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Landmark Announcements For Solar Industry At Third Day of World Future Energy Summit
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| 18 Jan 2018 |
The third day of the World Future Energy Summit saw a number of exciting developments for the solar energy space, as the International Solar Alliance signed letters of intent for USD 5 billion worth of financing and the initiation of eight new projects across five member countries.
Winners of the Rain Enhancement Awards.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Visits World Future Energy Summit
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, today visited the World Future Energy Summit, which is being held under the theme, ‘Driving the Global Energy Transformation’ this year. H.H. took part in a tour of the exhibition halls, where exhibitors are displaying technologies that complement the event’s standing as the world’s foremost platform dedicated to innovation, digitalisation and transformation in the global energy mix.
Two Letters of Intent Signed at International Solar Alliance’s Pavilion to Secure Financing up to USD 5 Billion and Development of Nine Solar Projects across Five Countries
International Solar Alliance (ISA), an action-oriented organization, today announced the signing of its first financing commitment of up to USD 5 Billion by YES Bank, India’s 5th largest private sector bank and leader in renewable energy financing. It also announced the signing of nine solar projects across five ISA member countries, including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, India and Spain. The eight companies involved in the deals include, Vyonarc Development Ltd., Waree Engineers, Gensol Group, SOLARIG, Shakti Pump, Refex Energy, Amplus Solar, and Zodiac Energy.
This is just the beginning of ISA’s push for new solar projects. During two upcoming events in New Delhi, ISA aims to launch a signing ceremony to mark the identification of over 100 new solar projects, potentially all from ISA member countries.
Solar Energy-Powered Desalination is Commercially-Viable, According to Masdar Study
Masdar today announced the outcomes from its Renewable Energy Desalination Pilot Programme in Ghantoot, Abu Dhabi during an insight session at the International Water Summit, which shows that solar energy powered desalination is commercially viable in Abu Dhabi.
Masdar commissioned five pilot projects during the programme to explore the feasibility of using renewable energy to power seawater desalination and test novel, energy-efficient desalination technologies.
The outcomes of the pilot projects were published in a report presented during the IWS Insight Session titled: Energy efficient desalination: Results from the Ghantoot pilot studies. The findings of the report revealed that solar energy-driven seawater desalination using reverse osmosis technologies offers a commercially attractive, low-cost and sustainable long-term solution for seawater desalination in the Gulf region. The report also revealed that energy efficiency improvements of up to 75 per cent were achieved through the programme compared with existing technologies employed in the UAE.
Research Groups from USA, China and Russia Crowned as Rain Enhancement Award Winners at International Water Summit
The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science held its annual awards at the International Water Summit to celebrate the most promising research projects of its third cycle. The program aims to help tackle the challenge of global water stress by encouraging innovative solutions needed to aid people at risk around the world. Three researchers from the USA, China and Russia, respectively were named as awardees of the US $5 million grant offered by the program.
The three awarded scientists leading the research teams that will share this cycle’s grant of US$5 million are:
- Professor Eric Frew, of the University of Colorado, for his project dealing with targeted observation and seeding using autonomous unmanned aircraft systems.
- Dr Lulin Xue, of the Hua Xin Chuang Zhi Science and Technology LLC in China, for a project entitled “Using Advanced Experimental - Numerical Approaches to Untangle Rain Enhancement (UAE-NATURE)”.
- And Dr Ali Abshaev, of the Hail Suppression Research Center in Russia, for a project examining the creation of updrafts for the formation of artificial clouds and rainfall.
Innovate@IWS has concluded after three days of presentations at the International Water Summit. The competition seeks to discover the most promising smart water technologies, connecting participants with potential clients and investors creating access to opportunity, capital and growth.
Winners were announced across three categories, which include municipal, industrial and real estate.
- Municipal Water Category: Witteveen+BOS EMEA DMCC (Netherlands): The 1-STEP® filter is a modular and compact fixed bed activated carbon filter operated at a relatively high rate downward flow combining four treatment processes into one additional single treatment unit.
- Industrial Water Category: EMAGIN (Canada): EMAGIN provides water and wastewater facilities with an artificial intelligence driven platform, HARVI, that supports real-time decision making when controlling critical assets. In doing so, HARVI helps facilities reduce operational costs, enhance reliability and prepare for emergencies.
- Commercial Real Estate & Public Use Category: Hydraloop International (Netherlands): Hydraloop is a stunning residential water saving system that recycles 55% of normal mains water used. Hydraloop cleans and disinfects waste water from the shower, bath and washing machine so it can be reused for lavatory flushing, washing machine, garden irrigation or topping up the swimming pool.
Artificial Intelligence has wide applications for energy sector, say panellists
A panel discussing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its applications in predicting the future performance of renewable energy systems gathered global experts from related industries to highlight the latest technologies being applied at the World Future Energy Summit today.
Ian Khan, a technology futurist, noted some of the benefits available through AI technologies that will make future cities more efficient, citing Barcelona as a current example of waste collection routes being optimised through advanced algorithms.
Similarly, Sonja Chirico, Vice President for Strategy in New Energy Solutions at Statoil highlighted the advantages of using AI to maximise efficiency in windparks, where every degree counts. Chirico explained that AI programmes can be used to mine satellite imaging and analyse shadows to determine the direction of wind turbines. This is cheaper and more efficient than alternative solutions, such as installing lidars on each wind turbine, she added.
Similarly, Abdul Nasser Al Mughairbi, Manager of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s Panorama Digital Command Centre, stated that the oil and gas industry could save billions of cubic feet of natural resources per day by using AI models to reduce flaring.
Academic partnerships with private sector crucial to future energy, says UAE Minister of Higher Education
In a keynote speech, H.E. Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, UAE Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills, highlighted the importance of partnerships between academia and the private sector. H.E. Dr. Al Falasi noted that the onset of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is fuelling remarkable changes to the renewable energy industry, and that higher education institutions and private sector organisations must continue to collaborate to avoid skill gaps related to new technologies in an ever-changing labour market.
H.E. added that the higher education sector must continue to evolve to ensure that our graduates are ready for the green jobs of tomorrow. Through equipping our youth with the right skills, we will unlock their potential to shape a sustainable future for the UAE and the world, Dr. Al Falasi concluded.
Waste Management Solutions Forum opens at EcoWASTE 2018
The EcoWASTE Exhibition today inaugurated the Waste Management Solutions Forum, a premium event that gathers solutions providers and municipalities to discuss sustainable waste management strategies.
In a keynote speech inaugurating the Forum, Eng. Saif Mohamed AlShara, Assistant Undersecretary, Sustainable Communities Sector, UAE, told delegates that waste management represented one of the most important subjects both locally and globally due to its central role in creating sustainable environments. Waste levels continue to increase worldwide, with the latest research estimating 2.2 billion tonnes of waste by 2025 – almost double the 1.2 billion tonnes recorded in 2012. AlShara noted that this is of great concern, and highlighted the UAE’s diverse and integrated range of recycling strategies that aim to reduce landfill waste.
Things to look out for on day four
- Global clean water desalination alliance presentation: 08.45 at Hall 11
- Panel discussion on technologies for future smart city transit: 10.00 at Dialogue Hall 6-7
- Aramex case study on why the company is electrifying its fleet of vehicles: 10:30 at Dialogue Hall 6-7
- Launch of Electric Vehicle Road Trip with cars setting off on journey from Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre: 11am
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