Acwa Power, a leading developer and operator of power generation and water desalination plants worldwide, said it has signed an agreement with the Egypt's New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) to set up a 10 gigawatt (GW) wind project in the country.

The wind power plant is expected to provide the Egyptian economy with $6.5 billion in savings in annual natural gas costs and secure up to 120,000 job opportunities, said the statement from Acwa Power.

Under the deal, NREA will allocate approximately 3,000 sq km of land west of Sohag, an urban centre, for the project.

On completion, the wind project is expected to generate around 50,000 GW-hours of clean energy annually, providing electricity to around 11 million households and mitigating the impact of 25.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year.

A leading player in the region's utilitites sector, Acwa Power has had a major presence in Egypt since 2015.

The company has three other facilities in Egypt, that are either in operation, under construction or in advanced development, including a 120 MW solar PV project in Benban, a 200 MW solar PV facility in Kom Ombo, and the 1.1 GW Suez Wind Energy project.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr Mohamed Shaker Al Marqabi, the Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, said: "Egypt has adopted an ambitious programme to advance the electricity sector in various fields, which includes maximising the utilisation of new and renewable energy resources, encouraging investment in these fields to enable energy independence from fossil fuels, continuing to reduce carbon emissions, and increasing renewable energy capacity in the energy mix up to 42% by 2035."

"This focus also aligns with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the National Climate Strategy 2050 with a view to mitigating the impact of climate change challenges and achieving sustainable economic growth," he stated.

The agreement was signed by Dr Mohamed El Khayat, Chairman of NREA, and Engineer Hassan Amin, Country Director – Egypt, Acwa Power in the presence of Dr Moustafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt; and Dr. Mohamed Shaker, the Egyptian Minister of Electricity as well as senior officials of Acwa Power led by its CEO Marco Arcelli.

Arcelli said today's signing furthers the group's commitment to driving sustainable development and powering Egypt's future with clean, reliable, and renewable energy.

"We are determined to harness the vast potential of wind power, creating jobs, reducing emissions, and ensuring a greener and brighter future for Egypt, in alignment with ACWA Power's vision for a sustainable planet," he added. 

Source: Zawya

A group of companies, including Abu Dhabi’s Masdar, have signed an agreement with Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority to secure land for a $10 billion wind farm.

Masdar, Egypt's Infinity Power and Hassan Allam Utilities signed an agreement last year to develop the 10-gigawatt project, which is expected to save the North African country $5 billion in annual natural gas costs once operational.

The wind farm will produce 47,790 gigawatt hours of clean energy annually and offset 23.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

“This 10-gigawatt onshore wind project is set to be one of the largest wind farms in the world, and largest on the African continent,” said Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and managing director and group chief executive of Adnoc.

“It is a sign of the strong partnership between the UAE and Egypt, with great potential to create jobs, cut emissions and power homes with clean electricity at competitive economical costs.

“The world needs to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement,” the Cop28 President-designate, who is also chairman of Masdar, added.

Egypt, the Arab world’s third-largest economy, has brought forward its goal of sourcing 42 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2035 to 2030. Its current renewable energy component is about 20 per cent.

The agreement “not only positions us as a leading provider of renewable energy but also strengthens the growing relationship between the Emirates and Egypt”, said Nayer Fouad, chief executive of Infinity Power.

“Apart from being a key source of renewable energy, the farm will also create employment opportunities for local communities.”

In March, Infinity Power, a joint venture between Masdar and Cairo-based Infinity, completed the acquisition of the entire shareholding of Africa’s wind power platform Lekela Power.

Lekela’s portfolio includes 1 gigawatt of operational wind power projects in South Africa, Egypt and Senegal, and a 1.8-gigawatt pipeline of projects in various stages of development across the continent.

Last year, Dubai-based AMEA Power said it secured funding to develop a solar plant and a wind farm in Egypt.

AMEA Power’s wind farm, which is expected to have a capacity of 500 megawatts, will be in the Red Sea region and is being developed in partnership with Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation, which will own 40 per cent equity in the project.

Source: John Benny, The National

Ventile, the Swiss-based manufacturer of high-performance textiles, has entered into a joint venture with cotton farmers in Egypt to help them apply biodynamic cultivation methods to their crops.

In partnership with the Egyptian Biodynamic Association (EBDA), Ventile will help its 2,380 members convert to organic and biodynamic regenerative farming methods that will have a positive impact on the environment. It will also help keep Egyptian cotton farmers competitive on the world market in an era when high quality, ethically farmed organic cotton is increasingly in demand for textile production.

The move aims to ensure the quality of life in farm communities around the country and is viewed as an investment in Egypt’s future, according to Justus Harm, co-executive director of EBDA. “When farmers are supported with the resources needed to transition to more sustainable and regenerative practices, we ensure that our planet’s finite resources will be used responsibly and that farmers will be able to grow and harvest high quality cotton for generations to come,” he said.

Zurich-based Ventile will celebrate its 80^th anniversary this year. Long known globally as a manufacturer of high-performance fabrics, it moved to being PFC-free in late 2021 in response to growing demand for sustainable practices in the textile industry. It replaced the PFCs with a durable water repellent (DWR) without compromising the quality and performance of the fabric. Ventile’s was among the industry’s first renewably sourced water repellent treatments.

The brand’s waterproof cotton fabric was developed during World War II to help save the lives of Royal Air Force pilots who fell into the sea. It went into mass production in 1943 and was worn by RAF pilots around the world before it was eventually adopted by outdoorsmen and adventurers including Sir Edmund Hillary, the first to reach the summit of Mt. Everest.

Sustainable cotton farming aims to combat climate change, save water and create a healthier life for farmers, end consumers and livestock. It is grown without genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and toxic substances like fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Spreading this approach is Ventile’s main goal, according to brand director Daniel Odermatt.

“To have an opportunity to collaborate with an association such as the EBDA and to work directly with the source of cotton production is a vital step forward to achieving our goal of creating a traceable and transparent supply chain for Ventile,” Odermatt said.

Source: Claire Wilson, Sourcing Journal

Three projects worth a total of US$403 million that support socio-economic development and promote sustainability have been approved by the board of executive directors for the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), it has been announced.

During the 350^th meeting of the board on April 1, 2023, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the board, chaired by Dr Muhammed Al Jasser, IsDB president and group chairman, approved the projects, which are located in Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

In a statement, the board added that the projects are in key sectors such as energy, education, and transport.

Emphasising the significance of the projects, Dr. Al Jasser stated: “The transformative projects approved in this board meeting will have a significant impact on improving transportation, education, and energy, as well as promoting regional economic integration and addressing emergency situations.

“The IsDB Group remains committed to supporting its member countries in their pursuit of prosperity and resilience, particularly during these challenging times.”

Sustainability projects benefit Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan

Leading the approvals is IsDB’s $344.5 million financing of Phase I of the Electric Express Train Project in the Arab Republic of Egypt. The objective of the project is to provide access to a safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport system via the development of a 660-kilometre sustainable, green, and climate-resilient electric express railway system.

The project is expected to benefit 25 million people annually and decrease Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 250,000 tons of CO2 annually.

The Board also approved an additional financing of $13 million for the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA-1000) in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. The Bank had originally approved $50 million towards this project.

The project aims to meet the electricity demand in Afghanistan and Pakistan through the establishment of cross-border energy exchange among four IsDB member countries as part of the Bank’s regional economic integration strategy.

Once operational, the project will utilise efficient and environmentally friendly indigenous hydropower resources of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, creating conditions for sustainable electricity trade between Central and South Asia.

The third approved project is the IsDB/ISFD/GPE/OFID Project for Support to Implementation of the National Education Development Strategy of Tajikistan (Phase II), with IsDB’s financing contribution of $35 million and ISFD’s contribution of $10 million.

The project aims to improve the learning environment and facilitate system strengthening for the country’s sustainable implementation of an inclusive, competency-based education system.

The project is a partnership between IsDB, Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID).

Continuing to support sustainability-linked developed goals

Additionally, the Board members deliberated on an emergency grant funding from the IsDB to provide support to Turkiye, and Syria in the aftermath of devastating earthquakes that struck both countries.

Furthermore, the IsDB Board reviewed the progress report of the IsDB Group Food Security Response Program (FSRP), which is aimed at supporting member countries in better averting the ongoing food crisis and further strengthening their resilience to future food security shocks.

The statement added that IsDB Board of Executive Directors would continue to support member countries in achieving their sustainable development goals and strengthening their resilience to future development challenges.

Source: Gavin Davids, Construction Week

The ClimAccelerator programme intended to promote environmentally friendly startups will be held for the first time in Egypt to help develop green entrepreneurial business models in a shorter period, it was announced this week.

The three-month programme is organised by EIT Climate-KIC, a European knowledge and innovation community cofounded by the European Union, in collaboration with Youthink Green, a social enterprise that aims at fostering sustainable development among diverse communities, and the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB).

ClimAccelerator Egypt will include training, mentoring, knowledge-sharing, and market-investor linkages designed to build viable business plans, boost climate impacts, and help secure grants to implement green entrepreneurial projects, Ola El-Houfy, project lead at Youthink Green Egypt, said.

To read more click here.

Source: Al Ahram Egypt, Ahmed Kotb.

TCI Sanmar Chemicals, the largest producer of caustic soda in Egypt and the largest manufacturer of Polyvinyl Chloride in the MENA region, announced the official release of its fourth sustainability report entitled “Road to Green Production”, which was developed in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, and in alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the national sustainable development strategy ‘Egypt Vision 2030’. During a top management meeting the report was released, and Mr. P.S. Jayaraman presented the report to H.E. Eng. Sameh Fahmy, former Minister of Petroleum and Major General Mustafa Al-Behairy, who are also Board Members of TCI Sanmar, in the presence of Mr. S Ganeshkumar, Managing Director of the company.

The report highlighted the remarkable achievements made by TCI Sanmar as part of its sustainable performance during the FY March 2022. It indicated all round improvement in the performance of the company aligned with adoption of high environmental standards. The report records reduction of carbon footprint as also water consumption in comparison to the previous year’s operations. It referred to adding a renewable energy course to show the company’s commitment to sustainable development guidelines from a capacity building perspective as well as from best practices application.

On this occasion, P.S. Jayaraman - Chairman, TCI Sanmar Chemicals, expressed pride of the breakthroughs and achievements made during the year 2021- 22, which he described as an ‘extraordinary’ year.  “This year marked a significant milestone for TCI Sanmar. The company managed to overcome challenging times, which included overall cost increases particularly in freight and transportation, lower production of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), due to technical issues that cropped up in Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) operations. However, we have managed to turn operations around and develop customized and innovative products and technologies to suit the complex needs of our customers”

“We understand that our customers seek more sustainable solutions, thus, we successfully introduced two more PVC grades: K value 57 (K-57) for fittings and K value 70 (K-70) for cables. With the ongoing production of K value 67 (K-67) for pipes, the company is now manufacturing all three PVC grades. This goes a long way to meet and exceed customers’ expectations.” he added.

Mr. Jayaraman concluded to pledge on implementing a new development philosophy effectively and robustly to achieve sustainable development in harmony with the environment, society, and stakeholders.

From his end, S Ganeshkumar, TCI Sanmar Managing Director, said: “TCI Sanmar has invested USD 1.5 billion in two phases, turning the company into a world-class manufacturing facility for producing Caustic Soda, PVC, and Calcium Chloride Granules. Today, TCI Sanmar enjoys a powerful reputation and prominent position as the largest integrated producer of Caustic Soda and PVC in the entire MENA region with state-of-the-art technologies and consistent value creation.”

Furthermore, the report underscored TCI Sanmar’s future plans under its sustainability strategy, and shedding light on environmental, social, and economic aspects given the crucial need to integrate them within it’s the company’s functions.  The report also highlighted the urge for waste reduction and lowering emissions in order to minimize the environmental impact of chemical processing and manufacturing and ensure the maximum level of human and environmental protection.

The report positioned TCI Sanmar at the forefront of companies adapting to green, sustainable production within its operations. The company became the first in the MENA and African region to tap into unconventional ways to produce fossil fuel-dependent PVC. It also became the first petrochemical industry to issue an environmental product declaration for PVC.

It is worth mentioning that TCI Sanmar is one of few petrochemical companies in the MENA region that publishes an annual sustainability report, in compliance with the GRI standards and guidelines.

Source: Press release

CAIRO, Egypt -- Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Egypt’s Environ Adapt for Recycling Industries with the aim of advancing plastics recycling in the country. The two organizations will explore the development of the first chemical recycling facility in Egypt that would be equipped with Honeywell’s advanced technology, capable of converting waste plastic into valuable recycled polymer feedstock (RFP).

Under the proposal outlined in the MoU, Honeywell UOP will work with Environ to deploy its latest UpCycle Process Technology - a technology that, when used in conjunction with other chemical and mechanical recycling processes, along with improvements to collection and sorting - has the potential to help recycle up to 90% of waste plastics.[1],[2] This represents a considerable increase in waste plastics that can be turned into polymer feedstock.

“With a broad portfolio of ready now solutions that reduce waste, lower carbon emissions and support sustainable energy transition, Honeywell is well-positioned to support Middle Eastern and North African countries in their ESG goals,” said Khaled Hashem, president, Honeywell Egypt and North Africa. “Our Upcycle Process Technology represents an important milestone in the area of plastics circularity, and we are excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Environ to see how the technology could be deployed in Egypt in support of the country’s sustainability objectives.”

The MoU enables Environ to conduct a project feasibility study to explore trends, feedstock availability and potential markets, technical studies for the operation of the plant and facility, as well as overall project schedule, financial modelling and analysis.

In parallel, Honeywell UOP will provide Environ with technical and commercial information and analysis and broader project support.

“We are fully invested along the entire waste value chain and moving into chemical recycling is a natural evolution of our scope of work,” said Omar M. El Hassanein, CEO for the Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery division within Intro Sustainable Resources. “We are always on the lookout for innovative technologies that will help us decarbonise our customers’ operations and contribute to the country’s NDCs. We see Honeywell’s UpCycle Process technology as a key enabler of this objective, and are looking forward to working with Honeywell towards the deployment of this technology in Egypt.”

Honeywell is a world leader in sustainability-related innovation, combining this capability with a long legacy in technology for the digitalization of industries as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. While pursuing its own goal of becoming carbon neutral across its operations and facilities by 2035, Honeywell is supporting similar sustainability initiatives declared by nations, and their industries, across the Middle East and North Africa.

The MoU, which was signed during the COP27 conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, supports the objectives of Egypt’s Vision 2030 – a unified long-term political, economic, and social vision developed in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Under Vision 2030 Egypt has set a target to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 10% from the energy sector, including oil and gas, by 2030 compared to 2016 levels. Additionally, Egypt’s National Climate Change Strategy aims to increase the share of renewables in its power mix to 42% by 2035 and intends to invest US$10 billion to develop 10 GW of renewables and upgrade its thermal power plants.

Operating from the North African hub in Cairo, Honeywell has been expanding its presence, activities and investments in Egypt as it works with some of the country’s key government and private sector entities in the fields of oil and gas, refining and petrochemicals, smart cities, building automation, defense, aviation, infrastructure development, logistics, security and fire safety. The company has been present in Egypt for more than 60 years and is committed to providing high quality talent and technological opportunities that support the country’s long-term focus on localization.

-Ends-

About Honeywell

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a global technology company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

About Environ Adapt

Environ Adapt is the Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery arm of Intro Sustainable Resources Holding (www.intro-sr.com); it is a company that is disrupting the waste management sector by implementing innovative business models with strategic industrial partners by designing and implementing low-carbon roadmaps to decarbonise our customers’ operations inline with national and international sustainability targets. We leverage our digital platform DAWAR for waste traceability to enable further investments in resource recovery projects. For more information, please visit www.intro-sr.com.

BEEAH Tandeef, BEEAH Group’s waste collection and city cleaning business, has begun delivering a landmark ten-year contract with the coastal city of Sharm El Sheikh in partnership with Green Planet, Egypt’s emerging environmental services company. The contract commenced a few days prior to COP27 in Egypt.

BEEAH Group signed the contract with the Governorate of South Sinai in Sharm El Sheikh last month, following which BEEAH Tandeef deployed waste management infrastructure and streamlined waste collection solutions in the city.

In particular, BEEAH Tandeef has taken care to ensure world-class delivery of waste management services in the Sharm El Sheikh Convention Centre, where COP27 is being held.

The convention centre will have several bins and personnel to maintain cleanliness and ensure proper disposal of waste. Beyond the COP27 venue, BEEAH Tandeef is also addressing the municipal solid waste needs of the entire city. Innovative solar-powered, hi-tech bins have been deployed at various locations in Sharm El Sheikh.

Recycling stations have been placed strategically to collect different types of waste, with separate streams for recyclables, e-waste, as well as organic waste and mixed waste. Waste and recycling points also serve as educational centres for local communities, informing people on proper waste disposal techniques and encouraging waste segregation at the source.

BEEAH Tandeef is also carrying out waste management and public cleansing services in the numerous tourist hotspots in the desert and beach areas. On-ground teams are washing and inspecting bins periodically, while conducting preventative maintenance. When bins are found to be defective or damaged, they are repaired or replaced.

In collaboration with Green Planet, BEEAH Tandeef has also deployed mechanical sweepers and vacuum vehicles, street washing vehicles and beach cleaning vehicles. Further, Ducati electric mobile waste collection units are streamlining the operations on main and internal roads, streets, and sidewalks, offering workers shade from direct sunlight, in line with occupational health standards.

The portfolio of vehicles caters to the unique environmental and infrastructural demands of the city’s high-density areas as well as public and community spaces. Skilled crewmembers are positioned in desert areas to pick up litter, empty and clear bins, as well as sweep streets, roads, sidewalks, parking areas, public transport points, roundabouts and paved pathways. Depending on the area, crewmembers use advanced waterjet-enabled vehicles, manual street washing services and specialised safari vehicles.

To drive utility of the sustainable waste management services going forward, BEEAH Group and Green Planet will also conduct on-ground awareness activities to foster a culture of recycling and proper waste disposal, including through educational programs for schools, corporates, and communities.

Speaking about delivery on the contract, Rafael Lopez, CEO of BEEAH Tandeef, said, “Egypt has a clearly outlined sustainability agenda and roadmap. We are proud to support this through our work in Sharm El Sheikh during COP27 and the decade thereafter. We are thankful to Egypt’s visionary leadership for their bold determination, their ability to adapt to the changing environment, and for their trust in our delivery of world-class waste management solutions.

“Our goal is to help Sharm El Sheikh become a sustainable, smart city of the future. Looking ahead, we will build on our existing portfolio of services, support net-zero emissions and zero-waste to landfill strategies while working towards key targets set by the Egyptian government.”

Aligning with Egypt’s sustainability agenda, BEEAH Tandeef plans to launch several specialised services, community engagement and recycling incentivisation programs. One of the services will be a specialised used cooking oil collection program, which will help reduce disposal through drains and minimise clogging of public plumbing systems.

To further encourage recycling practices, Reverse Vending Machines (RVM) will be deployed across the city, offering a seamless and digitally enabled experience for users to deposit recyclables such as plastic bottles. Personnel will also be working around the clock to collect waste and keep public areas clean. The ecosystem of solutions from BEEAH Tandeef will include GPS enabled trucks with on-board weighing systems to monitor collected waste and a fleet route optimisation platform that notifies fleet operators when bins are full using RFID tagging systems.

BEEAH Group first expanded to Egypt in 2020 by signing the region’s largest waste management contract with the Administrative Capital for Urban Development (ACUD) for Egypt’s New Administrative Capital, one of the largest urban development projects in the world. BEEAH Tandeef is also in charge of executing the ACUD contract.

The signing of the Sharm El Sheikh waste management contract in September is BEEAH Group’s second contract in Egypt. The contract was signed in the presence Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt, and formalised by Dr. Mohamed Maait, Egypt’s Minister of Finance, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Egypt’s Minister of Environment, Major General Hisham Amna, Egypt’s Minister of Local Development, and Major General Khaled Fouda, Governor of South Sinai in Egypt.

In addition to BEEAH Tandeef’s operations in Sharm El Sheikh, BEEAH Group is part of the UAE delegation to COP27. As part of the nation’s pavilion, the Group is showcasing solutions from across its businesses, including integrated recycling at its world-class waste management complex, clean energy innovations in the region’s first commercial scale waste-to-energy plant, and smart built architecture at the BEEAH Group Headquarters, one of the most sustainable and smartest buildings in the world, integrated with AI and designed by the renowned Zaha Hadid Architects.

Through its participation in COP27, BEEAH Group is looking to support large-scale climate action, share insights on solutions for sustainable, smart cities, and accelerate towards sustainability targets set by the UAE and the world.

Source: WAM, Esraa Esmail

500MW Build-Own-Operate wind farm will be located 40km from Ras Ghareb and will be the largest privately developed, utility-scale wind power plant in Egypt

Red Sea Wind Energy, together with the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy recently held a ground-breaking ceremony for a new 500MW Build-Own-Operate wind farm near Ras Ghareb in Egypt.

Wind power and renewable energy in Egypt 

Red Sea Wind Energy is a consortium comprising of ENGIE (35%), Orascom Construction (25%), Toyota Tsusho Corporation (20%), and Eurus Energy Holdings (20%). The Gulf of Suez 2 project is located on the shores of the Gulf of Suez, a statement added. 

It pointed out that it is located 40-kilometres North-West of Ras Ghareb, and that it would be the largest onshore wind power plant in ENGIE’s portfolio. The project meets strict environmental standards and supports Egypt's transition to renewable energy, it added. 

Once fully operational, the plant will be the largest privately developed utility-scale wind power plant in Egypt, capable of delivering clean power to more than 800,000 Egyptian homes.

Building up Egypt’s decarbonisation efforts

By leveraging the exceptional wind resources in the Gulf of Suez area, with 360 days of wind per year, will significantly support Egypt's decarbonisation efforts. Overall, the Gulf of Suez 2 wind farm will contribute to Egypt's renewable power generation goals of having 42% electricity produced from renewable sources by 2030 and will reduce CO2 emissions by ca. 1,000,000 tonnes annually, the statement added.

This new 500 MW wind farm project builds on the past success achieved by the consortium in developing Gulf of Suez 1 – Ras Ghareb Wind Farm (262.5 MW), Egypt's first renewable energy Independent Power Producer (IPP) project of its kind and size. That project was completed in October 2019 ahead, and now, with the new project, the developer consortium’s wind energy capacity in Egypt has tripled to 762.5 MW. 

This new project was negotiated on a bilateral basis with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) as the off taker, using the same consortium as in Gulf of Suez 1, the statement concluded.

CAIRO: In the lead-up to the 27th UN Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as COP27, the Egyptian host city of Sharm El-Sheikh, situated on the country’s glittering Red Sea coast, went green in every sense of the word.

From the fleet of electric vehicles that are transporting delegates to the ubiqitous solar panels designed to power all sectors of the local economy, Sharm El-Sheikh has become a showpiece for what a sustainable future might look like.

The all-important hotel industry has gone “green” too, embracing the latest in sustainable leisure and hospitality practices, including proper wastewater management, recycling, renewables and energy efficiency.

“Green Sharm has been a concept that was in our minds for the past 10 years,” Yasmine Fouad, Egypt’s minister of environment, told Arab News in the run-up to the summit.

“The opportunity of hosting COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh gave us more motivation to change the whole city. It was really an opportunity for us as a government of Egypt to gather around one big environmental cause. It takes years for countries to change a city to a green city.”

UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 defines green cities as those that are dedicated to achieving environmental, social, and economic sustainability, with a focus on minimizing inputs of energy, water and food, and drastically reducing waste, heat output, and pollution.

Fouad says transforming Sharm El-Sheikh into a green city in time for the COP27 summit, the first to be held in the Middle East and North Africa, took the government 11 months to achieve.

She said: “We have four main components. One on sustainable transport, which are the eco-friendly modes of transportation. Then there’s the solid waste management system. Third, expanding on renewable energy. And finally, what we call resource efficiency.”

Sharm El-Sheikh has also been beautified with more green spaces — a method of reducing ambient temperatures — including the central park, covering an area of 40 acres in the Green Triangle area, which features a wide variety of shady trees and exotic plants.

However, it is the new green mass transit system that has earned particular praise. In March, the Egyptian government announced it would be laying on around 260 natural gas and electric-powered buses to transport delegations to the conference venue.

A fleet of 110 buses arrived on the city streets in October, with many more scheduled to arrive in time for the conference. They are equipped with air conditioning, electronic map displays and facilities for passengers with disabilities.

According to the Urban Transport Route Map, found on the official COP27 website, daily shuttle bus services will operate across the city throughout the conference.

Around 800 eco-friendly taxis, powered by natural gas rather than traditional diesel, will also be on hand, and will be fitted with smart-pay systems that allow passengers to pay their fare electronically.

Petrol engine vehicles are a significant global contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Improvements in battery technology and investment in roadside charging stations have helped to boost the popularity and affordability of electric vehicles.

However, uptake of the new technology remains slow and the world is still way off track to limit the rise in global temperatures to around 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, as stipulated by the 2015 Paris Agreement.

“Global emissions must fall between 2020 and 2025, while in reality emissions are still rising,” the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned.

“To have a chance of limiting warming to 1.5 C, global emissions must halve by 2030 and reach ‘net-zero’ by 2050.”

Public transportation is not the only sector the Egyptian government has targeted for a green makeover in Sharm El-Sheikh ahead of the summit. Recycling and waste management have also been top priorities.

Egypt’s Ministry of Environment signed a 10-year contract with the UAE-based Bee’ah Group and Egypt’s rising environmental services company Green Planet to provide solid waste collection, transportation, street cleaning, and public utilities.

Both companies are working on future-ready waste management strategies that support Egypt’s sustainability agenda, deploying world-class waste management infrastructure, efficient garbage collection and recycling services, employing a network of GPS-enabled vehicles, radio-frequency identification-tagged bins, and trained staff.

Already, visitors to Sharm El-Sheikh can see electric vehicles cleaning and sterilizing the city’s streets and public squares, and special trash containers for food waste, recyclable materials, and mixed garbage. These containers are equipped with a GPS system that informs sanitation crews when a bin is full.

“We have more future plans for Sharm El-Sheikh even after the COP27,” Khaled El-Melouki, head of projects at Bee’ah Group, told Arab News.

“We will increase the environmental awareness among inhabitants through campaigns about the importance of recycling and how to preserve the cleanliness of the streets, public areas and beaches.

“Also, we will have solar-powered bins that will be in front of the restaurants and hotels to collect cooking oil waste and there will be special containers to collect it.”

The city’s hotels and resorts will accommodate a huge number of guests during the COP27 summit. To prepare for the influx of patrons and to meet the government’s green targets, several hospitality venues and leisure facilities have introduced eco-friendly practices.

“The number of hotels that have been awarded the Green Star is about 120 out of a total of 160, while 60 diving centers received the Green Fin as they have been able to implement photovoltaic energy systems on rooftops,” Heba Maatouk, a Ministry of Environment spokesperson, told Arab News.

“It is considered one of the recent necessities in ecotourism to rationalize the consumption of energy and water in the hotels and to shift to clean alternative energy in order to reduce the negative effects of the hotel industry on the environment, and reduce expenses, while providing a healthy and peaceful atmosphere for guests.”

The Green Star Hotel is a national green certification and capacity-building program operated by the Egyptian Hotel Association under the supervision of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism. The certificate helps hotels earn international recognition for enhancing their environmental performance and social standards while eliminating operational costs.

Diving centers that have been awarded the Green Fin certificate are those that protect coral reefs by following environmental guidelines, by educating patrons on how to treat these vulnerable ecosystems, and by adopting sustainable tourism measures.

Many of the city’s hotels, diving centers, restaurants and other leisure and hospitality facilities have earned environmental ratings thanks to the widespread adoption of solar power — a plentiful resource in a region bathed in sunshine almost every day of the year.

In October, the local energy distributor Taqa Arabia announced it had commissioned the largest solar power plant in Sharm El-Sheikh, built on an area covering 250,000 sq. meters and with an annual production capacity exceeding 42 gigawatt hours — enough to supply clean electricity to more than 6,000 hotel rooms.

Around 30,000 participants and 120 heads of state are expected to arrive in Egypt for the COP27 climate summit. It comes as scientists warn the planet is nearing a tipping point with humanity’s impact on climate fast becoming irreversible.

As world leaders, industry bosses and civil society groups prepare to transform their climate pledges into concrete action, Sharm El-Sheikh will provide an inspiring example of what is possible when the environment is put first.

Source: Arab News