Abu Dhabi - Tatweer for Traffic Assets and Systems Operation and Management was awarded the contract to replace approximately 43,000 streetlights in the capital with energy-efficient LED lights by the Department of Municipalities and Transport Abu Dhabi City Municipality.
The use of energy-efficient LED streetlights is expected to save some 900 million kWh, valued at approximately AED 264 million over the contract period. Tatweer’s technology partners include AEC Illiminazione SRL. The tender is the first street lighting replacement project to be delivered using a Public-Private-Partnership model in the UAE. It is also the first to be assisted by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, ADIO, using the Partnership Projects model.
The project supports the improvement of traffic safety on Abu Dhabi’s roads, while following the highest standards of sustainability for infrastructure projects. The contract is a 12-year design, build, finance, operate and maintain concession agreement with the Department of Municipalities and Transport - Abu Dhabi City Municipality, following a competitive tender process facilitated by ADIO. The concession will target specific requirements and energy saving targets, including operating and maintaining the new devices, and installing and maintaining a smart central system to control the lighting throughout the agreement period.
"This long-term partnership with Tatweer will help us achieve greater project efficiencies, while delivering enhanced infrastructure and services to Abu Dhabi’s residents. It is part of our commitment to delivering world-class infrastructure in the emirate of Abu Dhabi," said Saif Badr Al Qubaisi, Director-General, Abu Dhabi City Municipality.
ADIO works alongside government departments, including the Department of Municipalities and Transport, to facilitate major infrastructure projects for Abu Dhabi through the Partnership Projects model.
The project is part of the Abu Dhabi Government’s recent announcement to procure infrastructure projects of approximately AED10 billion through Public-Private-Partnerships spanning multiple sectors, including education, transport and municipal sectors, amongst others.
The Executive Committee of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council approved the new Public-Private Partnership Law in February 2019 (Law No. 02 of 2019) under its Ghadan 21 accelerator programme to support local and international investment opportunities for the private sector.
Dubai - In a key environmental initiative, VFS Global, the world's largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, has decided to ditch plastic bottle usage starting with its visa application centre in Dubai.
The initiative aims to decrease plastic pollution rates that threaten natural resources and congest the environment worldwide and help reduce carbon footprint overall for workers and visitors alike. Located at Wafi Mall the centre becomes the first VFS Global plastic bottle-free Visa Application Centre in the world. The initiative is an important step towards creating greener centres as it is expected to reduce plastic usage by over 50,000 bottles annually in the Dubai centre.
The second phase of the initiative will cover VFS Global Centre in Abu Dhabi and the best practice will be implemented across other larger centres globally where water quality and infrastructure allow the use of new dispensers.
Peter Brun, chief communications officer, responsible for the company’s initiatives related to sustainability, said: “At VFS Global, we aim to reduce our impact on the environment wherever we can. Caring for the planet is the natural thing to do. We are continuously improving our sustainability and ESG – Environment, Social and Governance – performance. Our first plastic bottle-free Visa Application Centre in Dubai is just the beginning. In 2020, we aim to develop an action plan, with targets to reduce our building emissions in a systematic and measurable way. We will explore purchasing renewable power for visa applications centres and offices and we will complement our long-standing commitment to offsetting our business travel.”
Plastic bottled water at the centre is swapped with water filtration dispenser machines that can filter the water straight from the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) pipelines. All prevailing plastic bottles and cups are replaced with eco-friendly bio-degradable paper cups that are environment-friendly. This arrangement is implemented at all areas, including front and back office, across the visa application centre. In the Premium Lounge, applicants are served water in a reusable glass.
To provide an alternative for plastic bottles and to ensure offering the cleanest water possible, water from the new dispensers have been tested via Dubai Municipality and is declared fit to consume in order to avoid any health or hygiene allied issues.
Rats love cities just as much as people do, a phenomenon that has been a problem for centuries. Dubai Sustainable City is now using smart devices from Danish RATMO to sustainably address the issue.
Ratmo’s sensors - and mobile app - are designed with both the user and the environment in mind. This Danish invented device transforms a conventional rat trap into a remote sensor and data collector. “Traditional traps use pesticides, around 600 grams per year per trap. These pesticides end up in nature: a rat eats the poison, and it takes about four days before the animal dies at another location than the trap”, said Jan Holm Pedersen CEO from Ratmo Middle East.
“As a consequence the poison ends up in nature, in the ground or in the belly of another animal like a cat or a dog. If you look at the Emirate of Dubai alone it means that more than 60,000 kg of these pesticides end up back in nature. That is huge problem”, Pedersen adds.
“If Dubai would support the industry with just AED10m per annum, we could reduce pesticide consumption by more than 60,000 kg and at the same time make Dubai the smartest city in the World with regards rodent management”, he concludes.
One of the crucial benefits of the traps is that they require no poison. Rat poison is a serious threat to the global ecosystem. A recent Norwegian study showed that half of the population of red foxes in Norway were found to have eaten rat poison. Owls and other birds of prey in many parts of the world die after eating poisoned rodents.
Smart trap
When a RATMO trap is activated, the staff is immediately alerted, enabling quick disposal of the corpse and resetting of the trap. A sensor on the trap records the trap activation time and temperature, and gives a signal to the monitoring system via GPS. The pest control or facilities management team can use the Ratmo app to record the type of bait, and time of trap activation enabling the facility manager to get a much clearer idea of the extent of the rat problem, their behaviour and favourite foods.
Karim El-Jisr Executive Director, Diamond Innovation Center at Dubai Sustainable City, said: “When we were using poison, we had no idea how many rats were visiting our traps and therefore how big a rat population we had. Ratmo’s app provides us with an excellent graphical overview of matters such as the catchment area, time of catch, trap effectiveness, site visit patterns, etc.”
El-Jisr adds that with the new method the rats are killed in a direct way without harming pets, wildlife or any other aspects of the Sustainable City environment. “We have the ambition to roll the smart traps out across the City over the next six months”, said El-Jisr.
Regional player
In the first year after its introduction in the UAE, RATMO has already signed up major players in the market as their customers. “We are growing rapidly. Smart rat catching is the future”, Pedersen emphasizes.
The company is now active in all seven Emirates. It has ambitions to expand to Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar.
Dubai - SirajPower has announced it has successfully completed the construction and installation of a new fully-financed solar model for DP World’s staff accommodation in Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) East and West.
The two combined 6.75MWp system capacity solar rooftops span across a total of 110 mid-rise buildings between both locations and generates over 10.72GWh of annual energy production. It will help displace 7,579 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission (Co2) per annum, corresponding to 966,626,499 number of smartphones being charged or 125,328 trees planted, said the statement from SirajPower.
To complete this project within only three months, SirajPower put together a centralised project management team with Jafza facility management team to build and install 17,500 solar panels with the mobilisation of more than 50,000 man-hours.
With these new green staff accommodations, the overall well-being of DP World’s staff will be improved by providing a safe working environment, it added. The installed solar plant is part of the second phase of projects under the 22-year solar lease agreement for Jafza and National Industries Park (NIP) signed in Q4 2018.
On the key milestone, CEO Laurent Longuet said: "SirajPower kicks off the year with a major project milestone allowing the company to continue expanding its portfolio and make its first foray into the residential sector."
"Beyond the commercial and industrial sectors, the main adopters of solar rooftops in the region, we demonstrated that we can extend the same strategic platforms to the residential market. It is taking more time to develop with some challenges to overcome but the potential in that space is tremendous and a focus shift is happening," he stated.
SirajPower said its partnership with DP World further supports the group's sustainable, long-term growth plan that is aligned with the United Nation’s ninth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) to build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation.
"Our long-term partnership with DP World is a real success. The staff accommodation project in Jafza is the first one in the region with the most number of buildings in one solar leasing development," remarked Longuet.
"Most importantly, it is improving the overall well-being of staff by providing a safe working environment. It will pave the way for more housing, accommodation and residential solar projects across the Middle East, making a turning point for SirajPower’s ground-breaking strategies towards the end-user market under Dewa’s Shams Initiative and the UAE’s growing solar industry," he added.
Source: Trade Arabia
Abu Dhabi - ADNOC Logistics & Services will test biofuel as a bunkering fuel for ships, in an effort to comply with the 2020 sulphur cap, the company's Chief Executive Officer Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi said.
Al Masabi stated that ADNOC has applied the regulations by November 2019 across its entire fleet, which totals 28 ships, and the company now explores other alternatives such as LNG, LPG and blended biofuel to carry its vessels to reduce fuel consumption.
"We're studying with one of our subsidiary companies the usage of biofuel and how that can reduce fuel consumption," Al Masabi told The National in an interview. The biofuels trial comes as the International Maritime Organisation mandated all vessels to reduce emissions of sulphur oxides from all ships from January 1. Allowable sulphur emissions have been cut to 0.5 per cent of fuel oil, from 3.5 per cent previously used.
The move forms part of the company's ambitious climate-protection goals.
Dubai - HSBC bank, Get in the Ring, and Globally will organize the first UAE edition of the Living Business Competition and Awards. The event kicks-off on the 20th of February and continues throughout the year until the end of October 2020.
Since its launch in 2004 the HSBC Living Business Programme has been helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Hong Kong to become more competitive and productive. This year the programme for businesses who want to be more sustainable will be launched for the first time in the UAE.
Opening event
At the Living Business opening event participants will be joined by CEOs and other senior professionals, who have first-hand experience using sustainable innovations and implementing sustainable initiatives, will share their experience and vision on how to make a business leaner, fitter and stronger.
On the agenda are matters like how to use sustainable best practice to build greater business resilience, reduce costs, grow revenue and engage staffers. At the same time topics like how sustainable practises could increase a company’s overall appeal as a business partner and how to build a national or international reputation for sustainable leadership will be discussed.
The ambition of the programme is to assist SMEs to incorporate social and environmental sustainable practices into their business operations. The programme provides a learning platform for SMEs to understand best practices in corporate sustainability (CS) and offers recognition to SMEs for outstanding performance.
Categories
HSBC Living Business Competition 2020 consists of the following Living Business Awards: Best environmental impact, Best social impact, and Best governance implementation. Each winner can use the ‘Living Business winner 2020’ logo on its website and social media and will get a short social media friendly video created using existing video or photo content.
The overall winner of the competition will receive an invitation including a flight ticket to the ‘Get In The Ring Global Meetup 2021’and will at the same time be awarded with an original video made about the winning initiative.
Dubai - The UAE-based sustainable and smart transportation company, has partnered with the Sharjah City Municipality (SCM), and Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) to supply, install and operate public electric vehicle charging stations across the city of Sharjah.
The new charging stations will play an important role in accelerating UAE’s ongoing electrification of its transportation and supporting the current electric vehicle network. With a mandate to promote green mobility solutions in the region, ION, a joint venture between Bee’ah and CE-Creates, the business incubation platform of Crescent Enterprises, will build a vast network of charging stations across the Emirate in a phased approach, paving the way for greater use of electric vehicle mobility in the UAE. The partnership will encourage the mainstream adoption of electric vehicles by residents, who can avail free charging services.
The agreement between ION, SCM, and SEWA will further support the UAE Vision 2021 through achieving a sustainable environment in terms of air quality, increased reliance on clean energy, and green development within Sharjah. The global transport sector is acknowledged as a leading source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as being a major contributor to urban air pollution.
Commenting on the occasion, HE Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of Bee’ah and Chairman of ION, said: “We are transforming the way people use transportation in the Middle East region, by introducing services and solutions that allow for smart and sustainable mobility. Electric charging stations are an important component in the development of a zero-emissions transportation network in the UAE and wider region and we welcome the chance to work with partners such as SEWA and SCM to contribute to a better quality of life for the residents of Sharjah.”
Samer Choucair, Director, CE-Creates and Board Member, ION, commented: “At CE-Creates, we invest in business concepts that can bring positive change to communities. Our mandate is to ‘do good’ while ‘doing well’ and we believe ION meets this goal. With a phased roll-out planned until 2025, the collaborative effort between us and Bee’ah will be aligned with the establishment of regulatory frameworks governing the use of electric vehicles in the region. ION also aims to embrace a holistic approach and extend beyond electric mobility to include power generation and storage products.”
HE Dr. Rashid Alleem, the Chairman of Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority, elaborated on the new development, saying: “As the UAE lays out the blueprint to improve its environmental performance, we are also following the SEWA Vision 2020, to achieve a highly innovative and sustainable tomorrow. We are delighted to offer residents the ability and convenience to pursue greener modes of transport and look forward to working with ION and SCM to ensure the right infrastructure is in place to support electric vehicle users.”
Sharjah is fast-emerging as a hub for sustainability and is on track to become the first zero-waste city in the Middle East through a waste-to-energy plant. Sustainability across all aspects of transportation is another priority in Sharjah, with Bee’ah, who manages the city cleaning, having ordered 50 Tesla Semi electric trucks to add to its waste management fleet by this year.
HE Thabit Salim Al-Turaifi, Director-General at Sharjah City Municipality, also shared his views and stated: “As Sharjah positions itself to be more eco-friendly and technologically advanced, this agreement will be of vast importance to the success of green mobility in the city. Partnering with like-minded entities to unlock the potential of electric vehicles in Sharjah is a strong indicator of our commitment to creating a safe and sustainable environment for residents that enables them to adopt better quality lifestyles.”
There has been a rise in the number of electric vehicle motorists in the UAE as governments introduce policies and infrastructure that support sustainable transport. Several renowned electric vehicle companies have also established their presence in the country including Tesla and NAVYA.
The company is dedicated to bringing about a positive shift in attitude towards the use of sustainable modes of transport while supporting the nation’s strategy to reduce traffic growth and congestion by encouraging more efficient and environmentally friendly means of transport.
ION has recently partnered with NAVYA, a leading company in autonomous driving systems, to operate and maintain the company’s electric and autonomous shuttles as well as promote its vehicles and related activities in the UAE and the GCC region. ION is also providing next-generation mobility solutions within Masdar City, including a fleet of Chevrolet Bolt electric cars for on-demand, ride-hailing services as it expands operations across Abu Dhabi.
Source: Eye of Riyadh
Dubai - Dubai Municipality has awarded Besix the contract to build and operate the Al Qusais Landfill Gas-to-Energy project. Besix will build and operate for 16.5 years renewable energy production facilities at Al Qusais, Dubai.
The project consists of capturing the gas from the Al Qusais landfill and treating it to produce electricity. This recovery of methane, which is produced by the decomposition of organic fractions, is all the more sustainable as it prevents this environmentally harmful gas from escaping into the atmosphere, said a statement.
Once completed, the facilities will comprise a network of 22 to 24 km of pipes and will treat up to 9,000 cu m of landfill gas per hour. The facilities will have a production capacity of 12 MW. The project is part of the Dubai Municipality Strategic Plan for an integrated waste management and its ambitious environmental objectives. It is also in line with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) regarding solid waste management.
The project strengthens Besix's leading position in the waste-to-energy market in the UAE and confirms its expertise in the sustainable recovery of both organic and non-organic solid waste, it said.
Benoit Vadani, Vice President Business Development, Besix, said: "Besix is particularly honoured by Dubai Municipality’s renewed confidence in our group’s environmental expertise. This project strengthens Besix's leading position in the waste-to-energy market in the UAE. Our group now operates energy recovery facilities for both organic and non-organic solid waste, two complementary and sustainable activities."
In recent years, Besix has become a leading player in the wastewater treatment and waste-to-resource sectors in the Gulf region. In addition to design and construction, the group offers financing, operations and maintenance services through public-private partnerships.
In the waste-to-energy sector, its current activities include the Dubai Municipality's Thermal Waste Recycling Plant, the world’s largest waste-to-energy plant. The project is in the final stages of financing and an early mobilization on site is foreseen in early 2020. The facility will be operated by Besix and Hitachi Zosen Inova.
Other projects include the development of a Refuse Derived Fuel facility by Emirates RDF (Besix - Tech Group Eco Single Owner Holding - Griffin Refineries) in the Emirate of Umm Al Quwain, whose production will partially replace the use of fossil fuels in cement plants.
Besix is a leading Belgian group, based in Brussels and operating on five continents, primarily in the construction, real estate development and concessions sectors.
Source: Trade Arabia
Sharjah - The Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority - SEWA - recycled more than 360,000 litres of transformer oils at 33 kV stations and reused the oil after treatment according to the best international specifications during 2019.
The recycling process saved more than AED20 million after one of the ideas presented by employees was applied as part of the "I am Creative" initiative, SEWA said. Dr. Rashid Al Leem, Chairman of SEWA, emphasized that the strategy of the Authority depends on the ideas and contributions of its employees, which are implemented to develop the system, and these constructive ideas have contributed to a qualitative shift in performance.
He stressed SEWA’s keenness to encourage employees to participate in the processes of development and continuous improvement of performance and services, and to create an appropriate environment for creativity to achieve excellence, and encourage a culture of continuous development through the real participation of employees to achieve the vision and directives of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and the Authority’s message and its strategic goals.
The recycling project is considered one of the innovative projects that falls within the Authority’s efforts to achieve a sustainable environment for the emirate, he added.
Saif Al Obaidly, from SEWA, pointed out that the ideas presented by the employees were studied in cooperation with the major international companies and specialized centers before they were applied so that they are compatible with all international and local requirements and specifications.
Source: Zawya
Dubai - Splash, one of the largest high-street fashion retailers in the Middle East region, has reinforced the need for sustainability and preservation of the planet with the unveiling of its award-winning annual 2020 calendar.
Shot creatively through the lens of photographer Dragomir Spassov and styled by Adriana Gerassimova, the calendar aims to educate and raise awareness about the accelerating rate of extinction of millions of species, the causes and devastating ecological consequences.
Each month features a striking photograph highlighting the key causes for the destruction of the ecosystem and the positive actions Splash has taken to reduce their environmental impact and preserve the planet for generations to come, said the statement from the top retailer.
The calendar conveys a strong message that humans are not simply the offenders, but also the ultimate victims of global warming. It urges customers to come together for this significant cause and act to save imperilled species and protect Earth.
Landmark Group Director and Splash CEO Raza Beig said: "Sustainability is significant for fashion, because the textiles and fashion industry is among the leading industries that affect the environment negatively. Our new 2020 Splash calendar underlines our commitment to promoting animal welfare and environmentally sustainable practices in the fashion and retail industry."
"Each month focuses on creating awareness of global environmental concerns and highlight the initiatives and sustainable practices adopted by Splash for a greener future," he explained.
According to official data, over one million species, such as sharks, elephants, and honey bees, are threatened with extinction by 2050. For this, the major drivers are deforestation, overfishing, poaching, overuse of plastic and climate change.
As a socially and environmentally responsible fashion retailer in the Middle East region, Splash uses recycled polyester, produced from discarded plastic bottles, that further leads to less plastic ending up in the ocean.
"Splash also makes clothes with eco-friendly fabrics such as Tencel, 100% Organic Cotton and Lenzing Viscose, across several of its fashion lines which is now 70% sustainable," remarked Beig.
"The brand is further advancing its sustainability initiatives for 2020 and plans to produce 80% of its products using sustainable and ethically sourced materials," he added.
Source: Trade Arabia
