ITP MEDIA GROUP / BUSINESS OCTOBER 2021• VOL. 15, ISSUE 10 EVERY DROP COUNTS Smart water meters are empowering users to gain more visibility on their water consumption and expenditure FOR A WORLD THAT’S ALWAYS ONTM POWER DESIGNED TO GO WHEREVER YOU DO Every hour counts when power is needed in remote locations, to meet peak demand, or when an outage in the prime source occurs. Your customers, or organization’s users do not want to doubt the reliability of their generators. They certainly want to avoid unplanned downtime and do not want to learn new controls. That’s why we designed Cummins mobile generators that is easier to transport and operate, and easier to maintain, with extended service intervals. Learn more at cummins.com/generators.CONTENTS www.utilities-me.com October 2021 / Utilities Middle East 3 Volume 15 | Issue 10 Contents Starting this month, the world’s 191 countries will gather in one place, driven by the common objective to connect minds and create the future. As the world grows hotter and climate change is no longer a far reality, EXPO 2020 Dubai hopes its platform will provide a foundation for a collaborative, people-centred strategy to help heal the planet. And the best way to do this is through the sustainable allocation of resources. From recycling to promoting natural solutions, EXPO 2020 hopes to inspire others to reaffi rm their commitment to the environment and protecting the Earth for future gen- erations. All of its actions are geared towards creating positive envi- ronmental impacts on a national, regional and global scale, and support the Dubai Plan 2021, UAE Vision 2021 and the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For instance, 50% of EXPO 2020 Dubai’s energy will come from renewable energy sources, as all of the permanent buildings are fi tted with solar panels and other clean energy systems. Renewable energy systems with a combined total capac- ity of 5.5 megawatts on all permanent building projects have been installed across the Expo site. That’s enough energy to go approximately 180,000 round trips from Downtown Dubai to the Corniche in Abu Dhabi. All of the permanent buildings at EXPO 2020 are inte- grated with photovoltaic panels and have incorporated renewable energy systems. CEEQUAL, an international sustainability assessment, rating and awards scheme for infrastructure projects, awarded eight Expo projects such as Al Wasl Plaza, parks and the public realm with an ‘Excellent’ certifi cation. 25% reduction in potable water use in buildings, with all water for irrigation and cooling to be recycled water. 85% of all waste to be segregated, treated and diverted from landfi ll. EXPO 2020 is expected to drive the momentum on sustain- ability and provide a template for change in the ways essen- tial services such as power and water are generated and con- sumed. EXPO 2020 is certainly the key to the future. EXPO 2020 unlocks the future Baset Asaba, Editor Email: baset.asaba@itp.com View point COUNTING EVERY DROP A look at how smart water meters are enabling resilience in water distribution networks and empowering end usersCONTENTS 4 Utilities Middle East / October 2021 www.utilities-me.com Saudi Arabia awards $1bn sewage treatment plants deal Saudi Arabia has awarded the fi nancing, construction and 25- year operation of the Madinah-3, Buraydah-2 and Tabuk-2 sewage treatment plants in the country. Acciona, along with its local partners Tawzea and Tamasuk bagged the contract for the three sewage 02 Masdar City start-up launches world’s fi rst ther- mal energy storage prod- uct 100% made from recy- cled materials Seramic Materials, supported by The Catalyst, develops circular economy solution to recycle industrial solid waste into ceramic high-temperature thermal energy storage product 03 Barakah nuclear energy plant unit 2 successfully connects to UAE’s transmis- sion grid After the safe and successful start- up of Unit 2 on 27 August 2021, the Barakah Plant became the fi rst multi- unit operating nuclear plant in the UAE and Arab World 05 37 34 05 UPDATES 11 NEWS ANALYSIS 16 INDUSTRY TRENDS 28 COVER FEATURE 34 SPECIAL REPORT 40 PRODUCTS 11 16 24 Saudi Arabia based utilities devel- oper, Acwa Power, has revealed plans to proceed with its initial public offering and will list 11.1 per cent of its shares on the Tadawul stock exchange, the company has said SPECIAL EDITION ALSO THIS MONTH 11 CLEAN ENERGY Cost-effi ciency, ac- cessibility, and carbon intensity are all factors that countries will consider when opting for energy sources, there is no single technology that will be enough 34 CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE A new $15mn plant will take carbon dioxide from the air and permanently turn it into stone underground and mineralised for long-term storage could be a game changer 24 LEVEL MEASURE- MENTS Smart city enhancements are sought out to improve overall capabilities in han- dling better services from these existing infrastruc- ture. They are part of the design while developing new infrastructure 37 UAVS FOR GRID RESILIENCE Advanced drone technologies are becoming more popular amongst utilities in the region given their great potential to improve the quality of power grid inspections to ensure long term reliability of power grids 28 COUNTING DROPS The market will witness demand for water meter- ing solutions that can be integrated with smart communicating devices, as a rising focus on reducing operating costs 16 CYBERSECURITY ICSs are critical in keep- ing essential infrastruc- ture functioning and they are increasingly under attack, with increased potential for critical system breakdown or even national impact Most popular news stories on www. Utilities-me.comitiesNews Saudi Arabia based utilities developer, Acwa Power has revealed plans to pro- ceed with its initial public off ering and will list 11.1 per cent of its shares on the Tadawul stock exchange, the company said last month. The Capital Market Authority on June 30 approved the power developer’s application to list 81,199,299 new ordinary shares on the bourse. “The fi nal price at which all subscribers in the off ering will purchase shares will be determined at the end of the book-building period,” Acwa Power said in a statement. The listing will be one of the biggest in the region’s energy industry after Saudi Aramco, the kingdom’s oil company. Acwa Power operates in 13 countries across the Middle East, Africa and South-east Asia. It has a portfolio of 64 assets with a total investment of $66bn, producing 42 gigawatts of power and 6.4 million cubic metres per day of desalinated water. The power developer is at the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s continuing diversifi cation of its energy sector, which it has singled out for greener invest- ments. The world’s largest oil exporter plans to add gas and renewables capacity equating to one mil- lion barrels of oil per day by 2030. The kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is the biggest shareholder in the company with a 50% stake. Acwa Power has eight other stakeholders, including the Saudi Public Pension Agency and the World Bank’s Inter- national Finance Corporation. PIF has been given the mandate to develop nearly 70 per cent of renewable projects in Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s largest economy. Utilities and renewables are among the 13 sectors identifi ed by the fund as part of its Vision 2030 strategy. “Combined with robust strategic partnerships, we are now well-positioned to capture signifi cant opportunities in Saudi Arabia as well as in attrac- tive markets globally, including utility-scale green hydrogen,” said Paddy Padmanathan, chief execu- tive at Acwa Power. The company is building one of the world’s larg- est green hydrogen projects in Neom, Saudi Ara- bia’s futuristic mega-city straddling the borders of Egypt and Jordan. The $5bn project, which is being developed with Air Products, will have a capacity of four gigawatts and produce 650 tonnes of hydrogen per day. The planned IPO will give investors “a unique opportunity” to participate in decarbonisation eff orts being undertaken by Acwa Power in Saudi Arabia and across the world”, said Mohammad Abunayyan, chairman of the board at Acwa Power. The company has a pipeline of more than 85 projects under construction or in advanced devel- opment, representing 68 gigawatts of power and 9.5 million cubic metres per day of water capacity. Acwa Power is seeking greenfi eld growth oppor- tunities in the power sector of around 385 giga- watts, the company declared in its prospectus to the CMA. “The share of renewables in Acwa Power’s total gross power capacity is currently 33 per cent, which is targeted to increase to 50 per cent by 2030 as the company makes headway towards its net- zero emissions target by 2050,” it said. REGIONAL UPDATE // ESSENTIAL INSIGHTS FOR MIDDLE EAST WATER, GAS AND ELECTRICITY PROFESSIONALS ACWA Power reveals intention to list on the Saudi Stock Exchange Company plans to list 11.1% of its shares through an initial public offering following approval from The Capital Market Authority ACWA Power www.utilities-me.com October 2021 / Utilities Middle East 5Oman creates hydrogen alliance Oman’s ministry of energy and minerals (MEM) is establishing a national hydrogen alliance to chart the course for the country’s hydrogen economy. Branded Hy-Fly, the alliance will facilitate and sustain the development and deployment of clean hydrogen in Oman. Hy-Fly is made up of 13 key public and private organisations encompassing government bodies, oil and gas operators, educational and research institutes as well as ports who will work together to support and facilitate the production, transport and utilisation of clean hydrogen for domestic use and export. In the run-up to achieving this, the alliance will promote clean hydrogen through investments, technologies, policies, and expertise across the whole hydrogen supply chain. This will support national energy security and a transition to the green economy. The alliance will be led by MEM, facilitated by PDO’s Energy Renewal unit, with participation from the Authority for Public Services Regulation, Petroleum Development Oman, Energy Development Oman, OQ, Oman LNG, BP Oman, Oman Shell and Total Energies Oman, Sultan Qaboos University, GUTech and the ports of Sohar and Duqm. This alliance is a milestone in Oman’s drive to diversify its energy mix while addressing climate change realities. quickly decarbonize the UAE’s energy sector. The Barakah Plant is now the region’s fi rst multi-unit operating plant, further powering the nation’s economic growth with more clean, reliable and abundant electricity. “We have reached another major milestone in the delivery of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Pro- gram today, as part of our jour- ney to power the UAE with clean, abundant 24/7 electricity,” said Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Offi cer of ENEC. “The Barakah Plant supports the sustainable growth and prosperity of the nation. With the start-up of Unit 2, we are now almost halfway to achieving our goal of supplying UAE turns on Unit 2 of Barakah Nuclear Plant The Emirates Nuclear Energy Cor- poration (ENEC) has announced that its operating and maintenance subsidiary, Nawah Energy Com- pany (Nawah) has successfully started up Unit 2 of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, located in the Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate,UAE. This milestone highlights the Barakah Plant’s role as it continues to contribute to the UAE’s success story, which has been achieved one year after the start-up of Unit 1, and within fi ve months of commercial operations of Unit 1. This highlights the progress being made in bringing the four units of the Barakah Plant online, in a safe and timely manner, to Nuclear Kuwait Kuwait eyes 14GW power capacity by 2041 Nearly 7.5GW of the 14GW it needs over the next 20 years will come through new partnerships Unit 2 start-up makes Barakah nuclear energy plant the first multi-unit plant in the region providing emissions-free electricity Kuwait plans to drastically ramp up its power generation capacity to 14GW by 2021 to address current and future demand. The country is hoping to attract outside investors to fund several power projects under a public- private partnership programme that will cover more than half of its future electricity needs over the next two decades, a government offi cial said. About 7,500 megawatts (MW) of the 14,000 MW it needs over the next 20 years will come through these partnerships, which indus- try sources say will require invest- ments of billions of dollars. “Energy projects are priority projects, and the state is moving forward towards their implemen- tation,” Fadheela A. al-Hassan, who was appointed head of the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects in April, said. “There is a desire to rush such projects,” The projects under the public- private partnership (PPP) umbrella include the Al-Zour 2 & 3 plant, which has a capacity of 2,700 MW; Al-Khiran, with 1,800 MW of capac- ity; and Al-Shaqaya and Al-Deb- diba, with a combined capacity of 3,000 MW, the authority said. The PPP programme in Kuwait is based on the creation of public up to a quarter of our nation’s elec- tricity needs and enabling sustain- able growth and in parallel, achiev- ing UAE climate change targets.” The achievement demonstrates the nation’s extensive megapro- ject capabilities in the delivery of the UAE Program, which meets all national regulations & inter- national standards, as well as the skills, qualifi cations and compe- tencies of the Emirati-led teams at Barakah. shareholding companies that carry out projects managed by a strategic partner, and the goods and services produced are pur- chased by the government. According to the law, 50% of the shares of these companies is allo- cated to citizens, while between 26% and 44% is allocated to a Kuwaiti or foreign strategic investor, and the government owns the rest. Kuwait’s electricity capacity is estimated at 17,000 MW, and about 14,000 MW are scheduled to be added over the next twenty years, according to Kuwaiti media. Al-Hassan expects the “fi nan- cial closing” of the Al-Debdiba and Al-Shaqaya project will be in 2026, including the awarding of strategic investors and the establishment of project companies. NEWS 6 Utilities Middle East / October 2021 www.utilities-me.comDubai’s 250MW hydroelectric power plant in Hatta is 29% complete Construction of the UAE’s fi rst hydropower is progressing with 29% of the work already complete. It will have a production capacity of 250 megawatts (MW), a storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours, and a life span of up to 80 years. This is the fi rst station of its kind in the GCC with investments up to Dh1.421bn. The fi rst 37-metre-high Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) wall is now complete at the project’s upper dam. The station will use water in the Hatta Dam and an upper dam. The Hydroelectric power plant is an energy storage with turnaround effi ciency of 78.9% that utilises potential energy of the water stored in the upper dam which is converted to kinetic energy during the fl ow of water through the 1.2km subterranean tunnel, and this kinetic energy rotates the turbines and converts mechanical energy to electrical energy which is sent to the grid. Then to store energy again, clean energy generated at the MBR Solar Park is used to pump the water through this tunnel back to the upper dam by converting the electrical energy to kinetic energy and then fi nally storing it as a potential energy in the upper dam that is being built. National Electric Grid of Uzbeki- stan (NEGU) to design, fi nance, build, own and operate the solar plant. Masdar established Nur Navoi Solar FE LLC as the local project company to deliver the PV plant, and to operate and maintain it over a 25-year period. Nur Navoi is the fi rst Masdar project to begin operations in Uzbekistan, with the company having committed to a number of Masdar inaugurates 100MW Nur Navoi solar project in Uzbekistan UAE headquartered Masdar has inaugurated the Nur Navoi Solar Project – Uzbekistan’s fi rst suc- cessfully-fi nanced independent power producer (IPP) solar proj- ect. The 100-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) plant, Uzbekistan’s fi rst util- ity-scale solar project, has begun energization, making its fi rst con- tribution to Uzbekistan’s renew- able energy targets. Once fully operational, the plant will produce enough power for 31,000 households and displace around 150,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. Masdar signed agreements in 2019 with the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and JSC Masdar Solar 50MW solar power plant commissioned in Jordan The project is sponsored by AMEA Power as the lead developer and majority owner (70%) and Jordan-based Philadelphia Solar (30%) Uzbekistan’s first utility-scale solar project started energisation, making its first contribution to Uzbekistan’s renewable energy targets Jordan is adding new capacity to its clean energy portfolio with the commissioning of a 50MW solar power plant. The solar plant achieved the commercial operation date (COD) on 1 September 2021. The Al Husainiyah project is sponsored by Dubai-based, AMEA Power, as the lead developer and majority owner (70%), and Jor- dan-based Philadelphia Solar (30%). Following the commercial com- missioning of AMEA Power’s Abour wind project that reached COD in July 2021, the company now has 100MW of operational renewable power projects in Jordan. The project was awarded fol- lowing the second round of Jor- dan’s renewables feed-in-tariff (FiT) programme. The solar power plant is located in Ma’an Governorate, 200km south of Amman. Al Husainiyah Power Generation Company will operate the project for 20 years, avoiding more than 3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. It will supply approximately 50,000 households with afford- able and clean energy. The project sourced over 200,000 panels manufactured locally in Philadelphia Solar’s facility in Jordan. During the con- struction phase, Al Husainiyah employed more than 400 people. Al Husainiyah was supported with fi nancing from FMO and DEG. This is the fi rst internationally fi nanced utility scale solar park in other solar and wind projects in the Central Asian country. “In the next fi ve years, we plan to increase our economy’s growth rate by 1.5 times, and bring GDP to at least US $100 billion. Thousands of new industrial enterprises, both medium and large will be launched, and electricity demand is set to reach 100 billion kilowatt-hours - 30 billion more than now,” said Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. “Therefore, we have very big plans for new reforms and proj- ects in the electric power indus- try. In the next fi ve years, 19 proj- ects worth US$6.5 billion will be launched to create 11,500 MW of new capacity.” Jordan that deploys locally manu- factured PV modules. AMEA Power has executed developments of renewable energy projects in over fi fteen countries including in Jordan, Morocco, Togo, Chad, Mali, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Uganda and Ethi- opia. Financial close is expected to be achieved imminently on solar and wind projects with a total capacity of 1,200MW and invest- ments of over USD 1 billion, in Egypt, Tunisia, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. NEWS 8 Utilities Middle East / October 2021 www.utilities-me.comOman to replace 800 expatriates in the electricity sector with nationals In a major shake-up of Oman’s electric utilities workforce, at least 800 expatriates will be substituted with Omani nationals in a bid to enhance local skills. Oman’s ministry of labour signed an agreement for employment-linked training aimed to replace the expats by Omanis in the electricity sector. Dr. Mansoor Talib al-Hinai, Chairman of the Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR), said that the agreement will help fi nd 800 jobs for Omani engineers and technicians under permanent contracts. The ministry of labour will undertake the funding of employment-based and on- the-job training programmes in partnership with Nama Group and parties entrusted with the programmes. Oman’s electric utilities company, Nama Group, and the ministry of labour are keen on developing the technical skills of nationals. They also inventory professions where jobseekers can be employed, determining the required skills and qualifi cations and devising related training plans and strategies. The programmes are aimed at raising the rate of Omanisation in the electricity sector from the 47% to 90%. The National Bank of Egypt signed the agreement as the fi nancing agent, the main arranger and the fi nancing marketer, while the Commercial Interna- tional Bank signed as the main arranger and the fi nancing mar- keter, Banque du Caire as the main arranger and the fi nancing mar- keter, and the National Bank of Kuwait as the arranger. Egypt’s electricity sector is working to improve and develop the country’s transmission and distribution networks, including high-voltage transformer stations and control centres. In order to accommodate new renewable energy generation capacities into the grid, the coun- Egypt signs $254mn fi nancing deal for power distribution Egypt is seeking to boost its elec- tric power distribution network fol- lowing the signing of a $254mn (LE4bn) fi nancing deal. The Egyptian Electricity Trans- mission Company (EETC) signed a joint fi nancing contract with sev- eral Egyptian banks that will allow it to add to and expand the coun- try’s transformer stations. The contract is between EETC and the National Bank of Egypt, the Commercial International Bank, Banque du Caire and the National Bank of Kuwait, according to the country’s ministry of electricity. The loan will also allow EETC to construct more cables and lines for high-voltage power transmis- sion in Egypt. Egypt Desalination Dubai’s desalination plant in Jebel Ali reaches 92.4% completion The project is moving as planned and is expected to be completed in Q4 of 2021 to maintain the surplus in production New loan facility from Egyptian banks will enable the country build additional transformer stations to ramp up electricity access amid surging power demand Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has completed 92.4% of the Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant at Jebel Ali Power Plant and Desalination Complex. The Complex is the main sup- plier of Dubai’s electricity and water services with a high level of reliability, effi ciency, and quality. DEWA had awarded the imple- mentation of the AED 871 million plant, with a production capac- ity of 40 Million Imperial Gallons of Water per Day (MIGD) of desali- nated water, to a consortium led by Spain’s Acciona Agua and Belhasa Six Construct (BeSIX). Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, said that DEWA continues implementing electric- ity and water infrastructure proj- ects to keep pace with Dubai’s growth and demand. He noted that the project is going as planned and is expected to be completed in Q4 of 2021 to maintain the surplus in produc- tion to meet the reserve margin for peak water demand. Al Tayer noted that DEWA’s installed capacity of desalinated water is 490 MIGD, with peak water demand reaching 378 MIGD. DEWA aims to increase its SWRO production capacity to try has started implementing smart grid solutions. This initiative is expected to boost grid resilience through reduction in electric power losses. Egypt’s electricity and energy minister Mohamed Shaker said that these solutions will also sup- port efforts towards developing strong grid interconnectivity with neighbouring countries. Egypt has nearly doubled its entire distribution network. 303 MIGD by 2030; reaching 42% instead of its current share of 13%. SWRO desalination plants require less energy than Multi- Stage Flash (MSF) plants. The desalinated water production capacity will reach 730 MIGD in 2030. According to DEWA’s strategy, 100% of desalinated water will be produced by a clean energy mix that uses both renewable energy and waste heat by 2030. This will allow Dubai to exceed global targets for using clean energy to desalinate water. Increasing the operational effi - ciency in decoupling desalina- tion from electricity production will save around AED 13 billion and reduce 44 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030. NEWS www.utilities-me.com October 2021 / Utilities Middle East 9Next >