INSIGHTS
November 2016
FOOD FOR THOUGHT FROM MESIA PRESIDENT

Hadi Tahboub
President

 

Developing Solar Energy Technologies : A Game of Thrones (..of 'Innovations' actually!)

As we transition into the Fall / Winter of 2016, we can't fail but to notice increasing trends in the implementation of roof top solar energy schemes in the Middle East.  More and more warehouse/industrial hangar operators and owners in Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai for example are tendering out either EPC or leasing projects to benefit from the Shams Dubai net-metering initiative.  Well done to Red Tag FZE, and Aramex fze (among others) for their momentum in embracing green energy.  Supporting technologies in the realm of roof top solar projects are also taking an exponential run, with the development of see through panels for building aesthetics, or even as we were very recently impressed with Elon Musk's presentation of Solar City's recent exposé of spectacular looking roof top panels disguised as roof tiles and what not.  
Also, in our own home turf, team of researchers from MIT and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (a proud MESIA member) has developed a new solar cell that combines two different layers of sunlight-absorbing material to harvest a broader range of the sun’s energy.  Such layered, or “multi-junction,” solar cells are typically expensive to manufacture, but the researchers also used a novel, low-cost manufacturing process for their step cell.  The team’s step-cell concept can reach theoretical efficiencies above 40 percent and estimated practical efficiencies of 35 percent.

And that's on the distributed solar energy scheme of things. On the utility scale side, we have witnessed an unbelievable slide of 25% fall in prices in just the last 6 months!  With Abu Dhabi and China now taking lead in this 'solar race'.  

On other fronts, we're very excited to welcoming our solar industry community to participate in our upcoming Trade Mission to Jordan & Palestine, held on 14th - 15th November this month.  With the patronage and participation of both the Ministers of Energy from the two countries, MESIA has brought pretty much all government stakeholders under one roof to share, present and discuss the current status and upcoming projects of solar energy opportunities and projects in both markets.  Interestingly enough, a handful of government stakeholders in Jordan , for example, jumped at the opportunity to participate and meet with our members and visiting solar companies, so as to explore how they could implement strategic solar energy scheme; one such government group is the Royal Jordanian Public Security Directorate.

Pictures of the month
MESIA and FBC join hands for a closer relationship

27 October
MESIA and French Business Council of Dubai and the Northern Emirates signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic cooperation between the two associations. The strategic cooperation will further each party's goals within the region's solar energy markets. MESIA will support the FBC in attracting French solar energy companies to visit the UAE and region and to actively participate in events and business opportunities as well as attend trade missions under the MESIA umbrella.

Read the Press Release | See Pictures

Huawei (MESIA MEMBER) Cocktail Reception during Dubai Solar Show / WETEX

05 October
Huawei invited its clients and MESIA members attend a cokctail reception on the side of the Dubai Solar Show / WETEX. This has been the perfect occasion to get together after 2 days of intense conferences and exhibition.

See Pictures

MESIA IN THE NEWS

We are THE portal to the Middle East solar PV market – Hadi Tahboub, President, MESIA

Hadi Thaboub, MESIA President shared his thoughts about the future of the solar market in the region and about the extensively growth of MESIA. Solar PVTV also gave us the opportunity to present our key regional event: The Solar Energy Trade Mission in Jordan mid-November.

Watch the video

MIDDLE EAST SOLAR NEWS
DEWA 200MW CONCETRATED SOLAR POWER PROJECT – PHASE IV

The Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) has appointed a consortium of international advisors consisting of KPMG (lead and financial), Mott MacDonald (technical) and Ashurst (legal) for an IPP Solar Project in Dubai, UAE. DEWA and its advisors are currently preparing the relevant project tender documents which are envisaged to be issued to the market shortly. DEWA would like to invite you to participate in the selection of a Development Partner for the 200MW CONCETRATED SOLAR POWER PROJECT – PHASE IV. The advertised Expression of Interest (EOI) is published on the DEWA website:

https://www.dewa.gov.ae/en/suppliers-and-partners/services/services/list-of-tender-documents

DEWA 200MW CONCETRATED SOLAR POWER PROJECT – PHASE IV

22 October
Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, has completed a key step in the development of the largest solar power plant in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) for a 200-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) plant was signed today by Mohamed Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, and Abdul Fattah Daradkeh, Chief Executive Officer of National Electric Power Company, Jordan’s state electricity provider, at a ceremony in Amman attended by His Excellency Dr Hani Al Mulqi, Prime Minister of Jordan.

Read more

First Solar (MESIA MEMBER) Commissions 52.5MW Shams Ma’an Plant in Jordan

09 October
First Solar announced that it has commissioned the 52.5 megawatt (MW)AC Shams Ma'an project in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, on schedule. The plant is owned by a consortium of investors consisting of Diamond Generating Europe Ltd., Nebras Power Q.S.C. and the Kawar Group. First Solar significantly contributed to the development of the project before divesting its stake and being appointed the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor. Shams Ma'an has a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO), the country's power generation and distribution authority.

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Adenium (MESIA MEMBER) Commissions 57 MW Solar Projects in Jordan

24 October
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Adenium Energy Capital, Ltd. announces the commissioning of four solar PV projects totalling 50 MW in Jordan. The four projects, 1 x 24 MW and 3 x 11 MW, which have been financed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Ltd. (Finnfund), the Arab Bank and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), have recently been commissioned. The three 11 MW plants in the Ma'an Development Area and the 24 MW plant in Mafraq benefit from a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Jordanian state-owned utility, National Electric Power Company (NEPCO).

Read more

Jordan Turbocharges Distributed Solar

19 October
Conditions in Jordan are perfect for rapid growth in commercial and industrial solar. The country recently abolished a limit on the nameplate capacity of renewable energy plants connected to the grid that can benefit from net metering. Net metering permits a consumer of electricity generated by a renewable energy plant to feed any excess generation to the national grid in return for credits on future utility bills. While the country’s initial net metering directive issued in September 2012 prohibited the connection of any renewable energy plant above five megawatts, the directive issued last month provides that plant capacity will be subject to the approval of the sole transmission company or the relevant distribution company, on a case-by-case basis, based on an assessment of the grid at the relevant location.

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DP World to install 88,000 solar panels

05 October
DP World has commissioned the installation of 88,000 rooftop solar panels on its Dubai facilities in Jebel Ali Free Zone and Mina Rashid - the largest distributed solar rooftop project in the Middle East. The project is part of the Shams Dubai initiative, launched by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa). The announcement was made at the 18th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (Wetex) by Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dewa; and Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman and CEO of DP World; in the presence of Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy.

Read more

Kuwait starts up its first solar power plant

26 October
The 30-million Kuwaiti dinar ($99 million) project, Sidrah 500, will produce 10 megawatts (MW) of electricity, half of which will be supplied to the public electricity network. The other half will be used to supply the oil field itself, which is owned by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), a subsidiary of state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (IPO-KUWP.KW) (KPC). Kuwait announced plans last year to generate 15 percent of its energy needs via renewable sources by 2030.

Read more

Solar game is fast changing and cheaper to play

22 October
The hype around solar installations typically revolves around photovoltaics (PV), given that 227 gigawatts (GW) is currently installed worldwide compared to CSP at around 5GW. The reason for this is simple: PV is cheaper and has a quicker installation time because it has fewer moving parts. Yet ever since Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) announced this summer that the fourth phase of the 5GW Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park would be CSP, proponents of the technology have been clinging on to the hope that their time to dominate is here.

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Michael Karam: Lebanon is failing to capitalise on its huge solar power potential

10 October
So there I was sitting on a Lebanese friend’s terrace on Friday night when the conversation turns to the subject of solar energy, something we Lebanese should really be embracing for a million reasons – well three obvious reasons really: it’s clean; it’s cheap and it’s efficient – in a land that boasts over 320 days of sunshine. But we are woefully inefficient and wildly corrupt. Readers familiar with day-to-day life in Lebanon will also know that a quarter of a century after the civil war ended, there is nowhere in the country that enjoys 24-hour electricity and in some rural areas the ration is as little as eight hours a day.

Read more

Renewable Energy in Cities

Renewable Energy in Cities explores potential for urban communities to scale-up renewables by 2030, based on estimated energy use 3,649 cities around the world. It finds that every city has massive potential to cost-effectively boost renewable energy use at the local level. The report outlines three priority areas where cities can take action: renewable energy in buildings (for heating, cooling, cooking, and appliances); sustainable options for transport (electric mobility and biofuels); and creating integrated urban energy systems.

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UPCOMING MESIA EVENTS

DIAMOND SPONSOR

PLATINUM SPONSOR

GOLD SPONSOR



Jordan – Palestine, Solar energy Trade Mission
  • Date: 14-15 November
  • Location: Intercontinental, Amman

Event Agenda highlights:

  • Get to know about Jordan's agenda of solar energy projects such as the upcoming mega-sized Round 3 of solar/wind projects
  • Meet with various government stakeholders developing solar projects
  • Meet with projects financers and developers of solar energy projects; utility scale to rooftop/distributed solar
  • Get to talk with various developers and regulators of solar energy projects in Palestine
  • Jordan's "Wheelings Program": How?, Where? and by Whom?
  • For building owners:
    • What does it take to install solar energy on you building's roof?
    • What are the requirements to participate in the solar energy wheeling program?

Read more & Register

UPCOMING INDUSTRY MIDDLE EAST EVENTS
LEADERS IN ENERGY REFORM SUMMIT
  • Date: 02 November 2016
  • Location: Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa, Dubai

Increasing the role of private investment will be critical to the reform of the power sector. The Imminent Need for Energy Reform. The biggest challenge governments in MENA region will face in the coming decade is meeting the growing power demand. 2016 has ushered in a new and unprecedented period for the region’s power sector with new lower priced oil era putting pressure on government accounts and renewable energy emerging as cost competitive with conventional fossil fuels. Read more 



Africa Renewable Energy Forum
  • Date: 02-04 November 2016
  • Location: Marrakech, Morocco

Held under the umbrella of the UN COP22 Climate Change Conference, the Africa Renewable Energy Forum aims to utilise the outcomes of COP21 and COP22 as a springboard to continued investment and Africa’s growth; it will also strategically create a COP22 legacy for Africa as the annual leading renewable energy gathering of governments, energy, environment and finance ministries, national utilities, regulators and rural electrification agencies across the continent, along with DFIs and private sector investors. Read more 



The Desert Energy Leadership Summit 2016
  • Date: 09-10 November 2016
  • Location: Dubai

The Desert Energy Leadership Summit is an invitation only event which brings together 250 of the sector’s top minds for two days ofhigh level networking and strategic planning. The conference calendar is crowded, but it often seems no easier to connect with the leaders who are most relevant to your organization. DELS provides a chance for senior decision makers to meet in relaxed and confidential surroundings, to discuss the future of the industry. Read more 



BGS Solar Summit
  • Date: 14-15 November 2016
  • Location: Hyatt Regency Nice Palais de la Mediterranee - Nice

BGS Solar Summit is designed to accelerate solar energy investments and brings together key solar value chain representatives from Emerging Markets – governmental officials, utilities, investors and technology providers. The 2-day event is devoted to investment and business opportunities in worlds growing solar regions – MENA, India, Sub-Saharan Africa, Pakistan. Meet all groups of stakeholders from your target regions in one place and get the latest market updates and best practices.

Read more 



Solar-TEC
  • Date: 04-06 December 2016
  • Location: Cairo International Convention Centre, Egypt

Solar-tec is an area of the Electricx exhibition which focuses purely on solar products and services. After the government announced feed-in tariffs in 2014, Egypt was identified as a pioneering nation in the field of solar energy. Solar-tec will offer a dedicated platform for regional solar purchasers to source products and services from local and international suppliers and manufacturers. Read more 

SPECIAL RATE FOR MESIA MEMBERS EXHIBITING



PPP Solar Energy Summit
  • Date: 07 December 2016
  • Location: Mövenpick Resort & Spa, Dead Sea Sweimeh, Amman, Jordan

Our 2016 summit will bring together the many key stakeholders from the Solar Energy ecosystem, including those working on the many innovative projects in Asia, MENA, Europe and South America, to share lessons learned so far. From establishing the legal framework and securing financing to operating and maintaining profitable Solar Parks and Solar Power Projects, this event will explore the entire lifecycle from the perspective of all parties. Read more 



World Future Energy Summit
  • Date: 16-19 January 2017

The 9th edition of World Future Energy Summit (WFES),was proud to bring together 30,050 attendees from 170 countries including Heads of State, over 80 ministers, 600 exhibiting companies from 32 countries to share best practices, unveil new products and discuss sustainable solutions to tackle present and future energy challenges. Read more 



Who's who

Paul Pan
General Manager

Huawei Smart PV MEA Business


"What are you doing?"
I’m responsible for Huawei Smart PV Business in Middle-East and Africa Region. In this role I cover all business perspectives of business development, sales and services. I’m inspired by the huge potential or solar power the Region. The potentials comes from a few facts. Firstly we have the richest solar power resources in the world by nature. Secondly, there is a huge power supply gaps exist which also makes a fundamental bottleneck for development economy and people’s life standard. Thirdly, countries like UAE has set up very ambitious visions and plans to move to a society powered by renewable energy. 

"How did you start your journey in the solar industry?"
Before joining Huawei, I’ve more than 20 years experiences in Global companies on Telecom and Information. When I had the first talk with Huawei on Smart Solar business, I was immediately attracted by the idea that the application of latest ICT (Information, Communication and Telecom) technologies with solar power solutions, resulting in more power generation and great savings of TCO (total cost of ownership). I realized that new technologies like IoT (Internet of Things), Cloud and Big Data are playing as game changers to Solar business, as well as the rest part of the world. It didn’t take much thought to accept the job and started a totally new journey in Solar industry. I found many things new I need to learn about solar but at the same time, my past experiences on ICT could be well applied and make some unique value to the customers in MEA.

"What is your most memorable moment in solar?"
I’ve had chances to visit some established solar farms, with capacity up to 1 Giga Watt. It’s impressive and proud to see the solar panel coverage extends to almost the edge of your sights, and it’s all powered by Huawei technology. While the most memorable time I had was a meeting in Dubai the famous rap singer Akon, who triggered a master plan to power remote villages in Africa with solar power. It’s a very touch story that he started all these from an idea to give his grandmom electrical light. And I also realized this “little” solar thing has made people so happy when first time in their life has lights in the night. That moment I humbly confirmed my value in a job that is part of the things that changing the world and people’s life. You know what, Huawei is actually supporting Akon with our technologies for his dreams.


Share your success
ALEC Energy Sign Major Solar Rooftop Contract with Al Nabooda Automobiles

10 October
Following the launch of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 Dubai has targeted to produce 25% of their total energy using solar plants by 2030 and 75% by 2050, ALEC Energy are very pleased to announce the signing the of a design, construction, operation and maintenance of a private solar power plant agreement with Al Nabooda Automobiles LLC. The project is currently considered to be the largest of any private sector solar plant in the region and when completed the 6.8 MW combined roof and carpark plant will cover approximately 70,000 square meters of roof space and be connected to the DEWA MV grid. The plant will provide Al Nabooda Automobiles, Body and Paint-shop with 70% of their total energy needs annually over the next 25 years.

Read more


KEEP IN TOUCH
CONTACT US
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
   
Chairman - Abdul Aziz Al Midfa  chairman@mesia.com
President, Hadi Tahboub  hadi@mesia.com
Vice-President, James Stewart  james@mesia.com 
Secretary General - Wim Alen  wim@mesia.com 
Tresurer - Mohammed Atif  mohammed@mesia.com 
Marketing Director - Gurmeet Kaur  gurmeet@mesia.com  
Membership Director - Imad Meselmani  imad@mesia.com  
Legal Director - Derek Kirton:  derek@mesia.com  
Research Director - Dr Toufic Hawat:  toufic@mesia.com  
International development director - Karel De Winter:  karel@mesia.com