One by one international financiers are pledging to end coal energy finance but the Africa Development Bank (ADB) remains a holdout and continues to fund projects on the world's most electricity-poor continent.
In April HSBC said it would no longer fund coal-fired power plants, joining its international peers including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in rejecting fossil fuel-based electricity.
It was coal, however, that underpinned the industrial revolution that changed the West from an agrarian backwater to the technological master of the world for the past three centuries. In recent decades emerging markets such as China have also embraced coal to power the factories that transformed it, and other Asian economies, into industrial powerhouses.
The UAE, along with other Arabian Gulf nations, is also to introduce coal to its energy mix; The 2,400 megawatt Hassyan clean coal power station in Saih Shuaib, Dubai is nearing completion at a cost of around $3.4 billion.
From its headquarters in Abidjan on the Ivory Coast the ADB is one of Africa's major investors with loan capital of around $32bn. For its part the bank wants coal to be part of Africa's electrical future. The ABD's president confirmed that coal would be included in future energy funding options.
"Africa must develop its energy sector with what it has," said Akinwumi Adesina. "Endowed with many different energy sources - both renewable and conventional - Africa needs a balanced energy mix."
Battered
ADB figures show the continent has the lowest electrification rate in the world, with consumption per capita estimated at 613 kilowatt hours per person per year, barely enough to run a refrigerator. Europe, meanwhile, consumes 6,500 kWh per person a year, and in the US it's even higher at 13,000 kWh.
Africa's energy provision is dire. Nigeria, the most populated country on the continent with 150 million people, routinely struggles to distribute 5,000MW a day - less than half the 12,500MW Abu Dhabi can produce for its relatively tiny population of 1.1 million.
Nigeria can in fact produce an extra 2,000MW a day, but cannot distribute it because it lacks the transmission infrastructure to get it to customers.
Africa loses up to 4 per cent of its annual gross domestic product from energy bottlenecks and inefficiencies the ADB says. More than a century after the light bulb was invented, 645 million of its people still have no electricity.
The global coal industry, battered as it has been by bad press such as images of smog-blankets over Chinese cities, is naturally happy to have a few friends left. Most institutions including the World Bank now only back renewables such as wind and solar and no longer support coal. This puts the ADB at odds with most of its global financial peers.
"This natural resource should be seen as critical to the continent’s development," says Benjamin Sporton, chief executive of the World Coal Association. "The fuel currently provides 41 per cent of the world’s electricity."
Environmental concerns can be addressed with new technologies that remove sulphur, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, the nasty stuff that earned coal such a bad reputation. The Hassyan project in Dubai will incorporate this technology in its design.
"These improvements to the efficiency of coal-fired power plants can significantly reduce CO2 emissions by up to 35 per cent compared to older technology," Mr Sporton says.
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Read more:
World Bank, IMF to hold 2021 annual meetings in Africa for the first time since 1973
Mena region to invest about $1tn in energy sector over coming five years
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In the meantime, the ADB is moving ahead cautiously with coal funding. In early May it approved a grant of $1.5 million seed money for a coal project in Nigeria, in Jigawa State in the north.
Currently Jigawa is entirely dependent on renewables, also mostly funded by the ADB, and has three solar plants and some hydro capacity. The drawback, of course, is intermittancy, with hours of darkness taking solar offline. Hydro, too, is vulnerable to drought, which means those who can afford it rely on petrol generators to power their businesses and homes when the sun goes down.
The ABD is also gearing up to finance a coal plant in Senegal on the African west coast. The plant will be built by Indian firm Jindal Steel & Power which will construct a $558m, 350MW coal-based power plant.
In Kenya, plans to build a $2bn power station in the port city of Lamu are also gathering momentum - as is fierce criticism of the plan. The project will be funded and built by Chinese contractors and banks, together with the ADB. Initially Kenya had sought help from the IMF, World Bank and other mostly western based lenders but was rebuffed.
Environmental groups are upset. "This is deeply disappointing, that the bank for Africans should decide to go this route," says Makoma Lekalakala, director of Johannesburg Earthlife Africa. "We are a continent rich in resources such as sunlight. We don't need coal."
Discontent
Ms Lekalakala says that African countries should concentrate on renewables, building multiple sources such as wind and hydro to help patch over intermittancy.
"Support for renewables should be all over Africa. We should be 100 per cent clean," she says.
For now, this argument is unlikely to persuade the ADB, that worries Africa will continue to fall behind the rest of the world. As it does so, simmering discontent will fuel rebellions and civil conflict up and down the continent.
Movements such as the extremist group Boko Haram that plague Nigeria thrive when poverty is endemic.
"To be very frank and direct, only terrorists prosper in the dark," Mr Adesina says.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
Kill
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Starring: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya, Raghav Juyal
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Klipit
Started: 2022
Founders: Venkat Reddy, Mohammed Al Bulooki, Bilal Merchant, Asif Ahmed, Ovais Merchant
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Digital receipts, finance, blockchain
Funding: $4 million
Investors: Privately/self-funded
MEDIEVIL (1998)
Developer: SCE Studio Cambridge
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Console: PlayStation, PlayStation 4 and 5
Rating: 3.5/5
Roll of honour
Who has won what so far in the West Asia Premiership season?
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Cup - Winners: Bahrain; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Trophy - Winners: Dubai Hurricanes; Runners up: DSC Eagles
Final West Asia Premiership standings - 1. Jebel Ali Dragons; 2. Abu Dhabi Harlequins; 3. Bahrain; 4. Dubai Exiles; 5. Dubai Hurricanes; 6. DSC Eagles; 7. Abu Dhabi Saracens
Fixture (UAE Premiership final) - Friday, April 13, Al Ain – Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Royal wedding inspired menu
Ginger, citrus and orange blossom iced tea
Avocado ranch dip with crudites
Cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese mini club sandwiches
Elderflower and lemon syllabub meringue
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
The specs
Engine: 77kWh 2 motors
Power: 178bhp
Torque: 410Nm
Range: 402km
Price: Dh,150,000 (estimate)
On sale: TBC
NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
UFC FIGHT NIGHT: SAUDI ARABIA RESULTS
Main card
Middleweight:
Robert Whittaker defeated Ikram Aliskerov via knockout (Round 1)
Heavyweight:
Alexander Volkov def Sergei Pavlovich via unanimous decision
Middleweight:
Kelvin Gastelum def Daniel Rodriguez via unanimous decision
Middleweight:
Shara Magomedov def Antonio Trocoli via knockout (Round 3)
Light heavyweight:
Volkan Oezdemir def Johnny Walker via knockout (Round 1)
Preliminary Card
Lightweight:
Nasrat Haqparast def Jared Gordon via split decision
Featherweight:
Felipe Lima def Muhammad Naimov via submission (Round 3)
Welterweight:
Rinat Fakhretdinov defeats Nicolas Dalby via split decision
Bantamweight:
Muin Gafurov def Kang Kyung-ho via unanimous decision
Light heavyweight:
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov def Brendson Ribeiro via majority decision
Bantamweight:
Chang Ho Lee def Xiao Long via split decision
More on animal trafficking
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Company Profile
Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8
More from Neighbourhood Watch
SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Indika
Developer: 11 Bit Studios
Publisher: Odd Meter
Console: PlayStation 5, PC and Xbox series X/S
Rating: 4/5
Spider-Man 2
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Console: PlayStation 5
Rating: 5/5
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
SPEC SHEET: APPLE M3 MACBOOK AIR (13")
Processor: Apple M3, 8-core CPU, up to 10-core CPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Display: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina, 2560 x 1664, 224ppi, 500 nits, True Tone, wide colour
Memory: 8/16/24GB
Storage: 256/512GB / 1/2TB
I/O: Thunderbolt 3/USB-4 (2), 3.5mm audio, Touch ID
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Battery: 52.6Wh lithium-polymer, up to 18 hours, MagSafe charging
Camera: 1080p FaceTime HD
Video: Support for Apple ProRes, HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10
Audio: 4-speaker system, wide stereo, support for Dolby Atmos, Spatial Audio and dynamic head tracking (with AirPods)
Colours: Midnight, silver, space grey, starlight
In the box: MacBook Air, 30W/35W dual-port/70w power adapter, USB-C-to-MagSafe cable, 2 Apple stickers
Price: From Dh4,599
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani