ELECTRIC VEHICLES-

ABB EV charging stations coming to Bahrain soon: Bahraini power provider Kanoo Power Solutions (KPS) — subsidiary of automotive giant Ebrahim K. Kanoo — is partnering with Swiss electrical equipment manufacturer ABB to expand Bahrain’s EV charging infrastructure and accelerate EV adoption in the kingdom, according to a statement. No financial details, a timeline, or the number of charging stations expected to rolled out were disclosed.

Not ABB’s first regional foray in EV infrastructure: Qatar’s government’s public bus infrastructure program — which will eventually see some 1k electric buses in use across the country — is being rolled out by the Swiss after it agreed to design, supply, test and commission charging infrastructure in Qatar in 2021.

GREEN HYDROGEN-

CIEG inks agreements with Egypt’s Abu Qir and EGPC: Egypt’s North Abu Qir for Agricultural Nutrients and China International Energy Group (CIEG) signed an agreement to establish a green hydrogen plant at Abu Qir’s factory site, according to a statement released on Friday. The expected price tag of the project, targeted generation capacity, and an estimated timeline on completion were not disclosed. A second MoU was signed by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) and CIEG to explore avenues for renewable energy at Egyptian gas and oil sites, the statement notes.

ALSO- Egypt and EU mull green hydrogen partnership: Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) President Odell Reno Paso met in Brussels last week to discuss progress on a feasibility study being carried out for a green hydrogen project in Egypt, according to a statement released on Thursday. The estimated investment ticket and timeline were not disclosed.

The EBRD is a big backer in Egypt’s green energy sector: Earlier this month, the EBRD said it would review plans to extend a EUR 165 mn green loan to help enhance Egypt’s electricity distribution grid. The EBRD — which has financed 163 projects and committed to EUR 1.4 bn in investments for the country to date — extended USD 50 mn to finance the 500 MW Gulf of Suez wind farm in Ras Ghareb back in May. The bank has also committed to contributing USD 200-300 mn to the NWFE initiative to support the phase out of 5 GW of gas-fired power plants by 2025, and support the development of solar and wind energy projects yielding 10 GW by 2028. The energy pillar of NWFE is expected to mobilize USD 10 bn of private-sector investment and USD 500 mn of soft loans, grants, and assistance from donors and international financial institutions.

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OQ signs MoU for hydrogen and CO2 projects: Oman’s OQ has signed an MoU with Belgian energy group Fluxys to explore establishing hydrogen and CO2 infrastructure projects in the sultanate, the energy company said last week. Fluxys was among the investors who bought in OQ's IPO earlier this month, acquiring a 4.9% stake in the company. It also conducted a feasibility study last year for a 500 MW green hydrogen plant on Egypt’s north coast.

OQ is one of the region's hydrogen stars: OQ is among the companies selected to establish three green hydrogen plants to power green steel production in Oman. It also signed an MoU with Hydrom to partner on green hydrogen pipelines.

DECARBONIZATION-

DP World and APM Terminals to accelerate port electrification: Dubai-based logistics firm DP World and operator of the Khalifa bin Salman Port APM Terminals is implementing a new initiative to expedite decarbonization efforts by electrifying container handling equipment (CHE), Wam reported on Thursday. The initiative is based on research (pdf) showing that CHE electrification can be reached within two to eight years.

APM's still boosting its green record: APM Terminals awarded Bhageria Industries the contract to build an 11.4 MW solar project in Bahrain earlier this month. It also plans to set up a USD 10 mn 18.5 GW solar power plant to help the port reach energy self-sufficiency by the end of the year.

CRITICAL MINERALS-

UAE’s IHC eyes Zambian copper mine: Abu Dhabi’s International Holding Company (IHC) is interested in acquiring the Zambian Mopani copper mines — Africa’s second largest producer, The Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing four people with knowledge of the matter. South African miner Sibanye-Stillwater has also expressed interest in the mine. The bid comes amid a global scramble to secure critical minerals used in transmission lines, EVs, and renewable energies.

Elcora and Mincape team up on manganese mining: Canadian firm Elcora Advanced Materials and Moroccan mining lab Mincape are partnering on identifying and developing new manganese deposits in Morocco and West Africa, according to a statement. The two companies aim to combine their technical know-how and resources to increase supplies of manganese for the growing EV battery market.

Elcora has a history in Morocco: Elcora's subsidiary Ermazon started manganese ore extraction and deliveries in the kingdom last August. Elcora also selected Lab 4 in April for the design and testing of Elcora’s planned vanadium pentoxide plant in Morocco.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

• Tadweer partners with Abu Dhabi Airports on waste management: Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company (Tadweer) and Abu Dhabi Airports have signed an MoU to explore waste management solutions at the emirate’s airports, increase waste diversion from landfills, and develop monitoring and reporting to achieve circularity in the airport ecosystem. (Statement)
• Amea Power will break ground on Tunisia’s largest solar plant: Amea Power and China's TBEA Xinjiang New Energy Company will break ground on their 120 MW solar power project by the end of the year. The companies were awarded the contract for the project back in 2019. (Zawya)
• Tunisia sets a date for Italian interconnector launch: The Tunisia-Italy 600 MW subsea interconnector will be operational by 2029, transporting 400-600 MW of clean power generated from hydroelectricity. The project is set to offset emissions by 525k tons of CO2 a year. (Le Maghreb)