Dear all,
We closed 2017 year with a great race for MESIA awards. Great teams, great leadership and great projects competed for these awards, and we were honored by an active participation of our judges, to select the winners. Congratulations to all our members who went on stage and we look forward to 2018 participations towards year end.
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2018 starts with additional strong momentum for the solar industry in MENA. For new projects, Saudi Arabia will soon award its first 300MW, and did not fall short of announcing additional 3.3GW PV to be contracted in 2018/19 time frame. Oman is on the path for two large projects, 500MW and 100MW, Abu Dhabi too will tender additional large scale projects during this year. Morocco Hybrid PV and CSP is on the go.
Good news also from projects under execution. Sterling & Wilson continues to show strong progress for Swehan 1.4GW, ACWA Power is progressing with Dubai remarkable CSP and has reached financial closure for its 3x50MW PV in Benban Egypt, other developers in Benban are expected to reach FC soon to add 500MW PV on that site and at least 1x50MW will come to COD in Q1 2018.
Commercial & Industrial solar is not falling behind. Strong solar economics backing a solar solution for different reasons is also enabling that market segment. Dubai, and Saudi Arabia showing strongest interest and trends of small to medium industrial roof tops projects. Technology innovations driving further solar economics are introduced across the entire value chain, and the first energy storage project is being tendered in Jordan.
For 2018, MESIA will continue to support its valued members with focused group’s knowledge sharing as well as active participations and focused events across the region.
I wish you all further success in 2018.
Ahmed
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SOLAR ENERGY PICTURE OF THE YEAR
Solar Energy Picture of the Year award to Ghadir Shaar during the MESIA Solar Awards 2018. Ghadir Shaar won with his beautiful photograph of Mohammed Bin Rashid Solar Park as the sun was rising in Dubai.
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M
ESIA’S MIDDLE EAST SOLAR AWARDS HONOR SOLAR CHAMPIONS IN THE REGION
17 JANUARY
One of the highlights of this year’s Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) and the World Future Energy Summit (WFES), which forms part of ADSW, was Wednesday evening’s Middle East Solar Awards Ceremony, organized by MESIA, the Middle East Solar Industry Association.
Read more
.
Meet all the winners
here
.
See all the pictures
here.
Read the Press Release
here.
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MARUBENI & JINKOSOLAR 1177 MW SWEIHAN PROJECT WIN LARGE SCALE SOLAR PROJECT AWARD
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“We’ve always known that Sweihan project is undoubtedly not just a milestone for JinkoSolar, Marubeni, and ADEWA, but also a great big leap for the global solar power development as a whole. The recognition from MESIA further affirms the ground-breaking significance of the Sweihan project” noted JinkoSolar Chairman.
Read more
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SCHOOLS HEATING PROGRAM / HIS MAJESTY’S INITIATIVE IMPLEMENTED BY JREEEF WINS BEST MENA PROJECT AWARD OF 2018
23 JANUARY
Mr. Rasmi Hamzeh JREEEF’s Executive Director stated that we are proud of implementing His Majesty initiative for heating the public schools of Jordan. At the same time, we are proud that our efforts are being appreciated by the international organizations, commissions and institutions.
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KE WINS BEST CORPORATE SOLAR SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR
21 JANUARY
K-Electric (KE) the first Pakistani company to receive this prestigious
award
, a testament to the power utility’s efforts in implementing alternate-energy efficient policies and using effective solar technologies as part of its energy efficiency and conservation initiative.
Read more.
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HUAWEI SHOWCASES CUTTING-EDGE FUSIONSOLAR SMART PV SOLUTIONS FOR MENA AT WFES
On the third day, the Middle East Solar Industry Association awarded Huawei the Best Technology on Display at WFES 2018 for its superior product quality and user experience, at the industry’s premier awards ceremony — Middle East Solar Awards.
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MENA:
CENTRALISED TRACKER ARCHITECTURE CAN SAVE ON SOLAR
24 JANUARY
Array Technologies, Inc., stated the importance of tracker reliability and its impact on utility-scale solar operations and maintenance costs (O&M) at the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi.
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THERE’S A GREAT DEAL OF PRIVATE SECTOR APPETITE FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY
17 JANUARY
One of the most significant messages to come out of the
Cop23
in Bonn is that the private sector will play a critical role in achieving global carbon reduction targets; a fact recently underscored by
Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi
,
the UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and Environment.
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SAUDI ARABIA:
PLANS TO TENDER 3.3 GW OF SOLAR POWER PLANTS IN 2018
16 JANUARY
Tenders will be issued this year for eight projects totaling 4.125 gigawatts of capacity, Turki Mohammed Al Shehri, head of the kingdom’s Renewable Energy Project Development Office, said Tuesday in an interview in Abu Dhabi. The cost will be $5 billion to $7 billion, he said
.
Read more
.
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OMAN:
LAUNCH OF THE FIRST UTILITY SCALE SOLAR PV INDEPENDENT POWER PROJECT (500MW)
2 JANUARY
The Project will be located at lbri which is around 300 km west from Muscat. The Project is to be developed as a private sector project by appropriately qualified Developers. OPWP is announcing the launch of the qualification process for the Developers through the launch of the Request for Qualification (RFQ) document.
Read more
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SAUDI ARABIA:
ACWA POWER AND MARUBENI SHORTLISTED TO BUILD 300 MW PV FARM
5 J
ANUARY
The Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) within the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources (MEIM) in Saudi Arabia has today, on the 4th of January 2018, shortlisted two bids to develop 300MW of Solar PV in Sakaka, Al Jouf as part of Round 1 of the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP).
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EGYPT
MIGA SUPPORTS EGYPTIAN EFFORT TO BUILD WORLD’S LARGEST SOLAR GENERATION PARK
9 JANUARY
MIGA, a member of the World Bank Group, announced today guarantees of up to $102.6m in support of the construction, operation and maintenance of six solar power plants in Egypt.
Read more
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ACWA POWER REACHED FINANCIAL CLOSE FOR THREE PV PROJECTS TOTALING 165 MW
8 JANUARY
ACWA Power has reached financial close of the three solar PV projects under Round 2 of Egypt Feed-in-Tariff program II, with an aggregate capacity of 165.5MWp. The total projects cost is US$ 190 million.
Read more
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UAE:
ABU DHABI PLANS UP TO FOUR NEW SOLAR POWER PLANTS
22 JANUARY
Abu Dhabi’s government is likely to develop three or four major new solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in order to reach a target of generating 5.7 gigawatts by 2026, an official from Abu Dhabi’s Water and Electricity Association (ADWEA).
Read more.
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NOW, YOU CAN RENT RENEWABLE ENERGY
22 JANUARY
«It was clear to me that the major themes in energy are not simply a shift to more sustainable resources, but also to more efficient management, says Daniel Zywietz, founder and CEO of Enerwhere (MESIA member)» After working seven years in management consulting and spending the majority of that time in utilities and the renewable energy sector, Daniel Zywietz decided to set out for an entrepreneurial journey.
Read more.
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MESIA Solar Annual Outlook Report Official Launch
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We are thrilled to announce the launch of the upcoming MESIA Annual Solar Outlook Report during Middle East Electricity, the region's leading international trade eventful the power industry.
The Solar Outlook Report 2018 will provide with MESIA view on what happened in 2017 but more importantly what can be expected in 2018.
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UPCOMING INDUSTRY MIDDLE EAST EVENTS
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KINGDOM RENEWABLE ENERGY SUMMIT
Date:
18th - 19th February 2018
Location:
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
With 9.5 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity to be achieved by 2023, the next six years will witness major transformation across the kingdom’s power sector. This summit will provide all the participating organizations with an excellent opportunity to meet, network, exchange ideas and come up with real-time solutions to some of the region’s most pressing issues.
Register here
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SOLAIRE EXPO MAROC 2018
Date
: 27, 28 February and 1st March 2018
Location
: Parc d’expositions Office des Changes, Casablanca, Morocco
Endowed with a spirit of creativity and the will to innovate, Solaire Expo Maroc is confirming its strategy of accompanying Moroccan energy plan, thus, positioning it as the leading B to B platform for solar energy and energy efficiency in Morocco, Africa and around the Mediterranean.
Read more.
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MIDDLE EAST ELECTRICITY
Date:
6th to 8th March 2018
Location:
Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE
Middle East Electricity
brings together key product sectors offering its exhibitors access to thousands of potential customers from across the Middle East, Africa and the rest of the world. As the region’s largest gathering of power and renewable energy industry professionals, exhibiting companies can expect to find new customers, strengthen relationships with existing clients and develop or expand their business in MEA.
Register here.
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THE MAGHREB AND WEST AFRICA ENERGY WEEK 2018
Date:
5th to 8th March 2018
Location:
Palais des Congres, Marrakech
Unique business event, featuring: a multi-streamed conference, exhibition, site visits to energy companies across Morocco, extensive networking and the opportunity to meet with leading figures in the energy industry from across the Maghreb region.
Register here
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SAUDI RENEWABLE ENERGY CONFERENCE
Date:
28th to 29th March 2018
Location:
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The majority of investments are predicted to be concentrated in the energy sector, or the renewable energies sector in particular. Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy market is set for growth, supported by an abundant solar resource, land availability, an A-rated sovereign credit, and strong economy and logical strategies.
Register here
.
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SOLAR SHOW AFRICA 2018
Date
: 27-28 March 2018
Location
: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa
The Solar Show Africa is Africa’s largest solar exhibition. It is co-located with Power & Electricity World Africa, Africa’s largest and longest running power and energy event. Thousands of attendees come to source the latest solutions and products in the solar industry. The show focuses on investment and developments for power producers and utilities, energy users, developers, government and investors.
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FRANK GALLARDO
SOLAR SEGMENT HEAD - MIDDLE EAST
HEAD - SPECIAL INITIAITIVES (SOLAR)
LARSEN & TOUBRO LIMITED
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What are you doing?
I am currently leading the solar activities of Larsen and Toubro in the Middle East and North Africa.
Reporting to the COO and as member of the top senior management team of the company, overseeing all activities including project Execution, O&M activities, Operational risk management, business development, and business support to Finance.
How did you start your journey in the solar industry?
My journey in the solar field started 17 years ago when the solar industry was in the very early stages of development, mainly decorative applications and off grid solutions were considered and parameters like performance, availability or reliability were still under investigation. Progressively the solar energy has evolved into what we currently consider utility scale projects or Giga projects.
What is your most memorable moment in Solar?
One of the most memorable moments I can remember was the design and construction of the first solar project in Guatemala (Central America) and how we were involved in the education of the policy makers and grid responsibles. Connecting 123 MW solar project to a small grid ensuring electrical stability was at that stage not granted and the learning curve of the authorities was a very important factor to secure the success of the project.
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JINKOSOLAR (MESIA MEMBER) INTERVIEWED BY CNN AS GLOBAL LEADER IN SOLAR
28 JANUARY
JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd., a global leader in the Photovoltaic (PV) industry, today announced that it participated in an exclusive interview with CNN as part of the network’s Marketplace: Middle East program. Through this coverage, JinkoSolar’s contributions to the solar industry and involvement in the milestone 1177 MW Sweihan Abu Dhabi PV project were broadcasted to a viewership of 340 million households across the world.
See the video
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YELLOW DOOR ENERGY (MESIA MEMBER) AND NESTLÉ SIGN SOLAR LEASE FOR THREE MANUFACTURING PLANTS
2 JANUARY
Nestlé and Yellow Door Energy have signed agreements to provide solar energy to three manufacturing sites in Dubai. The ceremony was witnessed by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA).
Read more
.
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INGETEAM (MESIA MEMBER)’S PV INVERTERS CERTIFIED TO WITHSTAND SANDSTORMS
2 JANUARY
Spanish inverter manufacturer Ingeteam Power Technology S.A (MESIA member) announced that its two main PV inverters have both been certified to the IEC 60068-2-68 international standard by an external laboratory.
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CANADIAN SOLAR
Canadian Solar is an established global manufacturer of solar panels and has already made an impact in the Middle East region. With their recent project win, including the DEWA III, the largest solar park to be built worldwide, Canadian Solar is a proven partner with a solid track record for your project requirement. Visit their
website
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GREENCELLS GROUP
Greencells Group is a full-service provider for efficient and economical PV power plants. In doing so they are the contact for companies, farmers, private investors and local authorities. Their services range from consultation, analysis, financing, planning up to complete construction and grid connection of large-scale power plants. Visit their
website
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If you have a question or would like to speak to us about a project, please contact the relevant board member below. For urgent queries please contact
micheline@mesia.com
President - Ahmed Nada:
ahmed@mesia.com
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