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Solar desalination projects in the MENA region will shape the future. Solar power and water desalination, it turns out, go together like bread and butter. Who knew? The Middle East and North Africa are increasingly dependent on desalinated water, as the region’s standard of living continues to rise, along with...
According to the Institute of International Finance (IIF), the average growth projected to be registered by the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, is expected to moderate to 3.8% in 2013, compared to the 2012 5.8% growth rate. The dip in the projected growth can be attributed to stagnating crude oil...
Three Qatari government-owned companies have decided to set up a USD 1 billion fund to invest in overseas energy infrastructure projects. An official announcement by Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC) reveals that it would establish the fund in collaboration with Qatar Petroleum International and Qatar Holding, the Arab states’...
Japan and the UAE have inked a new nuclear accord, focusing on nuclear cooperation and technology transfer to assist with the building of nuclear power plants in the United Arab Emirates. In return for nuclear expertise, Japan has expressed willingness to renew oil and gas concessions, through 2108, with the...
A growing and forward thinking organisation called the C40 Initiative, promotes sustainable development for the world’s cities. C40 cities are conducting empirical research to perfect ways to lower CO2 levels and employ programmes such as ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ within city government departments which are also promoted to city residents. The C40...
After the completion of Ruwais plant expansion, the UAE is expected to achieve self sufficiency in gasoline by the end of 2014. According to an official of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), “we’re trying to increase our capacity to meet domestic demand. We used to be balanced in...
Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company Masdar, launched a USD 31.99 million utility-scale, 15 megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. The Sheikh Zayed Solar Power Plant is located in the capital city of Nouakchott and is the largest solar PV plant in Africa. The new...
SolarWorld successfully sells large-scale solar projects with overall capacity of 46 megawatts SolarWorld AG has constructed and recently sold, three large-scale solar projects at locations in Germany and the United States, which together comprised a total capacity of 46 megawatts — enough energy to cover the needs of about 40,000...
News sources reveal that the future energy mix of Jordan is set to undergo a massive transition as six companies have bid to build the kingdom’s first shale oil supplied power plant. According to Jordan Times, the Attarat Power Company (APCO) has reported that the interested companies include Alstom/Daewoo E&C...
It was announced on Sunday that the Kaloti Group, one of the world’s largest gold and precious metals refiners and trading houses, will be building one of the world’s largest gold and precious metal refineries in the Jumeirah Lakes Towers Free Zone in Dubai. The announcement was made as Kaloti celebrated its...
The EPA’s newly-proposed Tier 3 rule would cut sulfur levels in American gasoline by two-thirds, and by 2018 the new standard could be fully implemented. According to the EPA, introducing and enforcing the new regulations would cost $3.4 billion between now and 2018, but Americans would save $23 billion in...
The International Monetary Fund has once again called for countries in the Middle East and North Africa to withdraw heavy energy subsidies and instead, focus on social spending. The IMF believes that such subsidies, amounting to about USD 240 billion annually, place severe stress on public funds and do not...
The Chinese government has committed itself to producing 16% of its primary (electrical) energy from renewable sources by 2020 (UNEP) Wind power surpassed nuclear power in 2012 to become China’s third-largest energy source. Back in 2007, due to the political leadership of then-President Hu Jintao and then-Premier Wen Jaibao of...
Revealing it’s ambitious growth plans, the CEO of Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) has stated that the company is chasing the status of becoming the world’s top producer of refined fuels and petrochemicals. Currently the world’s biggest crude-oil exporter, Saudi Aramco CEO, Khalid Al-Falih told a conference in Beijing...
Booz & Company identify the key actions that MENA National Oil Companies today need to take to further enhance their exploration capabilities In recent years, independent oil and gas companies have made major new exploration discoveries, particularly in frontier areas. Meanwhile, at the largest oil companies, a focus on short-term...
President Obama updates America’s energy strategy. The President visited the Argonne National Laboratory today in Argonne, Illinois, to give a major speech on the future of American energy. A new, USD 2 billion dollar program called the energy security trust was announced which gives focus to the administration’s plans for more renewable energy...
Shell Global Solutions International B.V. has signed a gasification licensed technology agreement with Saudi Aramco, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s fully integrated energy and Chemicals Company, for the largest residue gasification unit to ever be built. The Jazan Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Project (IGCC) agreement includes the licensing of Shell...
For the first time in 40 years, Qatar has made the discovery of new gas reserves near the massive North Field. Government sources reveal that the newly discovered small offshore field contains about 2.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The gas field lies at the 4-North offshore block...
A new report by countries by the World Economic Forum has criticized the OPEC-member countries of failing to adjust to the changing energy architectures and renewable energy sources. None of the member countries have made it to the top 50 list of the energy report, which focuses on the strengths...
First came the announcement this week by Shell senior executives that oil extraction in the Arctic would be postponed for the second year in a row, and second is yesterday’s announcement foreshadowing the company’s plan for the future, Shell Sees Solar As The Biggest Energy Source After Exiting It in...
For decades, we have measured fuel economy and miles traveled by car or truck in the familiar miles traveled per gallon of gasoline, or MPG. Some nations don’t use miles as they use the metric system and distance is measured in kilometers (American spelling) or kilometres (European and Canadian spelling) which...
New projects, worth an estimated combined USD 6.8 billion, are being launched to boost solar power in the Middle East. A total of ten projects, based in the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco, will harness the enormous potential offered by solar power in the region. Several investors have...
Siemens, the global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering operating in the energy, infrastructure and cities, industry and healthcare sectors, has signed a complete turnkey solution contract with Qatar Steel Company to build a high-voltage substation. The 220/66/33-kilovolt (kV) substation will feature advanced technology and replace an existing facility within...
Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) has signed a contract with the Qatar International Petroleum Marketing Company Ltd. (Tasweeq) for the supply of 20,000 barrels per day of condensate for its Jebel Ali refinery. The annual contract underlines the commitment of ENOC to explore new condensate suppliers to ensure a steady...
The Big 3 – General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have always ruled the roost in the history of the American automotive industry. It began in the 1890′s in the U.S. and grew to become one of the largest industries in the world, with high demand from consumers who considered it...
An Integrated Planning and Performance Management Approach – The Key to Success for the Middle East’s National Oil Companies In light of the oil industry’s increasingly challenging business environment, Booz & Company assess the pivotal need for NOCs in the region to link and align all planning disciplines Dubai, UAE,...
“Within 6 hours deserts receive more energy from the sun than humankind consumes within a year” – Dr. Gerhard Knies An energy rich region as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with one of the largest oil and gas reserves in the world may appear as the most unlikely...
Greenhouse gas is a catch-all term used to describe a class of gases — either naturally-occurring or man-made (anthropogenic) which have a detrimental effect on the Earth’s atmosphere. It is no longer in academic dispute that any upset to the natural atmospheric equilibrium can wreak havoc on the climate of...
The U.S. will surpass Saudi Arabia and Russia this year to become the largest producer of liquid fuels (oil, natural gas and biofuels), according to the latest report by the British oil major BP. In November 2012, the International Energy Agency (IEA) had forecast that the U.S. will overtake...
The UAE announced the formal ratification of its headquarters agreement with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), confirming IRENA’s position as the global hub for renewable energy, and the first international organisation headquartered in the Middle East. The announcement was made during the first day of the annual IRENA Assembly...
The Middle East and North African (MENA) countries are expected to pump nearly $250bn into power projects over the next five years to expand generation capacity and meet the growing domestic demand. This was disclosed by the organizers of the 11th Power-Gen Middle East conference which will be held in...
Saudi Aramco, the Saudi oil giant, is making active efforts to explore and develop new gas reserves to meet the growing demand for electricity in the kingdom. According to Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Al-Naimi, “King Abdullah has given instructions to carry out more gas drilling and development operations...
The world energy industry is suddenly transforming into something very different from the industry we have grown accustomed to over the past decades. It used to be, pump and burn more oil, mine and burn more coal and build more coal-fired burners to produce electricity. More, more and more —...
In past decades, oil wells were considered ‘spent wells’ when only one-third of their total volume was pumped to the surface for our use. It turns out that the astonishingly-high energy costs to pump crude oil from the bottom two-thirds of an oil reservoir is one of two main reasons...
British oil and gas giant BP has agreed to sell its 34.3 per cent stake in the Yacheng gas field to Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC). The gas field, located in the South China Sea, has been sold for a sum of USD 308 million. The field supplies natural...
Tehran is going to keep on producing uranium enriched to a 20 percent purity level in reaction to the demands of Western countries. This was disclosed by Fereydoun Abbasi, Director of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. It is worthwhile pointing out that Western countries have given a clear direction to...
UAE and Russia sign cooperation agreement in the field of peaceful nuclear energy The UAE and the Russian Federation have signed a bilateral cooperation agreement in the field of peaceful nuclear energy. The agreement was signed in Abu Dhabi at the headquarter of Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Mohammad Bin...
Neutral Fuels, Dubai based company has signed an agreement with McDonald’s Australia to launch a new biodiesel processing facility in the state of Victoria.Based in Dandenong, new facility situated just outside of Melbourne, will see the conversion of waste cooking oil to biodiesel. It is worthwhile pointing out that Neutral...
Italy’s Eni is all set to invest $8 billion in Libya in the next 10 years to develop its upstream business.This move is widely been seen as a routine to gain more ground in Libya as a leading international oil and gas producer.According to a press release issued by the...
It is estimated that Iran has exported 22 billion dollars worth of non-oil commodities during the period from Mar 20- Nov 21,despite the sanctions. Einollah Mohammadkhani Ghiasvand, who directs the secretariat of Supreme Council for Non-oil Exports, said the figure does not include gas condensates.Comparing the figure with that of...
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