We close out the week with more green hydrogen as Acwa Power goes to Thailand

Good morning, wonderful people. As we approach the weekend, we’re looking forward to some uninterrupted football after the World Cup delivered another surprise with the defeat of another favorite — this time Germany — at the hands of Japan.

And if you’re one of the five Americans that watch the sport, the fun starts early as it is Thanksgiving today. We wish all our American readers a happy holiday.

Otherwise, it’s just nonstop green hydrogen: If you couldn’t tell, green hydrogen has been the theme of the month. And yesterday it was full on, with new projects — both in the region and outside it — being announced, projects and policies being studied, and even the next lineup of climate events have been fixated on this wunder molecule. Let’s get to it…

THE BIG CLIMATE STORY- Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power wants to build a USD 7 bn green hydrogen and derivatives production project in Thailand. The news comes a few days after Saudi Arabia signed a number of MoUs with Thailand. The plant’s output will be used for local consumption and export.

ALSO- Egypt is mapping out land for 4 GW wind farms to power all the projects the country signed for during COP27, the local press reported yesterday. Egypt had signed nine framework agreements with international companies at the summit to establish green hydrogen and ammonia plants in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.

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

Egypt is also looking eastbound: Egypt’s Electricity and Renewable Energy Minister Mohamed Shaker met with a delegation from Energy China to explore areas of cooperation on green hydrogen, electricity, and renewables, according to a statement.

WATCH THIS SPACE- Lekela is joining the Egypt hydrogen party “soon”: It looks like we might be hearing of a new hydrogen project in the near future coming from Lekela Power, if statements by its CEO Chris Antonopoulous to Bloomberg are anything to go by. After noting that the company was interested in partnering on green hydrogen, Antonopoulous noted that “in Egypt, in particular, you’re probably going to hear very soon from us.”

REMEMBER- Antonopoulous had said earlier this week that the company was looking into green hydrogen production in the country, in partnership with the Sovereign Fund of Egypt. The move comes as part of the USD 2 bn earmarked for Egypt’s green economy that was enabled in part by its acquisition by regional renewables giant Infinity and the Africa Finance Corporation. Egyptian Planning Minister Hala El Said had said this week that a new framework agreement with two international companies could be signed “during the coming period,” without naming the companies.

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You can definitely expect that hydrogen of a variety of colors will be discussed at the Enterprise Climate X Forum, which is fast approaching. It is one of several key green economy issues we’re incredibly excited to discuss with some of you in Cairo at the Grand Egyptian Museum on Tuesday, 6 December 2022 starting at 8am CLT.

What else are we discussing? CEOs, execs, bankers and development finance folks will mull over a variety of topics, including:

• How are leaders building green businesses — from scratch, or as retrofits to decades-old family enterprises?
• How do we pay for it all?
• What do you really think of the green economy?

With that in mind, we’ll be dropping little notices in stories and topics we intend to explore more of at the forum. Study up if you’re coming.

YOU MUST REGISTER TO ATTEND by clicking the link on your registration email. Attendance is by invitation only. You’ll need a special QR code to gain access to the GEM on event day. Didn’t receive your registration email? Check your spam folder and then email climatexrsvp@enterprisemea.com if it’s still not there.

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THE BIG CLIMATE STORY OUTSIDE THE REGION- The foreign press is piling on the China hate: China’s role as both a global renewable energy superpower and the world’s biggest annual emitter of greenhouse gasses came under close scrutiny in the foreign press yesterday. Tensions over emissions and culpability continue mounting between China and the US. And in the wake of COP27, questions abound over whether China will — or should — contribute to a loss and damage fund. And while the country has one of the world’s biggest green bond markets — exceeding USD 300 bn — a long-read analysis by Bloomberg claims to reveal “important gaps in exposure and transparency” about where the funds are going and what their impact is. (Reuters | Bloomberg | Guardian | Washington Post )

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HAPPENING TODAY-

It’s day five of the World Cup: Teams in groups G and H play their openers today (all times CLT):

• Switzerland v Cameroon (12pm)
• Uruguay v South Korea (3pm)
• Portugal v Ghana (6pm)
• Brazil v Serbia (9pm)

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

Oman will host a two-day green hydrogen summit on Monday, 5 December at Oman’s Convention and Exhibition Center in Muscat. The summit will discuss all aspects of the hydrogen value chain including production, transportation, and storage challenges.

Also on Monday, the South Africa Green Hydrogen Summit is taking place on Monday, 28 November and runs to Thursday, 30 November in Cape Town. Hosted by Infrastructure South Africa (ISA), the event will showcase the country’s potential as an investment destination. Egypt, Mauritania, and Morocco — all members of the Africa Green Hydrogen Alliance (AGHA) — will be attending the summit to present their national agendas for green hydrogen projects.

UAE will host the Big 5 global construction impact summit on Wednesday, 7 December at the Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing more than 2k exhibitors from 60 countries, as well as regional and global construction industry leaders together to discuss ways to meet local and global net zero and waste reduction targets.

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

More details on Acwa Power’s Thailand project: Tadawul-listed Acwa Power will establish a USD 7 bn green hydrogen and derivatives production project in Thailand with Thai state-owned energy company PTT Plc and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, according to a statement. The two sides will conduct a feasibility study for the project, the statement said.

The details: The project targets the production of 225k tons of green hydrogen annually — equivalent to 1.2 mn tons of green ammonia per year — in Thailand for local energy consumption and for export.

Background: The two sides agreed to cooperate on green hydrogen and ammonia production just days ago. Thailand and Indonesia are two markets the Saudi renewable energy company is looking to expand to as part of its global expansion, Acwa CEO Paddy Padmanathan said last month. Acwa signed an agreement to provide 575 MW of power and 563k cubic meters of desalinated water to Indonesia Tuban GRR&P’s petrochemicals refinery, according to a statement yesterday, though it isn’t clear if the energy being provided will be green.

OVER IN OUR NECK OF THE WOODS-

Egypt’s Electricity Ministry is mapping out land for 4 GW wind projects to power green hydrogen production: Egypt’s Electricity Ministry is preparing a map of 20 possible sites where investors may be able to run wind projects that would power green hydrogen production under concession agreements, reports local media outlet Amwal Al Ghad, citing official sources. The map will be presented to local and international investors and consortiums that have previously set up wind and solar projects, the sources said. The ministry is reportedly targeting some 4 GW production capacity from the new wind projects, Amwal Al Ghad noted the sources as saying.

REMINDER- Egypt’s gearing up to be awash with green hydrogen: Egypt signed nine framework agreements with international power companies at the summit to establish green hydrogen and ammonia plants in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The facilities are set to collectively produce up to 7.6 mn tons of green ammonia and 2.7 mn tons of hydrogen a year, with anticipated investment of up to USD 83 bn.

UAE’s Masdar steps into Turkmenistan: Masdar is building a 100 MW solar plant in Turkmenistan after signing a joint development agreement with Turkmenenergo State Power Corporation, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. This marks the company’s first entry into the country since they signed an MoU last year to cooperate on solar and wind projects on a public-private partnership basis.

What we don’t know: The statement does not disclose the ownership structure for the plant nor does it mention how much Masdar will invest in developing it.

What they said: “We hope that this document will mark the beginning of a new stage in the development of the electric power industry of Turkmenistan through the construction of solar and wind power plants, in which this company has accumulated a large and rich experience,” deputy chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Charymurat Purchekov said.

Masdar has been snapping up assets: The company has assets in upward of 40 countries, and a combined renewables capacity of 15 GW and USD 20 bn in investments — aiming to reach 100 GW capacity by 2030. Most recently, it signed agreements for a 10 MW wind project and a 2 GW green hydrogen project in Egypt during COP27 as part of a consortium including Egypt’s Hassan Allam Utilities and Infinity Power.

eVTOLs are drawing some heavy investment from the region. But what are they? Saudi Arabia’s Neom invested USD 175 mn as part of a series E investment in German electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle maker Volocopter, the companies announced in a statement earlier this month. The investment sees Neom take a “significant stake” in Volocopter, and will see the two expand their strategic partnership to roll out an “advanced air mobility industry” in KSA.

Neom has some big plans in store for eVTOLs: Neom and Volocopter signed a joint venture agreement late last year to design, implement, and operate a tailored and customized public vertical mobility system in the smart city. The JV is the sole operator of initial public transit routes across Neom, enabling an open eVTOL ecosystem for mobility services like logistics, emergency response, and tourism.

SOUND SMART- What are eVTOLs and how do they work? eVTOLS are drone-like aircraft that use electric propulsion and large omnidirectional fans to allow them to takeoff vertically and to act like air taxis. They are meant to be energy efficient, quiet, environmentally friendly, and eventually pilotless. Beyond their applications as air taxis, the vehicles are expected to be able to operate on an inter-city basis and even be used for cargo shipping.

The industry is taking off (pun intended): The global urban air mobility market was valued at USD 2.3 bn in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 30.7 bn by 2031. KSA’s national flag carrier Saudia recently signed an agreement with Lilium to purchase 100 electric jets, while UAE-based charter flight operator Falcon Aviation Services is buying up to 35 flying taxis from electric aircraft company Eve Holding, with deliveries expected to start in 2026.

The caveat: eVTOLS require huge amounts of electricity at take off and landing, and need batteries to be swapped and cool in between flights. German eVTOL manufacturer Lilium is aiming to have its aircraft range of 250 km with a battery system that charges to 80% in 15 minutes and 100% within 30 minutes. Petalite estimates that the vehicles need high-capacity 600kW fast-charging capability to serve their duty cycles.

Neom has an advantage: Fast-charging capabilities require city-scale charging infrastructure (which can be costly) if the use of eVTOLS is to be scaled up, according to a McKinsey report. But with a city being built from scratch like Neom, this can be factored into the design, CEO at Volocopter said in the statement.

How many vehicles will be in the skies? Neom and Volocopter agreed on an initial order of 10 VoloCity passenger and 5 VoloDrone logistics aircrafts to commence flight operation within the next 2 years, according to the statement.

Neom’s ambitious plans: Electric air taxis are key to implementing a “multi-modal mobility system powered by 100% renewable energy,” according to its website. NEOM plans to invest in eVTOL vehicle fleets, operations and infrastructure to localize the industry in the kingdom, the statement said.

Dubai’s Moro Hub nabs Guinness World Record: UAE’s 16 sqkm solar-powered data center Moro Hub was awarded the award for largest data hub, the organization announced earlier this month. The 100 MW center is owned by Data Hub Integrated Solutions, a subsidiary of Digital Dewa.

Lebanese non-profit among UN’s Champions of the Earth: Lebanon’s non-profit organization Arcanciel received the Inspiration and Action award for their national waste management efforts, UNEP said in an official statement.

Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) received the ‘Ecosystem Enabler of the Year’ award from Entrepreneur Middle East magazine, according to a company statement. SRTIP received the award for its efforts in the region as an incubator hub for startups in a number of sectors including transportation, agriculture, and renewable energy.

Etihad Aviation Group’s Greenliner dropped off COP27 attendees in Egypt with emission-less flights, CNN Travel reported yesterday. The Greenliner relies on sustainable alternative fuels (SAFs). Etihad Airways’ first SAF-fueled flight took off from Tokyo last month.

SOUND SMART- SAFs are low-carbon alternatives to traditional jet fuel. The clean fuel is made of mustard seeds, soy beans, non-edible oils and could soon include recycled biomass like forest trimmings or crop waste, according to Honeywell Aerospace. They can be used in fuel-powered airplanes as they stand, with no need to modify the aircrafts.

Morocco’s OCP Group is farming carbon in Brazil: Phosphate fertilizer producer OCP Group partnered with Brazil’s Agrorobotica and French InVivo’s agricultural arm Bioline for a carbon farming and certification project in Brazil, the North Africa Post reported this week. OCP will use the carbon credits from this partnership to achieve net zero by 2040.

SOUND SMART- Carbon farming consists of capturing carbon on farms, for instance, and storing it in plant material or soil, according to Carbon Cycle. This process supports soil fertility, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and can support farmers through carbon credits.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

• The National Bank of Fujairah (NBF) will finance the import of HongQI electric vehicles into the UAE. (Statement)
• Seoul-based F&B company Nongshim is bringing two of its vertical smart farm containers to Oman. The pilot project is worth USD 200k. (Aju Business Daily)
• Emirates District Cooling Company (Emicool) is partnering with Emirates Electrical Engineering (EEE) to increase its reliance on solar energy by 238%. (ME Construction News)

Meet the first female winner of Stars of Science: Omani scientist, inventor and teacher Somaya Al Siyabi came out on top of this year’s edition of the pan-Arab TV show Stars of Science with her solution for microplastics in oceans — a floating ball that treats microplastics.

How does it work? The floating ball contains tiny microorganisms designed to float on plastic waste in the ocean, capturing microplastics of less than 5 mm then quickly treats and disposes of them, Al Siyabi said in a recent interview with non-profit website SciDevNet.

What is Stars of Science? The show was launched in 2008 by Qatar’s state-owned non-profit the Qatar Foundation. Regional interest in the competition shows the enormous potential of science to solve global problems, like environmental issues, Al Siyabi told SciDevNet.