Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s clean energy company, and its partners have signed an investment agreement for a 1-gigawatt (GW) wind farm project in Kazakhstan. This agreement was signed at the COP29 conference in Baku. The project is the first of its kind for Masdar in Kazakhstan, which is the largest economy in Central Asia. The wind farm will be located in the Jambyl region of Kazakhstan. It will include a 600-megawatt-hour (MWh) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to help store energy. The wind project is being developed with the collaboration of W Solar, Qazaq Green Power, and the Kazakhstan Investment Development…
Author: Lakshita Kapoor
The Industrial Transition Accelerator (ITA) has announced partnerships with the UAE and Bahrain to support industrial decarbonization across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, by adopting renewable energy methods. This partnership follows ITA’s initial success in Brazil, where it worked with the government to support sustainable industrial growth. The MENA region’s industrial sector contributes around 40% to its GDP, which is above the global average of 26%. With abundant resources in both conventional and renewable energy, MENA is positioned to lead in integrating renewable energy sources into heavy industries. Through these partnerships, ITA aims to support investments in…
Teraco, a company that runs data centers in South Africa, has started building a solar power plant to produce clean energy for its facilities. The 120-megawatt (MW) solar plant is located in the Free State province and aims to start supplying power by late 2026. Teraco’s solar plant is the first of its kind as a data center operator which has decided to build and own a solar plant for its energy needs. This plant will provide renewable energy to power the data centers. Teraco has partnered with companies JUWI and Subsolar to complete the solar project. JUWI will take…
The Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) of Bahrain has released a tender for a new solar power project. This project, set to be built at the University of Bahrain (UOB) campus, will have a capacity of 44 megawatt-peak (MWp). The solar photovoltaic (PV) plant is expected to generate about 75 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity each year. This will contribute to Bahrain’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2035 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2060. The project will be developed across open land and car parks within the UOB campus. The solar installation will include both ground-mounted and…
At the 2023 COP28 summit, nearly 200 countries agreed to double the global rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. This decision highlights energy efficiency as a critical part of the clean energy transition. However, one year later, progress remains slow, with improvements in energy efficiency showing only a modest increase of about 1% in 2024, similar to 2023. This rate falls short of the target set for 2030. That is a real pity, as efficiency measures hold the promise of achieving much without the commensurate investments that adding green energy capacity, for instance, demand. Energy efficiency measures can play…
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is exploring the possibility of providing up to $200 million in debt financing for a new wind farm project in Egypt. This project, led by Suez Wind Energy, aims to build and operate a 1.1 GW wind farm in the Gulf of Suez region. The wind farm is part of Egypt’s broader goal to expand its renewable energy capacity, helping the country achieve its target of 10 GW of renewable energy under the National Water, Food, and Energy program. The Gulf of Suez is known for its strong wind resources, which will…
Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) announced winning bids for two major power projects in Saudi Arabia. The contracts were awarded to consortiums led by International Company for Water and Power Projects (Acwa Power) and Abu Dhabi-based energy group Taqa. Together, these projects, known as Rumah I and II and Al Nairyah I and II, will add a total power capacity of 7,200 megawatts (MW) to the kingdom’s energy grid. SPPC, a government entity, oversees the planning, tendering, and purchasing of power from independent projects. It operates under a license from the Saudi Electricity Regulatory Authority. These new power projects are…
Turkey’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has announced a new solar energy tender for a total of 800 MW. The tender includes six projects across different regions. The proposed projects involve a capacity of 385 MW in Karapinar, 200 MW in Karaman, 75 MW in Malatya, 60 MW in Van, and 40 MW each in Antalya and Kutahya. This tender builds on Turkey’s other recent renewable energy projects, such as the Karapinar Solar Power Plant in Konya, which aims to reach a capacity of 1,000 MW. The Çanakkale Wind Power Project is another major project, adding 300 MW to…
UAE-based Hodler Investments and GCL Energy, a subsidiary of China’s GCL Group, have partnered to develop a distributed energy infrastructure in Ethiopia. This project will power data centers hosting AI, blockchain, and other applications via green energy. The Memorandum of Understanding between the two companies outlines plans to invest in energy-efficient and sustainable projects. GCL Group, an integrated clean energy company, will supply energy infrastructure designed to utilize under-used energy resources in Ethiopia. The aim is to attract global data center operators and reduce carbon emissions. In April 2024, GCL Group also signed two production sharing agreements with the Ethiopian…
Earlier this week, Dhofar announced four new environmental projects as part of its “Neutrality 3” program, an initiative in Oman’s National Programme for Carbon Neutrality. These projects focus on improving sustainability and addressing environmental challenges across the governorate. Dhofar Municipality shared details of the first project, called “Green Belts,” which aims to expand green areas across Dhofar. This project will combat desertification and increase tree cover, particularly in regions facing severe land degradation. As part of Green Belts, Dhofar will establish two tree-lined areas in Dhalkut, create a baobab tree garden in Mirbat, plant a myrrh tree garden in Thumrait,…