ITP MEDIA GROUP / BUSINESS JUNE 2021• VOL. 15, ISSUE 06 SOLAR DESAL As solar energy becomes cheaper by the day, is it ready to fully power utility scale desalination plants? OPTIMISE COOLING TOWER EFFICIENCY WITH WATER CONDITIONING DECENTRALISED WATER TREATMENT: REDUCE OPEX PREVENT HEALTH RISKS AVOID RISK OF NON-COMPLIANCE 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 WATER CONDITIONING AND BLOWDOWN CONTROL Avoiding biological contamination and maintaining proper water quality optimises cooling water’s operational efficiency. Water conditioning for this purpose requires extremely accurate dosing of chemicals. Grundfos iSOLUTIONS offers a smart dosing solution that reliably manages chemicals, surveillance and reporting. The solution combines our DID measuring and control system with our SMART Digital dosing pump technology, our chemical management app and cloud-based monitoring system. Not only does the solution reduce chemical, water and energy consumption but it also eases compliance reporting when authorities require. Read more about the benefits of Grundfos iSOLUTIONS in decentralised water treatment at grundfos.sa GRUNDFOS iSOLUTIONS A SMART SOLUTION FOR YOU 4011666_GSA-Water-Treatment_2020_Ad_WaterConditioning_ASSFY_205x275mm_5mmBleed_ART01_AT.indd 14011666_GSA-Water-Treatment_2020_Ad_WaterConditioning_ASSFY_205x275mm_5mmBleed_ART01_AT.indd 19/30/20 3:31 PM9/30/20 3:31 PMCONTENTS www.utilities-me.com June 2021 / Utilities Middle East 3 Volume 15 | Issue 06 Contents There is no denying that the energy transition is here, thanks to advancements in technology. But are we skilled enough to embrace it and push it to where we want it to be? Investing in new skills and putting the workforce in the posi- tion of upgrading their knowledge on energy effi cient and cli- mate-friendly solutions through life-long learning, education and training needs to become a target of all policy-makers and businesses involved in the transition. This would mean forecasting the type of skills and the number of qualifi ed professionals that will result into a gap analysis that shows where public intervention for skills devel- opment should be targeted. According to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), comprehensive policies, led by educa- tion and training measures, labour market interventions, and industrial policies that support the leveraging of local capaci- ties, are essential for sustaining the renewables jobs expansion. IRENA has highlighted promising initiatives in several coun- tries aimed at supporting the education and training of work- ers. Such eff orts revolve around vocational training, curricula- building, teacher training, the use of information and commu- nications technology, promotion of innovative public-private partnerships, and recruitment of under-represented groups such as women. As a result, jobs in the renewable energy sector reached 11.5 million globally last year, led by solar PV with some 3.8 million jobs, or a third of the total, according to the seventh edition of IRENA’s Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Review. Last year, 63% of all renewables jobs were recorded in Asia, confi rming the region’s status as a market leader. Biofuels jobs followed closely behind solar PV, reaching 2.5 million. Other large employers in the renewables sector are the hydropower and wind industries, with close to 2 million and 1.2 million jobs, respectively. Although precise estimates remain scarce and absolute numbers are small for now, off -grid renewables are creat- ing growing employment, led by solar technology. While these results are encouraging, more work still needs to be done by tai- loring skilling programmes to future market demands. Humanising the energy transition Baset Asaba, Editor Email: baset.asaba@itp.com View point SOLAR DESAL A look at the growing potential of solar energy in powering commercial scale desalination plantsCONTENTS 4 Utilities Middle East / June 2021 www.utilities-me.com Dubai’s DEWA inaugurates 6 transmission substa- tions in 2021 Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has inaugurated six electricity transmission substations with a total investment of over Dh1.1bn from the beginning of 2021 to 30 April 2021. This includes a 400 kilovolt (kV) substation at the MBR Solar Park with a conversion capacity of 2,020 02 Dubai inaugurates fi rst green hydrogen project in MENA Dubai has achieved a major milestone in sustainable energy in the region, with the offi cial inauguration of the Middle East and North Africa’s fi rst industrial scale, solar-powered green hydrogen facility, in collaboration with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) 03 World Utilities Congress to launch in Abu Dhabi TAQA Group, one of the region’s largest listed integrated utility companies, announced that it will be the offi cial host of the World Utilities Congress, a new global exhibition and conference addressing the future of low carbon power and water supplies 05 32 25 05 UPDATES 08 NEWS ANALYSIS 15 INDUSTRY TRENDS 20 COVER FEATURE 25 SPECIAL REPORT 32 PRODUCTS 08 15 18 New analysis by the Global Wind Energy Council (“GWEC”) shows that 3.3 million new wind power jobs can be created globally over the next five years thanks to major industry expansion SPECIAL EDITION ALSO THIS MONTH 08 ENERGY ON THE RISE The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to see a modest $13bn rise in commit- ted and planned energy investment in 2021 com- pared to last year 25 SCALING HYDROGEN FOR CLEAN ENERGY As industry 4.0 technology continues to advance, existing data can be har- nessed to develop machine-learning solutions that deliver real value, 18 DIGITAL WATER Francois Frigaux, Regional Director, Sensus, speaks to us on the role of smart utilities in enabling smart cities and how digital water will be at the center of this transformation 32 ECONIQ™ FOR CLEAN GRID At the forefront of sustainable in- novation, Hitachi ABB Power Grids is powering good for a sustainable energy future with the launch of EconiQ for exceptional environmental performance 20 SOLAR DESAL Renewable energy is gaining popularity in the region’s seawater desalina- tion sector as Saudi Arabia and the UAE announce large scale solar powered desalination projects 15 DIGITAL SUBSTATIONS Traditional energy network substations are evolving into digital substations, with major breakthroughs that may provide enormous gains. This is giving rise to an intelligent grid Most popular news stories on www. Utilities-me.comitiesNews New analysis by the Global Wind Energy Council (“GWEC”) shows that 3.3 mil- lion new wind power jobs can be cre- ated globally over the next fi ve years thanks to major industry expansion. This fi gure includes direct jobs in both onshore and off shore wind, and covers the entire value chain of the sector: project planning and develop- ment; manufacturing; installation; operation and maintenance (O&M); and decommissioning. With 751GW of wind power capacity already installed, the wind industry has generated nearly 1.2 million jobs globally to date according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. The world’s leading wind energy countries are home to hundreds of thousands of direct jobs in the wind industry. As of 2020, there were approx- imately 550,000 wind energy workers in China, 260,00 in Brazil, 115,000 in the US and 63,000 in India, according to a global survey by GWEC Market Intelligence. GWEC Market Intelligence forecasts that an additional 470 GW of new onshore and off shore wind capacity will be installed around the world between 2021 - 2025. Based on existing job creation calculations, this surge in new capacity can generate 3.3 million sus- tainable and long-term jobs over the course of 25-year project lifetimes. Many of these jobs will be locally based, such as for the construction and O&M phase of projects. The majority of these jobs will be created in high growth wind markets including China, US, India, Germany, UK, Brazil, France, Sweden, Spain, South Africa, and Taiwan. “The wind industry has a strong track record of creating high-quality and long-term jobs and reviving communities through an array of indus- trial opportunities. As the world still reels from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments must look to the wind sector as a key industry to create the jobs they need to get their economies back on track,” said Ben Backwell, CEO at GWEC. “Yet despite the undeniable evidence that wind and other clean energy sectors off er signifi - cantly more economic benefi ts and jobs, COVID- 19 stimulus packages globally are still spending a cumulative $30 billion more on fossil fuel energy compared to clean energy. This is incongruent with the parallel calls to ‘Build Back Better’ and address the climate emergency ahead of the cru- cial COP26 conference. Each dollar spent on fossil fuels instead of clean energy means we miss out on potential jobs.” “The energy transition will have to accelerate over the next decade to safeguard our chances of achieving carbon neutrality by mid-century. The good news is that the transition off ers net employment and economic gains, and govern- ments across the world can tap into the socioeco- nomic benefi ts by setting more ambitious renew- able energy targets, streamlining permitting for wind projects, and building energy markets that account for the true costs of fossil fuels,” said Joyce Lee, Head of Policy and Projects at GWEC. “As the world recovers from COVID-19, it is cru- cial that no one gets left behind. The wind sector is well-placed to be a driver of a just transition, with off shore wind in particular off ering a response to labour market disruption in the off shore oil and gas and marine engineering sectors. Governments must ensure that green recovery policies are in place to bring dislocated workers with us on the transition to a more sustainable future”, she added. The forecast for job creation is based on global studies by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) on job creation for onshore and off shore wind projects from 2017 and 2018, as well as market growth data from GWEC Market Intelli- gence. These fi ndings support a growing body of evi- dence that economic recovery which is socially and environmentally responsible can contrib- ute to more resilient systems and future-proofed workforces. REGIONAL UPDATE // ESSENTIAL INSIGHTS FOR MIDDLE EAST WATER, GAS AND ELECTRICITY PROFESSIONALS Wind can power 3.3mn new jobs worldwide by 2026, says GWEC With 751 GW of wind power capacity already installed, the wind industry has generated nearly 1.2 million jobs globally to date Wind www.utilities-me.com June 2021 / Utilities Middle East 5Tabreed announces Khalid Al Marzouqi as its new CEO The National Central Cooling Company, Tabreed, a leading international district cooling developer headquartered in the UAE, announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Khalid Al Marzouqi as the company’s new Chief Executive Offi cer. Khaled Al Qubaisi, Chairman of Tabreed, said of the appointment: “Khalid Al Marzouqi joins Tabreed at the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the company and brings with him a wealth of experience in the energy sector, where he has worked at the most senior levels. With the recent launch of Tabreed’s all-new corporate identity still fresh in our minds, the scene is set for this remarkable and progressive business to deliver on its ambitious plans, and I know Khalid’s considerable expertise will help drive us towards achieving ever more impressive results.” Mr Al Marzouqi joins Tabreed from Dolphin Energy, where he was Chief Operating Offi cer – Downstream, responsible for overseeing the entire Operations Downstream Division in the UAE. Prior to this he was Senior VP of Dolphin’s Technical Services Division and Al Marzouqi has occupied senior roles at the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) and ADCO. watts of peak power. With this pilot project, DEWA aims to demonstrate the produc- tion of green hydrogen from solar power, as well as the storage and re- electrifi cation of hydrogen, turn- ing hydrogen back into electricity. Operational data from the green hydrogen electrolysis will also be displayed at Expo 2020, which aims to be one of the most sustainable World Expos in history. The facility was inaugurated by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Mak- toum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee in the presence of Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA and Dr Christian Bruch, President and CEO of Sie- mens Energy, Dubai inaugurates fi rst green hydrogen project in MENA SDubai has achieved a major mile- stone in sustainable energy in the region, with the offi cial inaugura- tion of the Middle East and North Africa’s fi rst industrial scale, solar- powered green hydrogen facility, in collaboration with Dubai Electric- ity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Siemens Energy. The plant is located at DEWA’s Outdoor Testing Facility of the Research and Development (R&D) Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which will generate 5,000 megawatts of clean energy by 2030 as the largest single- site solar park in the world. Daylight solar power from the park will power the Green Hydrogen Project, which is projected to pro- duce approximately 20.5 kilograms of hydrogen an hour at 1.25 mega- Hydrogen Solar Kom Ombo solar plant gets $ 114mn fi nancing package EBRD, OPEC Fund, AFDB, GCF and the Arab Bank to finance the 200MW solar plant in Egypt Daylight solar power from the MBR park will power the green hydrogen project The European Bank for Reconstruc- tion and Development (EBRD), the OPEC Fund for International Devel- opment (the OPEC Fund), the Afri- can Development Bank (AfDB), the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Arab Bank has signed a US$ 114 mil- lion fi nancing package with ACWA Power for the construction of the largest private solar plant in Egypt. The development of the Kom Ombo solar plant will add 200MW of energy capacity, increasing the share of renewable energy in Egypt’s energy mix and further pro- moting private-sector participation in the Egyptian power sector. The package comprises loans of up to US$ 36 million from the EBRD, US$ 18 million from the OPEC Fund, $ 17.8mn from the AfDB, $ 23.8mn from the GCF and US$ 18 million from Arab Bank. This is in addition to equity bridge loans of up to US$ 14 millionfrom EBRD and US$ 33.5 million from Arab Petroleum Invest- ments Corporation (APICORP). The new Kom Ombo plant will be located less than 20 km from Afri- ca’s biggest solar park, the 1.8 GW Benban complex. Once operational, the new utility-scale plant will serve 130,000 households. ACWA Power submitted the Hydrogen technologies will accelerate renewable energy inte- gration and deployment in the region, paving the way for the transi- tion to a greener, more sustainable economy in the UAE. Hydrogen can be used for re-elec- trifi cation through gas motors, gas turbines and fuel cells, or as a feed- stock for the chemical industry, as fuel for transportation, a reducing agent for the steel industry, as heat for industrial processes, gas for res- idential heating and cooking pur- poses, or energy for export. lowest tariff in what was the fi rst solar photovoltaic (PV) tender in Egypt. The provision of solar energy through a public tendering process aims to achieve a competitive tariff and promote the growth of solar energy as an affordable alternative to conventional energy sources. Private-sector participation in the Kom Ombo project is the result of successful policy dialogue with the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy and the Egyp- tian Electricity Transmission Com- pany (EETC), as well as a US$ 3.6 million technical assistance pro- gramme, co-funded by the EBRD and the GCF, to support the EETC in administering competitive renew- able energy tenders. NEWS 6 Utilities Middle East / June 2021 www.utilities-me.comWith SCT AutoAdjust easily set the stator clamping of a progressive cavity pump to the optimal operating point: remotely from a control room or locally via SEEPEX Pump Monitor or the app. Life cycle costs are reduced at the push of a button. YOUR BENEFITS y Best conveying capacity and productivity: always operating at the optimal level y Immediate adaptation to changing process conditions increases overall efficiency y Easily integrated into process infrastructure y Reduced downtime through predictive maintenance via cloud connection y Extended lifespan due to adjustment of the stator clamping SEEPEX Middle East (Branch) T +971 4 256 6400 mkhalafa@seepex.com www.seepex.com THE WORLD’S FIRST PROGRESSIVE CAVITY PUMP THAT ADJUSTS ITSELF SCT AutoAdjust8 Utilities Middle East / June 2021 www.utilities-me.com NEWS ANALYSIS The Arab Petroleum Investments Corpo- ration’s (APICORP) latest Middle East and North Africa (MENA) energy investment outlook sees a modest $13 billion rise in committed and planned energy investment com- pared to previous year’s outlook. However, the region looks to exceed over $800 billion in investments into its energy sector over the next fi ve years. The outlook forecasts MENA emerg- ing as a major blue and green hydrogen-exporting region thanks to low-cost gas resources and strong renewable energy progress. Renewables claim a signifi cant share of almost 40% the estimated $250 billion in power sector investments, committed gas investments pro- jected to fall by $9.5 billion to $75 billion after completion of several megaprojects in 2020. An evolution in regulations is needed for the MENA region to realise its energy storage poten- tial; Additional capacity – particularly from renew- ables – will make power trading a more commer- cially viable option in MENA; MENA can emerge as a major blue and green hydrogen-exporting region thanks to low-cost gas resources and strong renew- able energy progress. APICORP a multilateral development fi nancial institution, estimates in its MENA Energy Invest- ment Outlook 2021-2025 that overall planned and committed investments in the MENA region will exceed $805 billion over the next fi ve years (2021– 2025) – a $13 billion increase from the $792 billion estimate in last year’s fi ve-year outlook. The report attributes this modest rise to four fac- tors: A strong confi dence in the rebound of global GDP, rising energy demand, the comeback of Libyan projects – which alone accounts for around $10 billion in planned projects – and the accelerated pace of renewables in the region. Per current esti- mates, MENA will add 3GW of installed solar power capacity in 2021 alone – double that of 2020 – and 20GW over the next fi ve years. The region’s economic forecasts suggest that commodity prices and exports will drive the rebound expected for most MENA countries in 2021. However, economies remain under fi scal strains due to unprecedented high debt levels and decline in oil prices, tourism/Hajj revenues, and personal remittances. MENA ENERGY INVESTMENTS TO EXCEED $805BN BY 2025 Power investments in MENA for 2021-25 remains largely unaffected. The sec- tor’s total investment amount of $250bn is the highest of all energy sectors – with an estimated $93bn and $157bn in committed and planned projectswww.utilities-me.com June 2021 / Utilities Middle East 9 NEWS ANALYSIS “APICORP’s MENA Energy Investment Out- look 2021-2025 indicates that energy industries are entering a period of relative stability in terms of investments as most MENA countries return to GDP growth in 2021 and the energy transition showing no signs of slowing down,” says Dr Ahmed Ali Attiga, Chief Executive Offi cer of APICORP. “We anticipate a slow but steady recovery of the energy sector from the fallout of the COVID-19 pan- demic, supported by continued investment from the public sector and an upswing in demand.” GAS INVESTMENTS Committed gas investments in MENA for the period 2021-2025 are expected to total $75 billion – $9.5 billion less than the previous outlook. The decline is attributed to the completion of several megaprojects in 2020 and countries being more cautious to new project commitments in an era of gas overcapacity. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq are the top three MENA countries in terms of committed gas invest- ments. This is due to Qatar’s North Field East mega- project, Saudi Arabia’s gas-to-power drive and the massive Jafurah unconventional gas development – which is poised to make the kingdom a global blue hydrogen exporter – and Iraq’s gas-to-power proj- ects and determination to cut fl aring and green- house gas emissions. Planned investments meanwhile held rela- tively steady at $133 billion for 2021-2025, signal- ling the region’s appetite for resuming its natural gas capacity build-up – particularly the ambitious unconventional gas developments in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, and Algeria – once macro conditions improve. POWER INVESTMENTS Power investments in MENA for 2021-25 remain largely unaff ected compared to APICORP’s 2020- 24 outlook. Notably, the sector’s total investment amount of $250 billion is the highest of all energy sectors – with an estimated $93 billion and $157 bil- lion in committed and planned projects, respec- tively, over the next fi ve years. With a share of around 40%, renewables form a signifi cant part of those investments as countries push ahead with their energy diversifi cation agen- das. In the GCC, Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Project Development Offi ce and Public Investment Fund projects continue to progress. North African countries are also showing measurable development in renewables realm, with Algeria establishing an independent author- ity to oversee the development of country’s strong pipeline of projects, and Egypt working to resolve regulatory issues related to its wheeling scheme and the unbundling of its power market. This shift to renewables is a chief factor behind the rising share of investments in transmission and distribution (T&D) in the power sector value chain, as the integration of renewables into power grids requires signifi cant investments to enhance and digitise grid connectivity, not to mention storage to accommodate the surplus power capacity they generate.Next >