Egypt’s four telecoms companies are getting a taste of renewables: Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) has signed contracts with the country’s four mobile network operators for the conversion of their premises to operate on clean energy, according to a statement. The contracts were signed with We, Orange Egypt, Etisalat Misr, and Vodafone Egypt.

What we know: The details provided are scant, but according to the contract, NREA will sell energy generated from its affiliated stations to the telecom operators so they can operate their premises on clean energy, according to the statement. The cost, the power capacity to be provided, and the duration of the contract have not been disclosed.

All part of Egypt’s renewables drive: The move is in line with telecom operators’ aim to transition to renewable energy in providing ICT services, CIT Minister Amr Talaat said in the statement. The step is also in line with Egypt’s strategy to boost the use of renewable energy and reduce reliance on traditional energy sources, Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker said, adding that Egypt aims to meet its targets of sourcing 42% of its energy from renewables by 2035 after reaching a 20% target last year.

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KSA’s Red Sea Global to use Partanna’s carbon-neutral concrete for landscape nursery project: Bahamas-based net zero concrete firm Partanna has signed an agreement to supply concrete pavers for Saudi real estate developer Red Sea Global’s (RSG) 1 mn sqm landscape nursery, according to a statement. The agreement — which follows an MoU inked eight months ago during COP27 — will provide Red Sea Global with 11k net zero concrete pavers. Partanna uses repurposed seawater brine generated from desalination projects to create non-toxic building materials that can absorb CO2 instead of using traditional cement materials, which account for 8% of the world’s total carbon emissions.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

• The UAE is nixing registration fees for firms issuing green debt instruments —- including sukuks and traditional climate-aligned bonds — this year in a bid to support funding for climate-friendly projects. (Statement)
• Iraq’s Electricity Ministry has approved TotalEnergies’ planned 1 GW solar plant in Iraq’s Basrah governorate following an agreement inked in April. (Iraq News Agency)
• China’s Envision Energy will supply wind turbines with a capacity of 1.67 GW to power Neom’s USD 8.4 bn green hydrogen project, which is slated to become fully operational in 2026. (Statement)
• Abu Dhabi has managed to reduce the use of single-use plastic bags by 95% since a ban was implemented in June 2022. (Wam)
• Qatar’s Alfardan Group signed an MoU with e-waste recycling company Electronics Recycling Factory to recycle its electronic waste. (The Peninsula)