New collaboration on radioactive waste management in the UAE: Sharjah-based Beeah Group signed a joint development agreement (JDA) with British engineering and design consultancy Atkins to collaborate on projects focused on the off-site treatment of radioactive waste produced by nuclear facilities in the UAE, Beeah said on Monday. Under the JDA, they both will identify market openings in the UAE and MENA region, develop radioactive waste disposal facilities and share expertise on thermal treatment, decontamination, disposal and more.

More renewables cooperation with Uzbekistan? UAE-based company Empereal Ruby Energy and Innovations signed an MoU with Uzbekistan’s Solar Nature for joint cooperation on solar PV and solar thermal projects in Uzbekistan and the region, according to a statement. Under the agreement, the two companies will cooperate to design and provide medium to large-scale solar solutions to generate clean electricity. They will also invest necessary funds to help boost their cooperation to over USD 100 mn over a five-year period.

REMEMBER- Uzbekistan aims to develop 7 GW of solar and 5 GW of wind capacity by 2030 under a plan to meet 25% of its electricity needs from renewable sources by the end of the decade. Several leading Gulf firms have tapped Uzbekistan’s renewables potential in recent years, including UAE’s renewables player Masdar which recently achieved financial close on three solar photovoltaic projects in the country. The solar projects have a combined capacity of 900 MW, making it the largest solar development project in Central Asia.

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Emirates Global Aluminium and US-based Alcoa sign alumina supply agreement: UAE state-owned aluminum manufacturer Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) signed a partnership agreement with US-based aluminum producer Alcoa for the supply of smelter-grade alumina which will allow Alcoa to offtake an undisclosed amount of EGA’s low-carbon alumina brand EcoSource, Wam reports. Production of one ton of EcoSource alumina consumes some 600 tons of carbon dioxide — half of the 1.2k tons industry average, according to EGA. The 8-year partnership agreement — set to be activated in 2024 — will see EGA secure some 15.6 mn tons of alumina from Alcoa’s plant in Western Australia.

EGA is investing heavily in low-carbon aluminum: The company — which is already taking steps to decarbonize — has focused on emissions-reduction technology in its aluminum smelting process for decades, and purchased clean energy certificates for 1.1 mn MWh of electricity back in November from the Emirates Water and Electricity Company to support its production of solar aluminum. The certificates will certify EGA’s production of around 80k tons of its solar-powered aluminum CelestiAL. EGA was also the first UAE-headquartered firm to join the First Movers Coalition by committing to sourcing the materials it needs for aluminum production from low-carbon sources, and signed an agreement earlier in September with the UAE’s Energy and Infrastructure Ministry to join the UAE Hydrogen Leadership Initiative, exploring prospects for decarbonization across industries and the possible use of low-carbon hydrogen.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

• The UAE’s Climate Change and Environment Ministry has issued a decree regulating the use and distribution of hydrofluorocarbons in the country under a bid to control their distribution and curb their emissions. (Wam)
• Oman plans to add 7k EVs to the country’s automotive sector as part of state plans to have electric cars comprise 35% of all new vehicles in the sultanate by 2030. (Oman Observer)
• Dubai-based EV distributor Admiral Mobility signed a partnership agreement with car rental company Avis to import electric commercial trucks for the UAE’s leasing market. (Zawya)
• Dubai Electricity and Water Authority has reported that its hydroelectric power station in Hatta is 70% complete. (Wam)
• The University of Jordan signed an agreement with the China-Arab States Technology Transfer Center to establish a maintenance center for EVs in Jordan. (Al Mamlakah)
• The Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company (Tadweer) signed a partnership agreement with Greece-based circular economy solutions company Polygreen to jointly upscale waste management capacity in the UAE and Greece utilizing Polygreen’s Just Go Zero waste management model.