The Middle East tripled renewable energy investment last year despite fewer energy dollars being spent globally, with industry insiders characterising the region as a hot spot for green investment.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) released a report on Wednesday that showed energy investment globally reached US$1.8 trillion last year, down 8 per cent from $2tn in 2014. Investments in renewables made up about 17 per cent of that figure, the highest source of power investment.
But as less money is funnelled into the energy sector overall, Mena as a whole has markedly gained speed in renewables over the past 12 to 18 months, according to David Charlier, a partner based in Dubai at law firm Ashurst.
The firm, which was awarded an advisory position on Dubai’s newest solar project, said that the growth in the region’s renewable energy sector has resulted in more inquiries from clients spanning from governments to developers and financiers. “The proportion of our utilities sector work which relates to renewable energy has grown from around 20 per cent five years ago to well over 50 per cent now,” said Mr Charlier.
This can be seen in the movements made by the UAE in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but also with other GCC countries such as Kuwait procuring the Kabd waste to energy project and Saudi Arabia’s recent renewable energy commitments. Mr Charlier pointed to Jordan and Morocco actively expanding both wind and solar plans, and while Egypt is facing currency issues, some projects are still moving ahead.
For ata renewables of Spain, the region has taken on a whole new meaning. Belen Gallego, head of business development at ata, said that the company – which currently has 17 gigawatts of projects under its belt – had been watching this region for a while. “Much has been said over the years and a lot of promises made, but it seemed like one of those markets that took a long time to solidify,” she said. “It seems that now in the past couple of years things are getting built,” characterising the region as a hot spot for green investment.
Ata is waiting for a couple of projects to materialise and once that happens, it will make moves to open an office in the UAE. Ms Gallego said that this could happen as soon as the start of next year.
The IEA said that outside Asia, non-OECD countries in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East accounted for only 8 per cent of renewable energy investment last year. However, it is important to note that these areas have some of the world’s lowest global power purchase prices, which means less money is needed for investment.
In June, Dubai beat world records again with the lowest prices of solar energy at 2.99 US cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) – cheaper than the International Renewable Energy Agency’s calculation of power generation via natural gas at 5 cents. Chile came in over a month later, announcing solar power at 2.91 cents per kWh.
lgraves@thenational.ae
Follow The National's Business section on Twitter
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETamer%20Ruggli%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadine%20Labaki%2C%20Fanny%20Ardant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
