< Previous48 Noor Abu Dhabi solar photovoltaic independent power project, also known as the Sweihan Photovoltaic Independent Power Project, is a 1,177MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project located in the Sweihan desert in Abu Dhabi, and covers an area of 7.8 square kilometres. Noor is the first project in a series of planned solar PV projects with Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) to raise solar installations of 7GW by 2025 and 10GW by 2030. The plant was developed by a joint venture of Marubeni Corporation, Junko Solar, and the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority with a total investment of $870 million. The power that is generated from the project will be sold to EWEC under a 25-year power purchase agreement. The project uses an innovative module layout design, high-efficiency monocrystalline solar modules, and advanced project maintenance to keep costs low. The plant uses monocrystalline PV modules in an east- west fixed-tilt ground mounted configuration, and Ingeteam inverters. “Noor Abu Dhabi is a trailblazer in many regards, particularly as it was one of the first initiatives in the UAE to contribute to the UAE Energy Strategy 2050,” said Abdulla Al Kayoumi, Chief Executive of Sweihan PV Power Company. The plant features 201 power stations equipped with two 1,000V DC INGECON SUN PowerMax Series B central inverters with a rated capacity of 2.33MW each.49 The SUN PowerMax central inverters can operate at temperatures between -20°C and 60°C and relative humidity from 0% to 100%, while the airflow range of the inverters is 0 to 7,800 cubic meters per hour (m3/h) with a daily average power consumption of 2,000 W. The plant, which began commercial operations in April 2019, spans across approximately 7.8 square kilometers of land and contains about 3.2 million modules. The project benefits from a well-established contractual framework, which for over 20 years, has been the basis for 14 independent water and power plants (IWPPs) by Abu Dhabi that raised over $5 billion in equity and $21 billion in debt. The project awarded contracts to Sterling and Wilson Private Ltd. and Shapoorji Pallonji & Company Private Ltd. to carry out the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) work. After the EPC work was finalised in 2022, the project holds its own operations and maintenance responsibilities. S&P noted that the project benefits from its close relationship with the UAE government, which is a majority owner. The project aligns with various government renewable energy targets such as increasing renewables in the energy supply mix, which prepares the UAE to depend on cleaner energy. The project is expected to lead to major environmental benefits from the reduction of carbon emissions, which include saving 9 million metric tonnes of CO2 between 2020 and 2030 by displacing gas-fired power generation. 5051 QATAR’S LNG MEGAPROJECT North Field East will be the largest LNG project by liquefaction capacity undertaken to date by the industry52 Qatar’s North Field was under a development moratorium for 12 years from 2005 to 2017. With the lifting of the self- imposed moratorium, Qatar announced an aggressive new development plan to expand LNG export capacity from the current 77 mtpa to 110 mtpa by 2026. The final investment decision (FID) on the project was taken solely by Qatar Energy in February 2021. The intent was to bring in foreign partners as co-funders, while maintaining project control. “QatarEnergy and its partners continue their efforts to supply an additional volume of about 65 million tons of LNG annually, from its North Field Expansion Projects and the Golden Pass LNG Project, to the global market to meet [the] growing demand for cleaner, low-carbon energy, and to enhance [the] energy security of customers around the world,” Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, Qatar’s Energy Minister, President, and CEO of QatarEnergy has previously said. The $30 billion development project involves four liquefaction mega-trains at 8 (mtpa) each, resulting in 32 mtpa of new LNG production. North Field East will be the largest LNG project by liquefaction capacity undertaken to date by the industry. QatarEnergy has ensured that a global array of engineering and construction contractors will build it. In 2022, after more than six months of bid evaluation, the Qataris selected ExxonMobil, Eni, Total Energies, and ConocoPhillips as project partners. Technip Energies and Chiyoda are the main contractors of the project. They are progressing with construction activities and are expected to complete the project by 2027, according to data from DMS Projects. Moreover, in April 2023, QatarEnergy signed a definitive partnership agreement with China Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec). This agreement allows QatarEnergy to transfer to Sinopec a 5% interest in the equivalent of one NFE train with a capacity of 8 mtpa.535455 SAGE BY MV CLIMATE The project has completed the certification for various carbon-neutral pilot operations56 As the world continues to find solutions for the ongoing urgent challenge of climate change, the petrochemical industry has a vital role in reducing its carbon footprint to help governments reach their net-zero goals, says Mundo Verde Climate. Therefore, the company created the SAGE a new initiative that aims to support sustainable petrochemical trading by helping companies measure and reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. “We believe that sustainable petrochemical trading is not just good for the environment, but also for businesses and communities around the world. By taking proactive steps to reduce their carbon footprint, petrochemical companies can not only meet regulatory requirements and customer demands, but also reduce their costs, increase their competitiveness, and support a more resilient and sustainable economy,” says Gediz Selin Kaya, the Managing Partner of MV Climate. A step-by-step guide on how the certification by MV Climate makes an oil and gas cargo sustainable: • Ex-ante calculation The certification helps to calculate ex-ante data and estimates the greenhouse gas (GHG) load of the transactions (cradle-to-gate including freight). • Offset credit proposal Estimate GHG load, and propose offset credits from diverse portfolio (high quality, verified and certified renewables, methane removal, nature-based solutions credits) of MV Climate.57 • Ex-post data collection After the credits are selected by the buyer, the company’s team gets the ex-post data. • Finalisation The calculations are finalised and verified by an accredited third party, after which the carbon credits will be retired from the standard registry. Finally, the buyer receives a certificate with a verification report from the third-party verifier. MV Climate offers this service globally for the oil and gas industry and all other commodity traders. The process offers a range of services to petrochemical traders, including GHG emissions calculations from cradle to gate, benchmarking against industry standards, and offset credit programs to help companies achieve carbon neutrality. By holding zero-emission certification, companies can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, gain access to new markets and customers, and help drive positive change in the petrochemical industry and beyond. The company has completed the certification for various pilot operations and is fully functional for Naphtha, ULSD, fuel oil, Bitumen, LPG mix, gasoline, and crude oil.Next >