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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 August edition of our MESIA Newsletter. On behalf of our current Board, I would like to introduce and extend a warm welcome to our new MESIA Board Members, incoming President, Ahmed Nada Vice-President ME - First Solar, Research Director, Waseem Ashraf Qureshi Founder & President - Microtron Technologies and Membership Director, Simon Stevens, Senior Counsel - Bracewell. I look forward to working with these new Board Members in further developing the activities and contribution of MESIA on behalf of our members to inform, study, collaborate, influence and extend the rollout of Solar to the Middle East and surrounding regions.
Further highlights worth mentioning are the VAT seminar we will be holding in August to explore the impact of this introduction in the UAE, and a reminder about the upcoming Saudi Trade Mission in October (thanks in advance to our early bird sponsors ENGIE, ACWA Power, Jinkosolar, Dupont and Array Technologies). See below for further information on the busy months ahead from the CSP Focus session and Intersolar Middle East in September, through the Dubai Solar Show at WETEX in October and the many other gatherings around the wider region.
We wish you a fruitful period ahead and look forward to your ongoing feedback and contributions through the various upcoming events and directly through your representatives on the MESIA Board and finally, encourage you to run through the news and more detailed event information below.
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James Stewart
Vice-President
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Please join us to welcome the new MESIA Board members! We whish them a lot of success for this new venture with us and all MESIA members.
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MESIA President
Ahmed Nada
Vice-President and Regional Executive -
Middle East First Solar
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MESIA Membership Director
Simon Stevens
Senior Counsel
Bracewell
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MESIA Research Director
Waseem Ashraf Qureshi
Founder & President
Microtron Technologies
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MESIA Team has been delighted to invite all MESIA members for an exceptional Iftar. This year, we welcomed members in one of the most spectacular and incomparable luxurious venue: Burj Al Arab.
This exceptional iftar was organized in partnership with “The Big 5 Solar”, a new event launching this November 26 – 29.
See the Photo Gallery here.
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LISTEN TO OUR PAST WEBINAR
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TUNISIA RENEWABLE ENERGY FRAMEWORK
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Click here for the webinar recording and presentations.
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UAE: DEWA LAUNCHES APP TO DRIVE ROOFTOP SOLAR PANEL USE
15 JULY
Introduced under the Shams Dubai initiative, the app, dubbed Shams Dubai Calculator, will provide detailed comparisons and additional information to help consumers use the innovative tools. Read more.
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UAE: DUBAI CSP DEVELOPERS URGED TO APPLY SHAMS 1 DESERT FINDINGS
12 JULY
The developer of Dubai's first CSP tower project can learn from design modifications on the Shams 1 parabolic trough plant which minimized the impact of desert weather and raised revenues during the ramp-up phase, Abdulaziz Alobaidli, general manager of Shams Power Company told New Energy Update. Read more.
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SAUDI ARABIA: DELAYS ENERGY-SUBSIDY CUTS
6 JULY
Saudi Arabia, the biggest Arab economy, will probably delay plans to raise gasoline and other energy prices until later this year or early in 2018 amid an economic slowdown, according to four people familiar with the matter. Read more.
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SAUDI ARABIA: HYBRID SOLAR-GAS PLANTS PRODUCE WORLD CHEAPEST CSP
18 JULY
Under the management of Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), Saudi is planning its first ISCC project combined with CSP: Duba 1 ISCC power station. The project will mostly utilize F-class gas turbines for energy generation, with the concentrating solar parabolic trough. The parabolic trough will generate 50 MW of the plant's total 605 MW of capacity. Read more.
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OMAN: MIRAAH SOLAR THERMAL PROJECT
Translated as 'mirror' in Arabic, Miraah is a proposed 1,021MW solar thermal facility to be located in South Oman, and expected to be one of
the world's biggest solar plants
. Construction of the plant commenced in October 2015, while operations are scheduled to begin in August 2017. Red more
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MOROCCO: THE COUNTRY GAINS NEW LOAN FOR HYBRID PV-CSP PROJECT
20 JULY
Morocco has received approval for a $25 million loan from the Climate Investment Funds’ Clean Technology Fund (CIF CTF) for the Noor Midelt Phase I combined PV and CSP project. Read more.
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KUWAIT: 100MWTH SOLAR CSP EOR PLANT TO BE TENDERED
5 JULY
Kuwait is currently finalizing tender terms for a solar CSP EOR plant of capacity up to 100 MWth at Ratqa oilfield, and to launch the tender later this year. The oilfield owner Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) plans to use solar CSP steam for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) to reduce natural gas consumption. Read more.
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TUNISIA: GERMAN DEVELOPMENT BANK FINANCES 10 MW SOLAR PROJECT
28 JUNE
The German Development Bank (KfW) has agreed to provide Tunisian power state-owned utility Société tunisienne de l’électricité et du gaz (STEG) with €12.5 million financing for a 10 MW solar project that the company is developing in Tozeur, southern Tunisia. Read more.
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ALGERIA: 4 GW SOLAR TENDER DELAYED
12 JULY
The country’s new minister for renewable energy said that a special committee for the tender will be now established, and that the results of the review will be published together with her new action plan for renewables. Read more.
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ALGERIA: EYEING RENEWABLE ENERGY, MINISTER GUITOUNI
13 JULY
Part of the Algerian government’s diversification plan is to increase the amount of energy generated from renewable sources notably solar energy because they want “to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption.” Read more.
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UAE: CREATING A SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
16 JULY
Supporting Dubai’s vision of building a world-class smart city, the Sustainable City development in the area is becoming the first fully integrated sustainable community fully powered by solar energy. To help achieve this milestone, the city will rely on 400 ABB string inverters to harness the power of the sun for the development’s residents. Read more.
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UAE- INDIA: DUBAI SETS SIGHTS ON INDIA TO ACHIEVE ITS GREEN ENERGY GOALS
10 JULY
With a roadmap to harness 75% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2050, Dubai is reaching out to investors, consultants, equipment suppliers and developers in India, which has emerged as one of the top leading solar markets in the world. Read more.
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UAE: MASDAR INSTITUTE’S NEW TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE SOLAR THERMAL POWER GENERATION MORE AFFORDABLE
17 JULY
The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology today announced the development of a high-performance solar absorber that could make solar thermal technologies significantly more efficient.
Read more.
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UAE: PHOTOVOLTAIC MONITORING FOR THE LARGEST DISTRIBUTED SOLAR PROJECT IN THE MIDDLE EAST
27 JULY
Meteocontrol GmbH, a leading provider of independent photovoltaic monitoring systems, is the monitoring partner for Phanes Group who is currently delivering Phase I of Dubai’s largest distributed solar industrial rooftop project for the international port operator DP World.
Read more
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WHAT MESIA MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU
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ENERWHERE LAUNCHES CROWD FUNDING CAMPAIGN
Invest in innovative solar-hybrid plants for the Middle East & Africa. Building on our profitable core solar business, Enerwhere is aiming to be the first company in the Middle East to raise $1m via the Eureeca crowd funding platform. This will support our triple-digit revenue growth in 2017 and beyond. Join the solar revolution and improve your environment today!
For more details on how to invest early and take advantage of an early investor discount, please
click here
The Enerwhere team
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JINKOSOLAR’S PV MODULES ARE 100% SUSTAIN A DOUBLED IEC ANTI-PID STANDARD
JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (“JinkoSolar”), a global leader in the photovoltaic (PV) industry, today announced that it is the first PV module solution vendor to guarantee the capability of double IEC 62804 anti-PID standard for all of its PV modules. Read more
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TÜV RHEINLAND: WHITEPAPERS
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HOW VAT WILL IMPACT THE SOLAR INDUSTRY
Date: 23 August 2017 -
8:30am – 12pm
Location: Nassima Royal Hotel (Location here)
VAT is getting introduced in less than 23 weeks – the timeline of a single small PV project! How does VAT implementation affect your solar business and how to get ready for it? Join us on the 23rd of August to find out what you need to know and what you can do to VAT-proof your business.
Our VAT expert will explain the basics of VAT legislation, update on the latest news and will discuss various case studies of how VAT will impact us all. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail, so get ready to learn & understand the VAT impacts now.
Register here.
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RENEWABLE ENERGY TRADE MISSON IN KSA
Date: 2-3 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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CSP FOCUS MENA 2017
Date: 13 - 14 September 2017
Location: Dubai
As the only commercial and professional gathering in Middle East & North Africa region for CSP and solar thermal domain, CSP Focus MENA 2017 provides the most powerful and effective platform for all industry players. Held during Sept.13-14 in Dubai, CSP Focus MENA 2017 will welcome 200 CSP and solar thermal thought leaders from MENA and abroad. Read more.
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INTERSOLAR MIDDLE EAST
Date: 26 - 27 September, 2017
Location: Conrad Hotel, Dubai. UAE
20% off for MESIA Members
Intersolar has been actively involved in the Middle East region since 2013 with various events, like the Intersolar Summit Middle in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In 2017, Intersolar organizes the most powerful solar conference in the MENA region. The conference program features more than 40 hours of valuable content, 100+ speakers and more than 500 conference attendees will profit from the unique networking opportunities. Read more.
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ELECTRO OMAN
Date: 9 - 11 October 2017
Location: Oman Convention & Exhibition Center
Electro Oman – Oman’s leading exhibition in Power, Electricity and Lighting is dedicated solely to energy and clearly partitioned to cover all aspects of the sector, including electricity, water, lighting and HVAC, with a special emphasis on sustainable solutions and renewable energies. Read more.
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WETEX - Dubai Solar Show
Date: 23-24 October, 2017
Location: Dubai World Trade Center
Dubai Solar Show is an important B2B platform for the public & private sectors to make deals, build partnerships, review the latest solar-energy technologies, learn about current and future projects in the region opportunitues to take part in solar-energy projects and programmes. Read more.
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SOLAR WORLD CONGRESS AND SOLAR HEATING AND COOLING 2017
Date: 28 October - 2
November 2017
Location: Jumeirah Hotedl at Etihad Tower, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
15% off for MESIA Members
Mark your calendars for the International Solar Energy Society, ISES, Solar World Congress 2017, to be held in Abu Dhabi. For the first time, the ISES Solar World Congress will be held together with the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme’s SHC2017 conference. The joint event will be hosted by Masdar Institute of Science and Technology. Read more.
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PV101: SOLAR ELECTRIC DESIGN AND INSTALLATION
Date: 28 October - 2 November 2017
Location: RAK Research & Innovation Center. UAE
PV101 is your gateway to a career in the solar industry. It all starts with the fundamentals, and a solid understanding of various components, system architectures, and applications for PV systems. Other topics include site analysis, system sizing, array configuration, and performance estimation will be addressed. Read more.
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POWER NIGERIA - NIGERIA'S INTERNATIONAL POWER
Date: 5 - 7 September
2017
Location: Landmark Centre, Lagos, Nigeria.
Power Nigeria provides the ideal platform to position your firm as a thought leader in one of the most fast moving African markets in Power and Electricity. The exhibition has cordially obtained the established reputation and relations with government, associations and other key stakeholders in the Nigerian power 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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PV INSTRUCTOR TRAINER
SOLAR EBERGY INTERNATIONAL (SEI)
What are you doing?
Kristopher Sutton is the Director of Operations at Solar Energy International (SEI), a nonprofit renewable energy educational organization. SEI is dedicated to to empowering people, communities, and businesses worldwide through online, hands-on, and custom training programs. He is deeply involved in the development of SEI’s technical training program and the management of their U.S. based hands-on training facility. Since 2014, he has been leading SEI’s business development efforts in the MENA region and frequently is the lead instructor for SEI’s Middle East course offerings.
How did you start your journey in the solar industry?
After finishing electrical school, Kristopher jumped directly into the solar industry in 1999. He began by enrolling in solar training courses at SEI and was consequently hired as PV Installer and Project Manager for a U.S. based EPC. The company was the largest PV Installation Contractor in the state of California at the time. After 4 years in the solar industry, he began teaching part time for SEI while continuing his full time work in the solar industry. In 2009, he joined SEI as a full-time staff member.
What is your most memorable moment in Solar?
Throughout almost two decades in the industry, there have been many incredible moments in solar. However, the greatest moments are sharing the successes of past SEI students and colleagues in solar companies around the world. Frequent travel and collaboration with SEI alumni on further trainings and projects underscores the incredible impact they have. Working for SEI, I believe that high quality PV technical training can have a huge influence in the industry. The stories shared by our alumni remind us every day that, in fact, it does.
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STERLING AND WILSON (MESIA MEMBER) BAGS EPC CONTRACT FOR 1.2 GW PROJECT IN ABU DHABI
Congratulations to the MESIA member Indian engineering company Sterling and Wilson. It has won the order for turnkey EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) as well as O&M (operation & maintenance) for the PV plant in Sweihan, Abu Dhabi! Read more.
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EMIRATES ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Emirates Electrical Engineering LLC is a part of Al Rostamani Group which is one of the largest and oldest family business conglomerates in the United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1957, with the late Mr Abdullah Hassan Al Rostamani as Chairman, the Group has grown steadfastly with the guiding principles of Commitment, Care and Vision, alongside a strong sense of active involvement in the community to which it belongs.
Visit their website
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INTERSOLAR
With events spanning four continents, Intersolar is the world’s leading exhibition series for the solar industry and its partners. It unites people and companies from around the world with the aim of increasing the share of solar power in our energy supply. By providing first-rate services, our exhibitions and international conferences bring businesses, technologies and people from the most important markets around the globe together. We have 25 years of experiences in opening up markets, providing specialist knowledge and creating links: Connecting Solar Business!
Visit their website
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MERCEDES BENZ ENERGY
Energy storage is the key to a sustainable energy future. Mercedes-Benz energy storage solutions enable homes, companies and utilities to gain increased autonomy and manage resources more efficiently and sustainably. Based on the same battery technology used in Mercedes-Benz electric and hybrid vehicles, our storage systems meet the highest standards of quality, reliability, and safety.
Visit their website
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VOLTALIA
Specialist of small and medium production units, Voltalia develops, owns and operates power plants with a multi-energy strategy, by selecting the best sites for renewable power producer from wind, solar, hydroand biomass. An integrated industrial player, Voltalia is present throughout the value chain: development, construction, operation and maintenance of the power plants. Voltalia is present in France, Brazil, Greece, Morocco and French Guiana.
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ATA INSIGHT
ATA Insight is an independent market intelligence consultancy producing analysis to support clients’ strategic decision making. Its understanding of the renewable energy market enables them to find the needed information and communicate it effectively to help its clients achieve objectives. ATA Insights’ services include: Tailored market intelligence studies, Strategic marketing campaigns, Networking and match-making, Knowledge dissemination campaigns. 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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