< Previous10 Utilities Middle East / July 2020 www.utilities-me.com NEWS ANALYSIS KEY HIGHLIGHTS ON SDG7 TARGETS Please note that the report’s fi ndings are based on international compilations of offi cial national- level data up to 2018 while also drawing on anal- ysis of recent trends and policies related to SDG 7 targets. Access to electricity: Since 2010, more than a billion people have gained access to electricity. As a result, 90 percent of the planet’s population was connected in 2018. Yet 789 million people still live without elec- tricity and despite accelerated progress in recent years, the SDG target of universal access by 2030 appears unlikely to be met, especially if the COVID-19 pandemic seriously disrupts electrifi - cation eff orts. Regional disparities persist. Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Asia and South-east- ern Asia are approaching universal access but Sub-Saharan Africa lags behind, accounting for 70 percent of the global defi cit. Several large access-defi cit countries in the region have electrifi cation growth rates that are not keeping up with population growth. Nige- ria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have the largest defi cits, with 85 million and 68 million unelectrifi ed people, respectively. India has the third largest defi cit with 64 million unelectrifi ed people, although its rate of electrifi - cation outpaces population growth. Among the 20 countries with the largest access defi cits, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Uganda showed the greatest improvement since 2010, thanks to annual electrifi cation growth rates in excess of 3.5 percentage points, driven largely by a comprehensive approach that combined grid, mini grid and off -grid solar electrifi cation. Clean cooking: Almost three billion people remained without access to clean fuels and tech- nologies for cooking, residing mainly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Over the 2010 to 2018 period, progress has remained largely stagnant, with the rate of increase in access to clean cook- ing even decelerating since 2012 in some coun- tries, falling behind population growth. The top 20 countries lacking access to clean cooking accounted for 82 percent of the global population without access between 2014 and 2018. This lack of clean cooking access continues to have serious gender, health, and climate con- sequences that aff ect not only the achievement of SDG target 7.1, but also the progress towards sev- eral other related SDGs. Under current and planned policies, 2.3 bil- lion people would still be deprived of access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in 2030. The COVID 19 pandemic is likely to swell the toll of prolonged exposure of women and children to household air pollution caused by mainly using raw coal, kerosene or traditional uses of biomass for cooking. Without prompt action, the world will fall short of the universal cooking access goal by almost 30 percent. Greater access to clean 12 Utilities Middle East / July 2020 www.utilities-me.com NEWS ANALYSIS cooking was achieved largely in two regions of Asia. From 2010 to 2018, in Eastern Asia and South- eastern Asia the numbers of people lacking access fell from one billion to 0.8 billion. Central Asia and Southern Asia also saw improved access to clean cooking, in these regions the number of people without access dropped from 1.11 billion to 1.0 billion. Renewables: The share of renewables in the global energy mix reached 17.3 percent of fi nal energy consumption in 2017, up from 17.2 percent in 2016 and 16.3 percent in 2010. Renewables con- sumption (+2.5 percent in 2017) is growing faster than global energy consumption (+1.8 percent in 2017), continuing a trend in evidence since 2011. Most of the growth in renewables has occurred in the electricity sector, thanks to the rapid expansion of wind and solar power that has been enabled by sustained policy support and falling costs. Meanwhile, the use of renewables in heat- ing and transport is lagging. An acceleration of renewables across all sectors will be needed to achieve SDG target 7.2. The full impact of the COVID-19 crisis on renewables is yet to become clear. Disruption to supply chains and other areas risks delaying deployments of wind and solar PV. The growth of electricity generation from renew- ables appears to have slowed down as a result of the pandemic, according to the available data. But they so far appear to be holding up much better than other major fuels such as coal and natural gas. Energy effi ciency: Global primary energy inten- sity - an important indicator of how heavily the world’s economic activity uses energy - improved by 1.7 percent in 2017. That is better than the 1.3 percent average rate of progress between 1990 and 2010 but still well below the original target rate of 2.6 percent and a marked slowdown from the previous two years. Specifi c metrics on energy intensity in diff er- ent sectors indicate that improvements have been fastest in the industry and passenger trans- port sectors, exceeding 2 percent since 2010. In the services and residential sectors, they have averaged between 1.5 percent and 2 percent. Freight transport and agriculture have lagged slightly behind. Achieving SDG target 7.3 for energy effi ciency will require the over- all pace of improvement to accelerate signifi - cantly to around 3 percent a year between 2017 and 2030. But preliminary estimates suggest that the rate remained well below that level in 2018 and 2019, making an even more substantial increase in the coming years necessary to reach the SDG 7 target. International fi nancial fl ows: International public fi nancial fl ows to developing countries in support of clean and renewable energy doubled since 2010, reaching $21.4 billion in 2017. These fl ows mask important disparities with only 12 percent of fl ows in 2017 reaching those most in need (least developed countries and small island developing states). To accelerate renewable energy deploy- ment in developing countries, there is a need for enhanced international cooperation that includes stronger public and private engage- ment, to drive an increase of fi nancial fl ows to those most in need – even more so in a post- COVID-19 world. SOLVING HYDROGEN SULPHIDE ISSUES WITH INTELLIGENT DOSING EASY OPERATION REDUCED PIPE MAINTENANCE WASTEWATER NETWORKS: REDUCE CHEMICAL COSTS BY 70% Tr ademark s displa yed in this ma terial, including but not limited to Grundf os , the Grundf os log o and “be think inno va te” ar e register ed tr ademark s o wned b y The Grundf os Gr oup . All righ ts reser ved. © 20 20 Grundf os Holding A /S , all righ ts reser ved. INTELLIGENT SOLUTIONS FOR WASTEWATER NETWORKS Grundfos iSOLUTIONS presents a unique Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) solution designed to mitigate corrosion and remove odours caused by the presence of H2S in sewer systems. An advanced algorithm in Grundfos Remote Management (GRM) monitors H2S occurrences, while a SMART digital dosing pump automatically releases the optimal dosage of chemicals in the wastewater. The solution reduces corrosion in the pipes and pumping pit, prevents dangerous situations and ultimately eliminates H2S odours. Find out how Grundfos iSOLUTIONS can optimise your wastewater network with intelligence at ae.grundfos.com GRUNDFOS iSOLUTIONS A SMART SOLUTION FOR YOU 4011560_GGD_WastewaterNetwork_Campaign_2020_Ad1_H2S_ASSFY_205x275mm_5mmBleed_ART01_HTN.indd 16/2/20 4:12 PMAcwa Power acquires 4.99% in Al Hajr Electricity ACWA POWER WASTEWATER ACWA Power, a leading developer, owner, and operator of power generation and water desalination plants, signed a share purchase agreement with Samsung C&T to acquire 4.99% of its shares, with an option to purchase the remaining stake of Samsung C&T in Hajr Electricity Production Company (HEPC) – the project company running Qurayyah Inde- pendent Power Plant (IPP) in Saudi Arabia. HEPC is currently majority owned by Saudi Electricity Company with a 50% stake, and through a holding company, the remaining 50% ownership is held by a consortium of ACWA Power; MENA Infrastructure Fund; and Samsung C&T with shareholdings equivalent to 22.49% (up from 17.5%); 15%; and 12.51% (reduced from 17.5%) respectively. With the purchase of the stake from Samsung C&T, ACWA Power will further solidify its posi- tion as the second largest shareholder after the Off taker Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). The total cost of the project was USD 2.7 billion, with approx. 75% of fi nancing through long term proj- ect fi nanced debt and the remaining in the form of equity. The project was signed in 2011 and units commenced power delivery to the grid in 2013 - marking the project as one of the world’s largest IPP combined cycle gas-fi red power projects to date. The 3,927MW Qurayyah IPP is considered one of the most effi cient projects of its kind in KSA. “The increase of equity participation in the Qurayyah IPP project is an indication of ACWA Power’s confi dence in the Kingdom’s economy and social prosperity set on a growth trajectory by the steady implementation of the various pro- grams within the framework of the ambitious Saudi Vision 2030,” said Paddy Padmanathan, Chief Executive Offi cer of ACWA Power. THE LATEST NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW ON THE GCC & IRAQ TENDERS, CONTRACT WINS AND PROJECTS UNDERWAY Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) and the consortium led by the Metito Group and comprising the companies; Metito, Mowah, and Orascom Construction (the Consortium) today confi rmed the successful fi nancial closing of the Kingdom’s fi rst independent sewage treatment plant (ISTP) to be awarded to the private sector under the Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) concession model with a tenor of 25 years, in Dammam West. The project is worth US$245M with the invest- ment made up of a combination of equity and debt. The fi nancial close of this ‘fi rst-of-its-kind’ proj- ect comes despite of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has frozen many large-scale projects around the world. The Dammam ISTP has a designed capacity of 350,000 cubic meters per day and an initial capacity of 200,000 cubic meters per day and will serve the ACWA Power’s stake in Hajr Electricity Production Company will increase from 17.5% to 22.49% following the partial acquisition of Samsung C&T’s equity The company was selected to take over the fi nancing, operation, and maintenance of its solar rooftops in Dubai The group commissioned SirajPower to take over the fi nancing, operation, and maintenance of its 1MWP solar power plant spread across JAFZA and Dubai TechnoPark. The solar system will cover approximately 13,000 sqm roof area and is expected to generate 1.7 GWh of annual energy production. The project will also help displace over 1,200 metric tons of carbon dioxide emission (Co2) per annum, corre- sponding to more than 150 million smar tphones being charged. SirajPower new deal SirajPower has been appointed by Danube Group as its new solar partner in the UAE western region of Dammam. “Despite global volatility and liquidity issues, and ever-changing market conditions, SWPC and the Consortium were able to successfully reach fi nancial closing, in close cooperation with the lenders group,” said Khaled AlQureshi, Chief Executive Offi cer Saudi Water Partnership Company. The Consortium’s scope of work covers the entire investment. Contracts Saudi’s fi rst ISTP reaches fi nancial closing SOLAR The project is worth $245mn with the investment made up of a combination of equity and debt 14 Utilities Middle East / June 2020 www.utilities-me.comDEWA retenders its 120 MIGD Hassyan RO IWP WASTEWATER Saudi Arabia invites proposals for Al-Madinah 3 ISTP Six companies/consortia have been pre-qualifi ed to bid for the 375,000 cubic metres/day sewage treatment plant Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (“DEWA”) has retendered its 120 Million Gallons Per Day (MIGD) Hassyan Sea Water Reverse Osmosis Plant (SWRO) Project using the Independent Water Producer (IWP) model and is inviting bids for the process. The project is DEWA’s fi rst Independent Water Producer (IWP) model project. Interested parties, having experience of building and operating similar projects, are invited to par- take in the tendering process for which the submis- sion deadline is Monday, 3 August 2020. DEWA has adopted the IWP procurement model for the Hassyan desalination plant following the success of the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park projects. The Project will be commissioned in August 2023. The plant will use the latest and most effi cient and reliable technologies to support DEWA’s water net- work to ensure sustainable water supply. “We are building production plants based on Reverse Osmosis (RO) which requires less energy than the Multi-stage Flash Distillation (MSF) based plants, making it a more sustainable choice for water desalination .DEWA aims to produce 100% of desalinated water by a mix of clean energy and waste heat,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA. “The project is part of DEWA’s strategy to increase the water desalination capacity in Dubai. DEWA is currently desalinating water through the joint pro- duction of energy and water using effi cient MSF distillation technology, which depends on waste heat created by the production of electricity for water desalination. DEWA also uses RO to desali- nate water, ” added Al Tayer. HASSYAN ship, operation, maintenance and transfer of the Project, together with associated infrastructure and facilities,” read a statement on SWPC’s web- site. Under a 25-year Sewage Treatment Agreement (“STA”) with SWPC, a project company is to be incorporated to develop the Project and will treat the entire sewage capacity supplied by SWPC. SWPC’s obligations under the STA will be sup- ported by a credit support agreement from the Government of Saudi Arabia. Last month, SWPC had pre-qualifi ed six com- panies/consortiums to bid for the project. The list comprised Acciona Agua and International Water Distribution Company (Tawzea) consortium; FCC Aqualia, Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies and Alfanar Company consortium; GS Inima Envi- ronment and Al Jomaih Energy and Water Com- pany consortium; Marubeni Corporation; Metito Utilities, and Veolia Middle East. Five of these companies, excluding Veolia Middle East, have been pre-qualifi ed for the 150,000 cubic metres/day (m3/day) Buraydah 2 and 90,000 m3/day Tabuk 2 ISTP projects. Saudi Water Partnerships Company (SWPC) announced last month that it had issued Request for Proposals from pre-qualifi ed developers for the Al-Madinah 3 Independent Sewage Treatment Plant (ISTP) project. The public-private partnership (PPP) project, with a total capacity of 375,000 cubic metres per day (m3/day), is expected to start operations in the fi rst quarter of 2024. The Expression of Interest tender for the proj- ect was issued in January. “SWPC will conduct a competitive process to select a developer or developer consortium for the development, fi nancing, engineering, pro- curement, construction, implementation, owner- The Arab Petroleum Investments Corpora- tion (APICORP) has acquired a 20% stake in the developer of the 117-MW Tafi la wind farm in Jordan, the development bank said last month. APICORP’s new move marks its fi rst equity investment in Jordan. JWPC’s mandate is in line with Jordan’s ambi- tious target to have clean energy account for 20 percent of the country’s overall power generation by 2021, thereby developing new and sustainable energy sources as part of the country’s energy mix. The $287mn 117-megawatt wind farm con- nected to the national grid accounts for 12 per- cent of Jordan’s total operating renewable energy generation, generating around 350GWh of clean DEWA has adopted the IWP procurement model for the Hassyan desalination plant following the success of the Independent The Tafila wind project is owned by JWPC, in which Abu Dhabi’s Masdar also holds a 50% stake APICORP acquires 20% stake in Jordan’s 117MW Tafi la wind project WIND energy annually which can power 83,000 homes. The Tafi la wind project is owned by JWPC, in which Abu Dhabi’s Masdar also holds a 50% stake. In addition to Apicorp, Tamasuk Holding - the infrastructure and development arm of Saudi Arabia’s Al Blagha Holding for Investments – has also acquired a 30 percent stake in JWPC. CONTRACTS www.utilities-me.com June 2020 / Utilities Middle East 1516 Utilities Middle East / July 2020 www.utilities-me.com COMMENTARY DISASSEMBLING THE MYTHS OF THE WASTE TO ENERGY PLANTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST The Arabian Gulf urban residents produce nearly twice as much amount of waste that their counterparts in Western Europe. David de Lara, ACCIONA Middle East Country Manager for our Industrial Business says that W2E can off er a great opportunity as a suitable solution Waste-to-energy (W2E) plants are increasingly under focus across the Middle East, as governments recog- nize that this technology can solve two problems with one solution: First, to generate energy out of non-recyclable waste and then help the UAE strategy to achieve its goal to divert 75% of its solid waste from landfi ll sites. The Arabian Gulf urban residents produce nearly twice as much amount of waste that their counterparts in Western Europe. When we look at the waste produced in urban environments around the world, especially in Western and Euro- pean cities, the average is around 1.2 kg of waste per person per day while in the Middle East region we are closer to 2 kg per person per day. In this scenario, W2E off ers a great opportunity as a suitable solution for the two goals explained above. The UAE has already pioneered the possi- bilities that lay within W2E plants. In Sharjah, Bee’ah in cooperation with Masdar, are developing a very large incineration W2E plant. On completion, the plant will divert more than 300,000 tons of solid waste from landfi ll with continuous measurement systems that are accessible for everyone. The limits on W2E emissions are currently very low when compared to other industries, and the regulations keep pushing for those limits down. In ACCIONA for instance, we are already design- ing our plants keeping in mind the strictest regula- tions that we envision will come like the new Best Available Techniques (BAT) reference document. BAT is led by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and is still currently under dis- cussion. We strive to be at least one-step ahead on this matter. We focus in Methane capture because it is far more devastating to the climate because of how eff ectively it absorbs heat. Last but not least, W2E plants are just part of the solution for waste. W2E plants do have emissions to air, and despite being low, or very low if com- pared to landfi lls, they are still emissions. The hier- archy of residues is simple and strong at the same time: we should be focusing on reducing and recy- cling our waste fi rst. The rest of the article can be found on our website: www.utilities-me.com. each year, while producing 240,000 MW-hours of clean energy. Another good example is the Al Warsan WTE, where Dubai Municipality and DEWA are coop- erating in the development of the AED 2.5 billion facility being built in Dubai that will eventually be able to power 120,000 homes. However, this technology is somehow ques- tioned in some countries. Some arguments have been presented for and against W2E technology. The potential impact on Climate Change is a key issue in modern waste management and it is cru- cial to understand the role of this technology with respect to CO2 emissions and its benefi ts. Emissions are indeed the aspect of this technol- ogy that gathers more attention for obvious rea- sons. Here are a couple of aspects that should be taken into account: This is a sector with many years of experience in the most developed countries and consolidated actors. Technologies have improved massively over the last 30 years and current plants have nothing in common with those that were built in the 80s. Strict emission controls are implemented, SPOTLIGHT: • A virtual face-to-face video interview • The perfect platform for your senior region- al representative to address his professional peers in the region and articulate your organ- isations unique and distinct brand message at this vital time for the industry THE PANEL: • A virtual Roundtable • Elevate the size, scope and complexity of a key topic, or challenge the industry is facing and discuss the ‘best-of-class’ solutions that the industry should be making themselves aware of with a table of your professional peers FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Mohsin Raza Sales Manager M: +971 52 309 2706 E: mohsin.raza@itp.com We are experiencing a signifi cant increase in traffi c and engage- ment across all our digital channels, so we are launching 3 new digital Special Features to help you connect with, engage with and inspire the largest audience of downstream professionals in the Middle East at this extremely important time. Digital Reach - 233,934 - Industry Professionals Every Month WEBINAR: • Harnessing its industry leading reputation and market leading database, Utilities Middle East will design, manage and promote a compelling, insightful and truly engaging webinar • The perfect forum to deliver tangible, business critical information CONNECT | ENGAGE | INSPIRE INDUSTRY TRENDS 18 Utilities Middle East / July 2020 www.utilities-me.com Government agencies, healthcare networks, retailers and supply chains are constantly being tested at the highest level to ensure their business continuity practices are sound. The utilities and telecommunications industries - and their engineers, fi eld technicians and oper- ations specialists – are helping these organi- zations by maintaining the necessary critical infrastructure. No matter the temperature or weather con- ditions - maintaining this infrastructure is a daily operation that requires a lot of planning. As software, sensor and connectivity technol- ogies improve, each of these challenges can be addressed in smarter ways. The digitization of data, when captured immediately upon its creation, enables better decisions to be made and the quality of services and utilities sector become even more criti- cal. With much of our business and commerce moving online in the past decade, telecom- munications infrastructure has become even more essential, placing tremendous pressure on service providers to ensure their customers are receiving the fastest internet and highest bandwidth possible. With researchers at Nokia Bell Labs success- fully testing a 1.52 terabit (!) transfer rate, con- tinual infrastructure upgrades will be neces- sary for consumers to eventually take advan- tage of these speed increases. Having the right workfl ows, rugged mobile devices and access to real-time data enables telecommunications and utilities companies to continually optimize their businesses to deliver stable, secure and high-quality service at all times. to improve across these networks. INDUSTRY CHALLENGES IN THE DIGI- TAL AGE Food, water, clothing and shelter have long been identifi ed as the most basic needs of human life, but governments around the globe have also recognized sanitation, education, healthcare and (more recently) internet access as additional needs for a successful livelihood. The energy and utilities sector touches all of these basic needs in some way – power to keep food preserved and buildings comfortable, internet for global communication and educa- tion, water for sustenance and sanitation – lead- ing to understandably high expectations for these services. When unpredictable events such as natural disasters occur, response times for the energy The digitisation of data, when captured immediately upon its creation, enables better decisions to be made and the quality of services to improve across essential networks, says Jordaan Williams, Energy & Utilities Strategist, Zebra Technologies WEATHERING THE PERPETUALLY CHANGING STORMINDUSTRY TRENDS www.utilities-me.com July 2020 / Utilities Middle East 19 THE VALUE OF MOBILE Equipping fi eld technicians and engineers with rugged mobile devices is one of the most eff ec- tive ways of improving response times and pro- ductivity in the fi eld. A rugged tablet or mobile computer can help technicians navigate to incident loca- tions, access the latest work order with up-to- date information, and provide additional safety precautions needed. For example, evacuation routes at a generating station or substation site will be diff erent and need to be easily accessible in case of an emergency. Today, 26 percent of companies say they pro- vide at least half of their fi eld-based operators with mobile devices, but that number of com- panies is expected to grow to 43 percent within the next fi ve years. It’s clear that getting infor- mation into the fi eld is a simple, yet eff ective way to help reduce response times and ensure worker safety. BENEFITS OF NEW TECH FOR THE UTILI- TIES SECTOR As customer expectations increase exponen- tially with advances in technology, utility com- panies need to constantly evaluate their oper- ations and leverage the latest mobile solutions. Introducing newer technologies to help ease the pressures on fi eld resources can fi nally happen in a scalable way. The use of sensors that can provide remote monitoring capabilities will allow energy and utilities companies to better prioritize their resources. For example, fi eld resources can be directed to areas of highest need, instead of relying on a regular site visit which could now take place only when necessary. At least 90 per- cent of companies expect to fully utilize sensor and remote monitoring technology within the next 5 years. Predictive analytics experts can use remote monitoring data to develop models to help dic- tate when maintenance activities should be scheduled. Weather, power or water consump- tion information and other changing factors can be modelled into a work schedule to ensure that resources are allocated appropriately. With the continued rollout of 5G networks, intelligent network and application services with connectivity to remote sensors will enable the sharing of massive amounts of IoT data transmitting at extremely low-latency. This will benefi t companies with fi eld operators who can serve as “remote experts” through video streaming at diff erent locations. The increased sharing and analysis of data and resources will result in massive productiv- ity gains and optimized resource utilization. Rapid industry advancements enabling new capabilities and improved service off erings are already happening today based on innovative technology solutions. Energy and utilities companies can unlock even more value from their workforce and better serve their customers by combining sensor and analytics technologies, opera- tions software and fi eld-tested, rugged mobile devices. Is your business prepared to do its part? Next >