Emerge, a joint venture between Masdar and the EDF Group, and Turbotim, a UAE-based energy solutions company, have signed an agreement during the Make it in the Emirates Forum to develop a new solar and battery energy storage project at Turbotim’s facilities in Ras Al Khaimah.The project will feature a rooftop solar PV system with a total capacity of 1.52 megawatts peak (MWp) and a 5 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS). It will be implemented as two identical hybrid installations – each comprising 763kWp of rooftop solar and 2.5MWh of battery storage. Emerge will provide a full turnkey…
Author: Chitrika
Iraq’s first fully off-grid, solar-powered village has officially opened in the town of Kulak, signalling a new approach to tackling climate and energy challenges in the region. Developed by the Erbil-based Rwanga Foundation, the project supplies round-the-clock electricity to the village entirely through solar energy. It also incorporates systems for agricultural irrigation and is set to deliver training in climate-conscious farming techniques. The initiative comes as Iraq faces increasing environmental pressure. The United Nations recently listed the country among the five most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, citing extreme heat, desertification, and water shortages. Speaking at the launch,…
EVIQ, Saudi Arabia’s electric vehicle infrastructure company, signed a Memorandum of Understanding and strategic partnership with Lotus, the high-performance automotive and powertrain technology company, through its official distributor in the Kingdom, Al Walan Trading.The agreement aims to develop advanced EV charging solutions tailored for Lotus customers in Saudi Arabia, supporting the nation’s transition toward a sustainable transportation future and strengthening the electric vehicle charging infrastructure, in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030. As part of the collaboration, Lotus showrooms will be equipped with dedicated EV charging stations for Lotus owners, in addition to providing home charging sockets with each vehicle purchase.The…
Following its earlier announcements on March 13, 2023 and December 30, 2024, Sembcorp Utilities Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp), announces the start of commercial operations of the 588MWp Manah II Solar Independent Power Project (Manah II) in Manah, Sultanate of Oman (Oman).This milestone follows the successful completion of acceptance tests announced earlier. It marks the commencement of power supply under a 20-year power purchase agreement for 500MW with Nama Power and Water Procurement Company.Manah II is Sembcorp’s first greenfield renewables development in the Middle East and its largest utility-scale solar farm project to date. It supports…
BESIX awarded a marine infrastructure project at SOHAR Port and Freezone, Oman for the construction of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) jetty which has comprehensive shore protection, and an advanced drainage network. The new LNG jetty will form a key part of the infrastructure supporting the Marsa LNG project — the Middle East’s first LNG bunkering hub to be fully powered by solar energy. By enabling the safe and efficient transfer of cleaner marine fuel, the jetty plays an important role in supporting the project’s broader sustainability objectives.This marks BESIX’s return to the Omani market, broadening its current regional activities…
The Sultanate of Oman has launched its third green hydrogen auction round, marking a new chapter in its strategy to become a leading global hub for green hydrogen production and export. Designed and orchestrated by Hydrom, the third auction offers innovative and flexible opportunities for qualified developers to invest in Oman’s fast-growing hydrogen ecosystem and participate in building a competitive and scalable global green hydrogen economy. Building on the success of previous auction rounds, the third round incorporates lessons learned to optimize bidder participation and enhance competitiveness. A land block of up to 300 square kilometers has been offered in Duqm, inviting proposals for projects…
The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) based in Muscat, in collaboration with TotalEnergies Renewables Distributed Generation Middle East & Africa and with the support of OMRAN Group, has officially commissioned its solar rooftop project, now fully operational and powering the venue with clean solar energy since early 2025.The project agreement was signed in March 2024, with construction commencing immediately thereafter. Completed in record time, the installation comprises 8,300 state-of-the-art solar photovoltaic (PV) modules spanning 16,600 square meters across the OCEC’s Atrium and Exhibition Halls rooftops. For perspective, this area is equivalent to 63 tennis courts, or two full-sized football…
Chinese solar manufacturer LONGi has announced a new record for solar cell efficiency, reaching 27.81% for its Hybrid Interdigitated Back Contact (HIBC) crystalline silicon solar cell.The figure was certified by Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research Hamelin (ISFH), the company said in a statement. The result marks a new milestone in the photoelectric conversion efficiency of monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells.LONGi has made a series of advances in recent years. In November 2022, it set a record at 26.81%, before raising it to 27.3% in May 2024. The company has since achieved successive improvements, culminating in the latest result of…
DEWA commissioned 1,530 11 kV distribution substations across Dubai in 2024, marking an 8.2% increase compared to 2023, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA). The construction of these substations and related work resulted in a total of 1,070,670 man-hours, all completed according to the highest standards of health and safety. Al Tayer said that there were 45,317 medium voltage (11 kV and 6.6 kV) substations by the end of 2024. He noted that the rise in the number of distribution substations is a new indication of…
Covestro has developed specialized solar dryers made of polycarbonate to assist coffee farmers in Ethiopia during the harvest season. The initiative, launched in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, aims to support disadvantaged regions globally with simple, effective technologies. Six solar dryers have been installed in Ethiopia, with the project gaining momentum. One of the country’s largest coffee roasters has purchased four additional units for its own production. Coffee is a key export for Ethiopia and sustains many smallholder farmers. However, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall are affecting yields and making crops more vulnerable to disease.…