 750 mn after its debut green bond issuance lured in over USD 4.2 bn in demand.

ALSO- Another one of this morning’s must-reads is part two of our explainer on El Niño and what the extreme weather pattern means for our neck of the woods.

^^ We have more details on these stories and more in the news well, below.

THE BIG CLIMATE STORY OUTSIDE THE REGION- The world’s roasting heatwave continues: Parts of southern and eastern Europe saw authorities issuing red alerts as a scorching heat wave globally sent the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warning of an increased risk of deaths due to the extreme weather. The EU’s emergency response coordination center issued red alerts for most of Italy, northeastern Spain, Croatia, Serbia and others. The baking temperatures have sent wildfires raging in several parts of southern Europe, including mainland Greece, with the EU sending amphibious aircraft to help Greece battle the wildfires.

And the pattern continues: “Temperatures in North America, parts of Asia, and across North Africa and the Mediterranean will be above 40°C for a prolonged number of days this week,” the WMO warned in a statement. It said overnight minimum temperatures are expected to reach new highs, leading to increased cases of heart attacks and death. “Whilst most of the attention focuses on daytime maximum temperatures, it is the overnight temperatures which have the biggest health risks, especially for vulnerable populations,” it said.

The persisting heatwave is still leading coverage in the international press: Reuters | Bloomberg | The Associated Press | The Guardian | BBC | Sky News |

MARK YOUR CALENDARS- The Enterprise Finance Forum is taking place on 18-19 September at the St. Regis Hotel in Cairo. This flagship forum is the latest in our must-attend series of invitation-only, C-suite-level gatherings that allow senior members of our community to openly and frankly discuss critical issues in key sectors of the economy.

Day one is our Banking Forum, where we’ll dive deep into topics of interest to commercial and investment bankers, from an outlook on the 12 months to come in M&A, IPO, and debt capital markets to the national, regional, and global trends that are (re)shaping our industry.

Day two is all about Fintech and Non-Banking Financial Services. We’ll take a deep dive into everything from the magic of client acquisition to the prospects of consolidation and the coming of challenger banks.

** NEW: MORE NETWORKING TIME- Our agenda includes expanded networking time, including an expanded coffee break and a post-event networking room for you to interact with your peers and speak one-on-one with the team at Enterprise.

TAP OR CLICK HERE if you want to express interest in attending. We’ll be sending out the first batch of invitations shortly.

Do you want to become a commercial partner? Ping a note to Moustafa Taalab, our head of commercial, or fill out this form and we’ll be in touch.

STAY TUNED for more detail about our agenda in the weeks to come.

DID YOU MISS THE ENTERPRISE EXPORTS AND FDI FORUM? Tune in to the Enterprise Podcast and listen for yourself: The Enterprise Podcast is back with another installment of our forum series, where we bring you audio recordings of what was said on stage at the Enterprise Exports and FDI Forum, which took place in May.

WANT TO LISTEN? Head to: Apple Podcast | Spotify | Google Podcast | Anghami. We release a new episode every Sunday morning.

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WATCH THIS SPACE #1- A mineral exploration bid round by Egypt before year end? Egypt plans to launch a new exploration round for minerals before the end of the year in several areas in its Eastern and Western Desert, Asharq Business reports, citing people with knowledge of the matter. One of the sources said the bid round will include zones for minerals like iron, phosphate, copper, lead, and zinc — minerals that are essential for EV and battery storage production. The bidding will cover over 200 areas of no less than 16 sq km each, they added.

WATCH THIS SPACE #2- The EU may amend its carbon reduction targets ahead of COP28: EU countries are mulling an increase of their carbon reduction targets for 2030 ahead of COP28, Reuters reports, citing a draft document it has seen. The proposed amendment, if approved, would see the bloc up its carbon slashing goal by two percentage points from its current target of reducing carbon levels 55% below 1990 levels by the end of the decade. The UAE urged countries to update their targets last week ahead of the climate summit in a bid to bolster climate action globally.

Pushing updated targets: The uptick in its CO2 removal target would require EU member states to abide by the bloc’s recently updated climate targets. The new target will see the bloc source 42.5% of its power from renewable energy by 2030, and aims to have EU member states expand their individual renewables capacity to 45% of their total energy mix by the same timeframe.

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WATCH THIS SPACE #3- World Bank is all in on reform: World Bank President Ajay Banga announced new plans aimed at expanding his bank’s balance sheet and help countries against climate change and other challenges, Reuters quotes Banga as saying during a G20 meeting. “We are making quick progress … we are building a better bank, but eventually we will need a bigger bank,” he added, indicating the necessity of a capital increase to help achieve the plans.

The details: The plans could help generate bns of USD in additional lending by allowing shareholders to back loans if countries are unable to repay them. Such a move would allow the Washington-based lender to generate USD 6 in new lending for every USD 1 in backing over a 10-year period or USD 30 bn for every USD 5 bn. The bank could also launch a new hybrid capital instrument that would pave the way for shareholders to invest in bonds, allowing it to ramp up lending by up to USD 6 bn. Additionally, a new USD 6 bn crisis facility would expand very low or zero-interest lending for the world’s poorest countries through the International Development Association.

ALSO- An additional USD 3 tn is needed each year by 2030 for investments in climate action and other sustainable development goals, Reuters reports, citing a report by a G20 panel. The independent panel was commissioned by the G20 to put forward reforms for multilateral development banks while targeting increased spending for climate change and SDGs and others.

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CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The UAE will host the International Conference on Solar Power Technology from Saturday, 22 July to Sunday, 23 July in Dubai. The conference will bring together industry leaders as well as academics and researchers to discuss trends and innovations in the solar energy production sector.

The UK will host the London Hydrogen-Africa Green H2 Investment Forum from Tuesday, 25 July to Wednesday 26 July in London. The event will gather green hydrogen developers, investors, and policy makers to discuss challenges, regulatory frameworks, and investments in Africa’s green hydrogen market.

Check out our full calendar on the web for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events and news triggers.

Masdar set to raise big from debut green bonds sale: The UAE’s state-owned renewables developer Masdar is expected to raise USD 750 mn after its debut green bond issuance lured in over USD 4.2 bn in demand, Reuters reports, citing a bank document it has seen. The bonds — which are 5.6x oversubscribed — were priced at 115 basis points over US Treasuries from an initial guidance of around 150 bps over the same benchmark, the document showed.

Advisors: An earlier document showed that Citi and First Abu Dhabi Bank were hired as joint global coordinators, while BNP Paribas, HSBC, SMBC Nikko, Societe Generale and Standard Chartered have been tapped as joint lead managers and joint bookrunners. They have been asked to start holding investor calls earlier this week ahead of the sale.

We were expecting this: The planned debut issuance comes nearly a month after Masdar’s CEO Mohamed Al Ramahi told Bloomberg that Masdar is looking to issue a USD 500-700 mn maiden green bond.

REMEMBER- The issuance, which comes among other offerings, have restarted debt sales in the region after a month-long hiatus that followed the Commercial Bank of Dubai’s inaugural green bond issuance last month.

Emirates Steel Arkan is pushing forward on green plans: ADX-listed Emirates Steel Arkan has signed an MoU with the UAE’s AD Ports Group, Japan’s Itochu Corporation, and JFE Steel Corporation to work on establishing an integrated low-carbon iron supply chain complex, according to a statement. The plant will be the first of its kind in the world, the statement said, but no financial details or a project timeline have been disclosed.

It’s green all round: The project will use renewables and green hydrogen to power the manufacturing process and establish the infrastructure necessary to support renewables, including building pellet plants and direct reduction plants, the statement outlined.

Who’s doing what: The four parties will together develop a framework outlining the logistical and digital requirements for the new low-carbon iron supply chain, and a plan to exchange knowledge in the field, the statement notes. AD Ports will provide the land for the new plant in Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD), operate the maritime and logistics services to supply iron ore to the plant, and export the green products.

We’ve been expecting this: Emirates Steel Arkan has been in talks with the two Japanese companies since September 2022 to conduct feasibility studies for an iron ore processing facility in Abu Dhabi.

The demand for green steel and iron are expected to grow: Given that the iron and steel sector is one of the largest industrial producers of CO2, accounting for some 7-9% of all direct fossil fuel emissions, the EU is planning to introduce a levy on its import by 2026 as part of its carbon border adjustment mechanism. Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia are among the top iron and steel exporting countries, making their transition to green steel crucial to remain competitive in the global market. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis released a report (pdf) last year identifying the region’s potential to lead the world in green steel production.

OC set to secure land within weeks for mega wind farm: Egypt’s Electricity and Renewable Energy Ministry will finalize a land allocation agreement for Orascom Construction’s (OC) planned 3 GW wind farm within weeks, Al Mal reports, citing ministry sources. The Egyptian government will likely allot some 1 mn sqm in Sohag for the c.USD 3 bn project, the news outlet notes.

The project: The OC-led consortium — which includes France’s Engie and Japan’s Toyota Tsusho Corporation — will build the 3 GW wind farm under a BOO structure over six phases, pegged to be fully operational by the end of 2028. The first phase of the project will see the consortium bring online 500 MW by 1Q 2026, and the second phase 500 MW by the end of the year. Another 500 MW is expected to be installed by 1H 2027, with an additional 500 MW set to become operational by 1Q 2028. The consortium is expected to bring the final 1 GW of the project online over two phases before the end of 2028.

Next steps: The consortium is in talks with international banks for the financing of the project, Orascom Construction Vice President and Group Treasurer Nader Ragheb told Enterprise Climate. Wind measurement studies will be conducted in the coming months as well as migratory bird surveys for at least a year before moving forward with the project. The project will break ground upon completion of the studies and achieving financial close and is expected to last for 2 years, Al Mal quotes its sources as saying.

The OC-led consortium already has a wind energy portfolio in Egypt: The companies operate a 262.5 MW wind farm in Ras Ghareb which became operational back in 2019. The consortium also achieved financial close for the 500 MW Gulf of Suez wind farm earlier in April. The USD 501 mn project — expected to commence full commercial operations in 3Q 2025 — will be financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the UN’s Green Climate Fund, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the Norinchukin Bank, and Société Générale.

A lot of movement in Egypt’s wind energy sector: Just this week, the Egyptian government signed a land allocation agreement with Saudi renewables developer Acwa Power for its planned 10 GW wind energy plant, which will also be located in West Sohag. Earlier this month, Egypt inked another land allocation agreement with Norway’s Scatec for its planned 5 GW wind farm in Sohag. The announcement followed a similar agreement in June with a Infinity Power, Masdar, Hassan Allam Utilities consortium for their planned 10 GW wind farm .

A major partnership between Masdar and the Japanese: UAE renewables giant Masdar has signed an agreement with Japan’s Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MSG) and Inpex Corporation to explore setting up the world’s first commercial-scale plant to produce polypropylene made from CO2 and green hydrogen in Abu Dhabi, according to a statement.

What we know: The three firms will explore the techno-economic feasibility of a commercial-scale green hydrogen to e-methanol and polypropylene project. Both green hydrogen and CO2 will be used as raw materials to be converted to e-methanol which would be later converted into propylene and polypropylene.

SMART POLICY- Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer used in a wide variety of applications, including bottles, food packaging and others. E-methanol is a vital synthetic fuel that could help decarbonize maritime transportation. “By developing this project, Masdar, MCG and INPEX aim to support hard to abate sectors including the maritime sector and industries to reduce their carbon footprints,” the statement read.

The Japanese have previous ties with Masdar: Masdar signed a MoU last year with Japan’s Sumitomo and Bee'ah Group for the development of waste-to-energy projects in the GCC region. They are exploring participating in several prices, including a plant to treat 390k tons per year and generate 25 MW of power.

Enterprise Explains: El Niño Part 2- Adapting to minimize the loss and damage incurred: Countries around the world are facing extreme high temperatures and scorching heat waves this summer, reinforcing a harsh reality that the impacts of global warming are on our doorstep. With the effects of El Niño currently underway, countries are reminded that adaptation measures aimed to prevent or minimize the damaging effects of climate change are a core requirement for effective climate resilience. The UN confirmed in a report (pdf) last year that bringing down greenhouse gas emissions cannot be the sole solution for fighting the climate crisis. International adaptation finance flows to developing countries are 5-10x below estimated needs, which the report calculated stands at USD 160-340 bn by 2030.

In part two of this two-part explainer on El Niño, we look at the state of climate research and modeling in the region and the measures that could be undertaken to help minimize the loss and damage associated with the weather phenomenon.

Missed Part 1 of our El Niño explainer? Check out our breakdown of what the phenomenon is, and how we can expect it to affect our region.

We need to see what’s coming: Given that El Niño can be forecasted up to six to nine months early, researching and developing models that can better predict the region’s climate patterns is essential in the management of regional water and agricultural resources, climate researcher at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics Muhammad Abid told Enterprise Climate. Saudi Arabia’s King AbdulAziz University (KAU) is able to simulate El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) weather patterns to predict rainfall in the region using its Atmospheric Global Climate Model — adapted from a model developed by Seoul National University. The model has a 65% higher predictability for the region’s rainfall during El Niño years compared to La Niña years, meaning that it is better at predicting dry conditions in the region than wetter ones.

Data helps investors make decisions: “Investors will tend to put their investment in areas with low risk. So I would say it’s really encouraging to start to develop research facilities that focus on the impact of climate change or large-scale climate patterns like El Niño and La Niña,” Canada-based climate researcher and water resources consultant Shereif Mahmoud told us. Currently, the World Meteorological Organisation and its regional offices are the only institution following ENSO and its expected impacts, climate scientist and head of the Environmental and Geophysical Sciences Lab at Dubai’s Khalifa University Diana Francis told us.

Combating increasing drought conditions in MENA and the GCC: Nile Basin and North African countries — including Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria — will experience more droughts during the El Niño cycle. Adaptation measures to counteract the effects of drought could include developing new agriculture strategies to prioritize growing crops with less water requirements, transitioning to modern irrigation methods to save on water consumption, and introducing crops that can handle a higher salinity, Mahmoud explains.

Things could get worse with a warming planet: According to NOAA, the sixth and latest assessment report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2021 concluded that there is no “systematic change” in ENSO variability — how frequently the cycle happens — under four emission scenarios considered. Another study (pdf) published in Nature showed a different model that revealed a robust increase in ENSO variability under the same IPCC emission scenarios leading to a lack of consensus. El Niño has a natural variability which makes it difficult to say for certain whether global warming is a contributing factor, Abid explains, adding that other factors such as the impact of El Niño on precipitation levels can be more easily linked to global warming.

And we stand to lose a lot of funds as El Niño intensifies: A rapidly developing El Niño could result in a global economic loss of over USD 3 tn by 2029, with developing nations likely to be hit harder. By comparing reductions in GDP per capita in different countries following the 1982-83 and 1997-98 El Niño events, the US’ GDP was roughly 3% lower in 1988 and 2003 than it would have been otherwise. Peru and Indonesia took a much larger hit, with GDP being lower by more than 10% over the same period.

Developing countries will need financial help: While some multilateral organizations have set up emergency funds in the past to help countries recover from extreme weather events brought about by ENSO, the value of the funds have been negligible compared to the amount needed to build up effective climate resiliency. While rich nations may finally meet their long-delayed yearly USD 100 bn financing commitment to vulnerable nations this year, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and COP28 President Designate Sultan Al Jaber have both expressed that at least USD 2 tn a year would be needed in reality, with some to be used for adaptation initiatives such as building climate-resilient infrastructure, managing water supplies, and diversifying crops.

All eyes on COP28 to deliver: COP28 President Designate Sultan Al Jaber said this year’s climate conference will be centered around the needs of developing countries, and will deliver an ambitious and practical action plan focusing “on results that address the needs of the Global South.” The operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund — to be approved during the fourth transitional meeting in October — will also be crucial for developing adaptation initiatives needed to protect mns of lives from the increasing damage caused by ENSO events.

Aramco’s Amin Nasser is joining Blackrock’s BoD: The world’s leading asset manager BlackRock has named Saudi oil giant Aramco CEO Amin Nasser (LinkedIn) to its board, Bloomberg reports, citing an emailed statement. A leader at Aramco since 2015, Nasser is expected to provide the asset manager with a “unique perspective” on fundamental issues facing the company and its clients, CEO Larry Fink said. He is meant to take over from Bader Alsaad, the director general and chairman of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development who will not stand for reelection on the board next year, according to the asset manager. Blackrock has a USD 2.4 bn interest in the Saudi oil company, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Offshore solar could be the next big thing in renewables: Chinese renewable energy giant State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) and Norway-based floating solar producer Ocean Sun are developing new technologies that could realize large-scale floating solar plants installed in seas and oceans, Bloomberg reports. While hundreds of floating projects on lakes, reservoirs, fish farms and dams around the world exist, their capacities remain small scale. SPIC’s and Ocean Sun’s recent plant testing is one of the most high-profile tests yet of offshore solar technology, Bloomberg writes. The test plant successfully began generating electricity late last year.

Why move to the sea? Installing offshore solar panels would resolve the many challenges faced in regions worldwide in terms of available land and adequate space that doesn’t require deforestation, Bloomberg writes. Adding solar systems on existing reservoirs could allow more than 6k global cities to develop self-sufficient power systems, Bloomberg writes, citing a paper (pdf) published in Nature journal in March.

But it's no easy feat: Challenges that offshore solar developers are yet to overcome include higher costs of development — which are around 40% more expensive than panels installed on land — and corrosion from salts or strong winds. Additionally, the long-term impacts of covering water bodies with panels such as the impact on ecosystems and flood control remain unknown.

MENA’s first high-speed hydrogen refueling station is coming: UAE’s Adnoc has broken ground on the Middle East’s first high-speed hydrogen refueling station, which will be completed and operational this year in Masdar City, according to a statement. The station — which will be operated by Adnoc Distribution — will produce clean hydrogen from water using an electrolyzer powered by clean grid electricity. A second station based in Dubai Golf City is set to be fitted with a conventional hydrogen fueling system.

Toyota and Al Futtaim Motors are all in: Adnoc also announced a partnership with Toyota and Al Futtaim Motors to test the station using a fleet of clean hydrogen-powered vehicles provided by the two automakers, the statement notes.

Under Adnoc’s decarbonization umbrella: The plans come under a USD 15 bn allocation by Adnoc in January to advance and accelerate low-carbon solutions, new energy investments and decarbonization technologies to help slash its carbon intensity by 25% by 2030 and enable its net zero goals by 2050.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

• Saudi Aramco’s venture capital arm Wa’ed Ventures has invested in AI technology company Tenderd to support its efforts in decarbonizing their operations. Tenderd operates in both Saudi Arabia and the UAE. (Statement)
• Ma’aden made an early debt payment of USD 800 mn on a loan financed by KSA’s sovereign wealth the Public Investment Fund and a number of other financial institutions. The loan represents 7% of its USD 5 bn loan it took out in 2014, making it the largest debt repayment for the company yet. (Saudi Press Agency)
• Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune agreed with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to increase bilateral cooperation in the minerals sector. (Reuters)