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ROUND-UP OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
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GREETINGS TO OUR MEMBERS, COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS.
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Welcome to the May 2017 edition of our MESIA Insights report. The month of April has been a busy one for MESIA with Karel Dewinter (our International Development Director) successfully representing us at both the huge solar show in Shanghai and at the Africa Renewable Energy Conference in Nairobi. Feedback from both has been very positive with great interest shown in increasing ties with us here.
We have also had good news in from Saudi Arabia in announcing their goal of achieving a target of 10% of renewable energy over the next 6 years (around 10 GigaWatts) which will tie in well with our Saudi Trade mission planned for later in the year.
Further news out from IRENA’s latest report is that global renewable energy generation capacity increased by 161 GigaWatts in 2016, making it the biggest year in renewables to date.
On the local front, MESIA will be holding elections soon (under the guidance of the CDA, our regulatory body) for 3 board members and I encourage you to apply and get involved in the only effective organisation that represents our industry in the Middle East. This is your opportunity to contribute, influence and shape the organization going forward.
Please refer below for more in-depth coverage of the latest news, webinars, numerous upcoming conferences, events and updates in the industry and I look forward to catching up with you over the coming months.
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James Stewart
Vice-President
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MESIA WAS PRESENT AT SNEC PV POWER CONFERENCE (SHANGHAI) AND AFRICA RENEWABLE ENERGY (NAIROBI)
For the first time MESIA was present at SNEC PV Power Conference (Shanghai) and Africa Renewable Energy (Nairobi). The Middle East Solar Outlook Report has been presented to the audience in China and Kenya and the interest for it was in both place tremendous. Karel Dewinter, MESIA International Development Director, also explored different opportunities of collaboration between MESIA and the solar Industry in those two countries.
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EGYPT: BIG STEP FORWARD FOR EGYPTIAN SOLAR AS SCATEC SIGNS 400MW PPAS
18 APRIL
The gloss had been removed from a successful tendering round that saw projects awarded totalling 1.5GW of new capacity under its feed-in tariff scheme. These were stalled over a disagreement regarding where arbitration of these contracts should take place, with the Cairo government keen to see this remain in Egypt.
Read more
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JORDAN: SOLAR DEALS SIGNED
4 APRIL
According to local media, an agreement has been inked to connect a 17-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) park in Al-Rashadiya area. National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) and the CEO of Lafarge Jordan signed the deal.
Read more
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SAUDI ARABIA: THE COUNTRY ANNOUNCES QUALIFIED COMPANIES FOR ROUND 1 OF NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY PROGRAM
10 APRIL
The qualified bidders have been identified based on a clear set of criteria that ensures bidders are both experienced and capable of delivering utility scale renewable energy projects. REPDO has qualified 27 companies for the 300MW solar PV project, and 24 companies for the 400MW wind farm. Full list is available here.
Read more at
powersaudiarabia.com and arabianbusiness.com
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SAUDI ARABIA: RENEWABLE IPP PROGRAM
21 APRIL
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources H.E. Khalid A. Al-Falih, officially launched the bidding process for a 300 MW solar power project in Sakaka at the Saudi Arabian Renewable Energy Investment Forum (SAREIF) held in Riyadh this week. Read more.
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SAUDI ARABIA: SEEKS 10% RENEWABLE ENERGY IN SIX YEARS
17 APRIL
Government estimates say Saudi peak energy demand is expected to exceed 120 gigawatts by 2032. At a forum seeking investment in the sector, he announced "30 projects to be implemented" in order to reach a goal of about 10 gigawatts of renewable energy production early next decade. Read more.
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TURKEY: THE COUNTRY’S ACCELERATED SOLAR GROWTH PLAN PRIORITIZES JOBS OVER PRICES
11 APRIL
The most important target for the Turkish government is to create an environment that makes it possible for all components for solar modules like ingot, wafer, cell, etc. to be locally manufactured in Turkey. Read more.
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MOROCCO: BREAKS GROUND ON $220M NOOR OUARZAZATE IV SOLAR PLANT
2 APRIL
Upon completion, the Noor IV will produce 176MW of solar power through three plants to be constructed at three different sites; Ouarzazate, Laayoune and Boujdour, developed by Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power, will generate electricity for 4.79 US cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). Read more.
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MOROCCO: START CONSTRUCTION OF »NOOR PV I« POWER PLANT IN OUARZAZATE
2 APRIL
King Mohammed VI of Morocco chaired the ground breaking ceremony in Ouarzazate, Morocco, to start the construction of the first part of the »Noor IV« PV plant with a generating capacity of 72 MW. Read more.
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ALGERIA: THE PRIME MINISTER INAUGURATES NEW PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL PLANT
25 APRIL
The Aures Solaire plant, set up in partnership with a French firm under the country's 51-49 per cent local-foreign shareholding rule and approved by the National Investment Council, produces 125,000 solar panels per year. Read more.
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UAE: NBAD GREEN-BOND ISSUANCE PUTS ENVIRONMENT AT FOREFRONT
30 MARCH
A new form of environmental financing has reached the Gulf as National Bank of Abu Dhabi issues the region’s first green bond totalling US$587 million. The five-year green bond will be listed on the London Stock Exchange, priced at a spread of 98 basis points over mid-swaps and pay a coupon of 3 per cent yearly. Read more.
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PAKISTAN: TO SOLVE ENERGY CRISIS, PAKISTAN MUST REALISE ITS SOLAR POWER POTENTIAL
31 MARCH
Pakistan has been dependent on hydro (water) and fossil fuels (Gas, Oil, Coal) for power generation. This is missing out on a huge opportunity as Pakistan is ranked among the top countries in terms of potential for solar energy. Read more.
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NEW REPORT: SHINES LIGHT ON INSTALLED COSTS AND DEPLOYMENT BARRIERS FOR RESIDENTIAL SOLAR PV WITH ENERGY STORAGE
5 APRIL
Researchers
from
the U.S.
Department
of
Energy
(DOE) National
Renewable
Energy
Laboratory
(NREL) are
making
available
the
most
detailed
component and system-
level
cost
breakdowns to date for
residential
photovoltaic
(PV)
solar
systems
equipped
with
energy
storage
-and
quantifying
previously
unknown
soft
costs
for the first time
. Read more.
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2016: A RECORD YEAR FOR RENEWABLES, LATEST IRENA DATA REVEALS
30 MARCH
Global renewable energy generation capacity increased by 161 gigawatts (GW) in 2016, making the strongest year ever for new capacity additions, according to data released today by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Read more.
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WHAT MESIA MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU
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S5! IS LOOKING FOR DISTRIBUTION PARTNERS!
With growing solar opportunity inquiries and demand, S-5! is currently seeking distribution partners to help the Middle East Solar Industry. For more than 20 years, S-5! has been the innovative worldwide leader in metal roof attachment solutions. The innovative direct attach S-5-PV Kit is the perfect marriage for photovoltaics and metal roofs. With S-5!, you can attach an entire solar array with zero roof penetrations, maintaining the roof’s integrity and warranty. Read more.
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VECTOR CUATRO ENHANCES ITS PRESENCE IN MIDDLE EAST BY OPENING A NEW OFFICE IN DUBAI
The Spanish multinational opens a new office in the United Arab Emirates as a new regional hub for its activities in Middle East and to further strengthen its international presence.
The new office is located in Dubai, concretely in the Dubai World Trade Center, where the local team has been operating since a few weeks. This new location joins the local delegations that the group has at present outside of Spain, namely in Italy, France, Bulgaria, the United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico and Chile.
Read more.
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FRONIUS MIDDLE EAST HAS LAUNCHED A REGIONAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
In Fronius everything revolves around 24 hours of sun. The focus of this movement is a future where 100% of power is supplied by renewable energy. Our vision foresees the efficient and intelligent generation, storage, distribution and consumption of renewable energy. 24hoursofsun is a vision which Fronius has worldwide, and with the solar team in the Middle East we are trying to get closer to its fulfilment also in this region. Read more. Watch the video.
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PRESENTATION OF THE SOLAR OUTLOOK REPORT IN OMAN
Date: May 2, 2017 - 10.45am
Location:
Hall 5 I Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre Muscat, Oman
Gurmeet
Kaur, MESIA Communication Director will present the last Solar Outlook Report: In
2016, MESIA witnessed the following solar drivers and trends in the MENA region (PV, CSP, and ISCC): 885MWac in operation, 3,610 under execution and 1,300 under tender. In 2017, above 4,050
MWac
are in the pipe for the PV sector and 1,310 MW for the CSP sector including some hybrid plant PV and CSP. MESIA is perceiving a rapid adoption of large-scale solar in the Middle East. Read more.
VISIT our booth: 8160
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FREE WEBINAR: HARNESSING THE SAUDI ARABIAN ‘SOLAR POWERHOUSE’ OPPORTUNITY
Date: May 10, 2017 - 14:30 GST
Location: Online
Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s biggest oil producers, is seeking up to $50bn of investment in solar and wind energy. The Kingdom has recently announced a tender for 700MW of wind and solar energy. However, following several attempts to establish a stable context for renewable energy development which were promptly backtracked each time, information and transparency are key to success of the program and the players involved in it.
Read more and register.
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WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF THE LOW-BID PRICING OF SOLAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST?
Date: June 1, 2017 - 14:00
Location:
ICM München, Room 14C
Executive summary on Roof Tops and Record low utility scale prices. MESIA will address the solar market status (commercial, regulatory, legal analysis) in the MENA region from UAE all the way to Morocco. A large section will also be dedicated to the different solar technologies: PV, Thermal, and CSP used in the MENA region.
Read more
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VISIT our booth A3.322
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RENEWABLE ENERGY: TRADE MISSION IS KSA
Date: October, 2017
Location: Sheraton, Riyadh
Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s biggest oil producers, is seeking up to $50bn of investment in solar and wind energy. The Kingdom has recently announced a tender for 700MW of wind and solar energy.
Following the much-appreciated trade missions in Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan, MESIA will bring the key players (Investors, Local/development and international commercial banks, Developers, EPCs, Panel manufacturers and others) to meet all key government and related stake-holders locally.
Read more.
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UPCOMING INDUSTRY MIDDLE EAST EVENTS
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OMAN ENERGY & WATER EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE 2017
Date: 1-3 May, 2017
Location:
Hall 5 I Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre Muscat, Oman
The Oman Energy & Water Exhibition and Conference is designed to create a platform for stakeholders to discuss real issues and solutions to the energy and water challenges and opportunities in Oman. It will also discuss ways to improved collaboration among local key sectors in both public and private to share information and to forge joint initiatives in order to achieve a sustainable planning for the future. Read more.
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THE SMART MEP SUMMIT
Date: 2-3 May, 2017
Location: Doha, State of Qatar
In an effort to diversify its oil-dominated economy and to prepare for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar has entered a phase of massive spending on all subsectors. The country has pledged USD 140bn of investment between 2015 and 2020. Qatar is a countries where the procedures are the most streamlined and facilitated, and thus take the shortest time for prjoect formalization. Lusail and Barwa Al Khor cities are standing out with respective values of USD 45bn and USD 9.9 bn. Read more
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SOLAR ROOFTOP FORUM
Date: 17 May, 2017
Location: Hyatt Regency Dubai
Cost: Normal Price: USD800 (MESIA Members price: USD500)
Location: Sheraton Grand Hotel, Dubai
The Solar Rooftop Forum aims to accelerate the adoption of solar power across Dubai’s residential, commercial and industrial sectors by addressing the key regional challenges currently restricting the uptake in the market, as well as delving into new business models driving the distributed generation sector on international markets. Read more.
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INTERSOLAR MUNICH
Date: May 31 – June 2, 2017
Exhibition: May 31–June 2, 2017
Conference: May 30–31, 2017
Location: ICM -
Internationales
Congress
Center
München
, Germany
Intersolar Europe is the world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry and its partners and takes place annually at the Messe München exhibition center in Munich, Germany. The event’s exhibition and conference both focus on the areas of photovoltaics, energy storage systems, renewable heating technologies, as well as on products and solutions for smart renewable energy. Since being founded 25 years ago, Intersolar has become the most important industry platform for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, service providers and partners of the solar industry. Read more.
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OFF-GRID POWER CONFERENCE AT INTERSOLAR EUROPE 2017
Date:
31 May - 1 June 2017
Location: ICM -
Internationales
Congress
Center
München
, Germany -
Conference Rooms B.11 &
B.12
Partnering with the German Federal Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ), this year's conference is an opportunity for companies and project developers to attract and to raise interests from high-ranking delegations, policymakers, investors and international press members. The Off-Grid Power Conference is the focal point to learn about the latest trends on future markets, technological solutions and smart applications.
Read more.
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AFRICA ENERGY FORUM 2017
Date:
7-9 June 2017
Location:
Copenhagen
The Africa Energy Forum (AEF) is the global investment meeting for Africa’s power, energy, infrastructure and industrial sectors. Nineteen years in the running, AEF brings together senior-level representatives from governments, utilities, regulators, power developers, financial institutions, technology providers, consultants, law firms and large energy consumers to form partnerships, identify opportunities and collectively move the industry forward. Read more.
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AFRICA SOLAR + ENERGY STORAGE CONGRESS
Date: 27 - 28
June 2017
Cost: 30% discount for MESIA members
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
There are tremendous opportunities to solar and energy storage industry in African developing countries. Solar is also being promoted to replace fuel-based lighting and off-grid electrical needs. Participants such as Governments, Utilities, Project developers, Investors, Energy storage products manufacturers, Consulting firms, as well as other related sectors are invited to together discuss opportunities, challenges and solutions for solar and energy storage development in African market.
Read more.
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POWERING AFRICA: NIGERIA
Date: September 20 - 22, 2017
Cost: 15% off for MESIA members
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
This is a premium private sector-led and finance focused summit on investment strategies, bringing together Nigeria’s electricity supply industry, local finance institutions, IPP and NIPP investors, power developers and international financiers to release capital in Nigeria’s transforming power sector. Read more.
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Antonio Caro
Technical Manager MENA
Vector Cuatro
What are you doing?
Vector
Cuatro
is
one of the
very
few
companies
with
experience
in and
dedicated
to the
complete
value
chain
of
renewable
projects
:
from
advisory
and
structuring
services or engineering to management and administration. The team
is
spread
across
8 countries in Europe,
America
and Asia; and
now
in UAE. There,
Vector
Cuatro
begins
to
enhance
its
presence
in Middle East by
opening
a new office in
Dubai
,
where
the local team,
managed
by Antonio Caro, has been operating
since
a few
weeks
.
Vector Cuatro has carried out more than 600 projects in 22 countries worldwide. It has over 1.7 GW of power under management, 4 GW in financial advice and counts with a track record of 16 GW throughout the entire value chain of the projects.
How did you start your journey in the solar industry?
Antonio has been
working
for more
than
four
years
in the
renewable
energy
sector
,
since
2012. Prior to
joining
Vector
Cuatro
he
has
developed
a
professional
career
in Spain and
Brazil
, as Project Manager in
consultancy
,
development
and engineering in PV, Wind and CSP technologies,
covering
most
of the life cycle of a power plant:
Feasibility
,
Development
, Engineering, Construction and O&M.
During these years, he has been involved in the development of almost 2 GW of PV and Wind projects, carried out conceptual, basic and detail engineering of Wind, PV, CSP and Electrical Infrastructure, and consulting tasks as feasibility analysis, Due diligence, EPC contracting support, Owner’s engineering, As-Built, etc.
What is your most memorable moment in solar?
Besides
opening
a new office in
Dubai
,
which
is
a
big
challenge,
even
more in a
region
like
MENA
that
is
full of
opportunities
and a
promising
market
. It
is
difficult
to
choose
only
one moment as,
Vector
Cuatro
provides
a
wide
range of services in
many
different
countries.
One of the most recomforting moments is when we are involved as advisor in the transactions of large portfolios, as for example the acquisition of Gestamp solar by KKR that included more than 600MW distributed in more than 100 countries. I also would highlight the closing of agreements for the asset management of large portfolios worldwide. Lastly, another recent success was the connection of a solar PV plant in which we have been giving support from all our business lines (financial and technical advisory and asset management).
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SCATEC SOLAR (MESIA MEMBER) AND PARTNERS SIGN POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS FOR 400 MW IN EGYPT
18 APRIL
Scatec Solar and partners have signed 25-year Power Purchase Agreements for delivery of electricity from six solar plants totaling 400 MW (DC) with the Government of Egypt. All located in Ben Ban area near Aswan in Upper Egypt, the solar plants are expected to generate about 870 GWh of solar electricity per year. Read more.
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DAS ENERGY
DAS Energy is a “green technology” company specializing in flexible, lightweight photovoltaic solutions.
– Innovative photovoltaic products
– Scalable production and flexible solutions
– Close collaboration and joint research & development
– Licenses for production on clients’ own site
Visit their website.
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GLOBE TREKKERS
Globe Trekkers LLC is a Shipping and International Freight Forwarding Company established in the year 1999 and is privately owned. Globe Trekkers offers complete end to end logistics solutions on Air Freight and Ocean Freight for both Imports and Exports including Cross Trade Freight. Visit their website.
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HELLMANN WORLDWIDE
Owned and run by the Hellmann family, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has been a successful logistics company since 1871. Four generations later, Hellmann is a company with a worldwide network of 19,300 people in 443 branches in 157 countries. Visit their website.
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SOLAR ENERGY INTERNATIONAL
For more than 25 years, Solar Energy International (SEI) has been dedicated to hands-on labs, online solar photovoltaic training, and renewable energy education. 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
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