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Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy and the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) together with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will co-organise the country’s first high-level renewable energy conference in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. The three-day Egypt Renewable Energy Conference, held from October 9-11, will seek to advance renewables development in the country and will feature the release of IRENA’s Egypt Renewable Energy Outlook report, a comprehensive assessment of Egypt’s full renewable energy potential.

Egypt aims to source 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2022, rising to 42 per cent by 2035 as it works to meet rising demand for power. Total installed capacity currently stands at around 3.9 gigawatts, much of which is from hydropower.

“Our Integrated Sustainable Energy Strategy 2035 supports the development of a diversified, competitive and balanced economy within the framework of sustainable development,” said H.E. Dr. Mohamed Shaker, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy. “With renewable energy at the heart of this strategy, IRENA’s role in identifying our potential and advising on the practical steps required to succeed, is key. The Renewable Energy Conference greatly supports this process and we look forward to bringing the investment and policy community together in Cairo to support our national efforts to establish Egypt as a regional hub for clean energy,” he concluded.

The conference will convene investors and national policy makers from Egypt and across the Middle East and North Africa region to advance energy transformation across Egypt as it pursues short and medium-term targets, and capitalise on falling technology costs. IRENA Director-General Mr. Adnan Z. Amin will present the report’s key findings in the presence of ministers and high-level guests.

“Egypt has established its renewable energy ambition and this commitment is evidenced by progress made on world class projects such as the Benban Solar Park in Aswan, which will be one of the world’s largest solar parks once complete,” said Mr. Adnan Z. Amin. “In a country such as Egypt, which possesses tremendous resource potential, sustainable energy can be the backbone of its long-term energy planning.

“By strengthening the enabling environment for renewable energy investment and development, Egypt can increase the speed of its energy transformation, bringing wider economic benefits to the country such as job creation, health improvements and energy security,” concluded Mr. Amin.

Following a presentation of the report and its recommendations the conference will focus on a number of important topics relevant to renewable energy development in Egypt. The sessions will be followed by a training workshop conducted by IRENA on renewable energy project development, which supports the Pan-Arab Clean Energy (PACE) initiative – a regional initiative aiming to promote the integration of greater shares of renewables into power systems in the Arab region. The workshop will inform project developers on the tools available to them that can assist in the development of successful renewable energy projects in the region.

Key topics to be discussed at the event include:

• Renewable energy deployment policies, featuring ministers and CEO-level participants from across the Middle East and North Africa region and the world
• Renewable energy investments, identifying the investment frameworks necessary to accelerate the progression of renewables deployment in Egypt
• Job creation and manufacturing capacity, exploring ways to ensure domestic businesses are positioned to capitalise on the development of a clear, long-term government program

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President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated Egypt’s giant sustainable wind farm, which is the “largest in the world” of its kind, according to the presidency spokesperson.

The new $670 million wind farm has 290 turbines with a 580-megawatt (MW) capacity. The wind installations are located off Gabal el-Zeit along the Red Sea coast and are clustered on 100 square kilometers (38.6 square miles).

Egypt is taking active steps toward boosting the country’s electrical power, environmental researcher Ragia el-Gerzawy told Al-Monitor.

However, the renewable energy from wind and solar make up 1-2% of electricity generation in Egypt, Gerzawy added.

The construction of the wind farm began in 2015 and was set up in three phases. Phase one included 120 turbines to produce an average output of 240 MW. Phase two featured an output of 220 MW with 110 turbines, and phase three included 60 turbines to produce 120 MW. The wind farm is not yet working fully, as it is operating at nearly 52% of its final capacity. The wind speed at the site is 12-33 meters per second (27-73 mph).

Meanwhile, the farm is equipped with an automated bird monitoring system to prevent migratory birds from flying into the turbines, a system costing 2 million euros ($2.3 million).

Sisi also inaugurated on July 24 three combined-cycle power plants that use natural gas to increase the electric power supply by 50% after connecting 14.4 MW to the national grid, according to the presidency.

The three plants, built by Siemens, are located in the administrative capital east of Cairo, Kafr el-Sheikh on the Nile delta and Beni Suef south of Cairo. They are powered by 24 Siemens H-class gas turbines, 12 steam turbines, 36 generators, 24 heat recovery generators and three 500-kilovolt gas-insulated switchgear systems.

In June 2015, the German company had clinched “its single biggest order” with the Egyptian government to expand the power supply, Siemens said in January 2017, with a total cost of $8 billion.

Emad Ghaly, the CEO of Siemens Egypt, stated that the newly installed plants will result in significant fuel savings of $1.3 billion annually, Siemens’s 2017 release read, adding they will provide power for 45 million people.

The company added that it has trained 600 Egyptian engineers and technicians, while more than 20,000 workers were engaged in the work. Meanwhile, it has worked with local partners to construct the plants, using over 1.6 million tons of material.

Gerzawy pointed out that Egypt now has a stable electric supply thanks to the reliance on the recent offshore gas discoveries.

Egypt relies heavily on gas to generate electricity for homes and factories. The most populated country in the region produces about 4.8 billion cubic feet of gas per day, and the power plants dominate 70% of the total quantities of gas. Egypt needs a gradual transition from using natural gas to renewable sources, she added.

According to remarks made July 26 by Ayman Hamza, the spokesman for the Ministry of Electricity, Egypt’s power reserves reach 7,000 MW, while the daily consumption is 31,000 MW.

Egypt is on its way to being a regional renewable energy center, but what matters is the power source, Gerzawy added.

Gerzawy is not in favor of Egypt’s latest agreement of setting up a nuclear power station with Russia, which is supposed to be up and running by 2026 with a total capacity of 4,800 MW at a cost of $21.3 billion.

In May, the Electricity Ministry inked an agreement with a Chinese consortium to build a new coal-fired power plant on the Red Sea using the clean coal technology with a capacity of 6,000 MW and a total cost of $4.4 billion to be fully operational within six years.

The world is now turning away from coal and nuclear power, Gerzawy added.

Egypt has suffered from unplanned and scattered power outages for years, and this problem is being addressed with the new power plants. Egypt aims to shore up its relatively deteriorating economy by pumping new investments into energy.

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As part of the Nile Delta protection project, currently implemented by Egypt in cooperation with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), an affiliate of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), a new detection system to monitor the impact of climate change along the Mediterranean shores is going to be established.

Mohamed Abdel Ati, minister of irrigation and water resources, assured in statements to media outlets on Monday that the new on-going project aims to reduce the impact of climate change on Egypt’s shores, especially after it became extremely noticeable during the past period.

Head of the Shores Protection Authority Mahmoud el-Saadi said in another statement on June 18 that the GCF’s fund for the project is the biggest grant Egypt has obtained to help adapt to climate change. Egypt’s Irrigation Ministry will contribute LE 140 million to the project.

Recently, several concerned voices have been raised demanding the government to take several serious steps regarding the climate change impact on Egypt’s environment.

In statements to Egypt Today last May, parliamentarians argued that the government needs to provide alternative agricultural crops which consume little water to decrease the lands’ damage. They also demanded developing different irrigation systems for fields and providing the needed instructions for farmers to protect their lands.

Parliamentarian Shereen Farag told Egypt Today that former Minister of Environment Khaled Fahmy needs to announce his plan regarding climate change effects on the agricultural lands, along with setting a proactive plan to deal with it in the early stages in the future.

“The government needs to take into its consideration climate change causes and study how it will affect our agriculture lands and accordingly our crop production,” Farag said, adding that the same demands have been issued earlier to the government; however nothing happened.

Egypt’s weather has been witnessing severe changes during the past period and varied between extreme cold and rain to sandstorms and high temperatures.

Last April, thunderous clouds and heavy rains were witnessed on the northern coast of Egypt, the Delta and Cairo, and showers were witnessed over the Red Sea mountain range, Sinai and some areas in the south.

Rainfall throughout the capital caused some buildings, houses and bridges to collapse; some governorates such as Suez, Ain Sokhna and Ismailia were also affected.

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Sunlight + Air = Water. It’s a befuddling equation, but it’s at the heart of a new solar hydropanel developed by Arizona-based startup Zero Mass Water. The company’s SOURCE panels can be installed atop any building just like standard photovoltaics, but instead of just harvesting solar energy, they use the sun’s rays to pull water from the air. Each panel has the potential to draw up to 10 liters (2.64 gallons) of water per day.

So how does it work? Each SOURCE array consists of a standard solar panel flanked by two hydropanels. As explained by The Verge in the video above, the photovoltaic at the center of the array drives a fan and the system’s communication with the hydropanels. The hydropanels themselves consist of two different proprietary materials, one that can generate heat, and another that can absorb moisture from the air. Together they are able to condense water into an onboard, 30-liter reservoir where it is mineralized with calcium and magnesium. From there, the water can be siphoned directly to a drinking tap.

As one might guess, the amount of humidity in the atmosphere and solar energy available will affect the payout. However, Zero Mass Water says that even low-humidity and arid regions can effectively benefit. The company’s CEO, Cody Friesen, cited the array atop his headquarters as an example. “Our array on the Zero Mass Water headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona makes water year-long despite low relative humidity. The Phoenix-Metro area can get below 5% relative humidity in the summer, and SOURCE still produces water in these incredibly dry conditions,” he said. Additional panels can also be added to optimize water collection, but there is the matter of cost.

Right now, the two-panel array costs $4000, plus installation, which runs $500. The whole system has been engineered to last 10 years, which according to Treehugger’s calculations, this averages out to about $1.23 per day, or between $0.12 and $0.30 per liter of H2O.

To date, hundreds of panels have been set up in eight countries around the globe. Zero MassWater says the installations represent a combination of early adopters who have paid out of pocket for the technology and developing areas and emergency situations where funding has been provided by donors, NGOs, or other institutions.

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Brits may prefer tea, but their busses will be getting a buzz from coffee. U.K. startup bio-bean, Shell, and Argent Energy have teamed up to fill London’s double-deckers with an innovative new java-based fuel. According to CNN, bio-bean has already brewed up 6,000 liters (1,585 gallons) of the high-octane joe, an amount able to power one city bus for an entire year.

So, how is the coffee oil manufactured? As bio-bean shares on its site, the company gathers grounds everywhere from small cafes to Starbucks-like chains to universities and even instant coffee factories. The grounds are then brought to the bio-bean plant where they are dried and coffee oil is extracted.

The extracted oil is then blended with other fats and oils to create a “B20” biofuel, which is further mixed with traditional mineral diesel. The new concoction offers a 10-15 percent reduction in CO2 emissions as compared to pure diesel, and prevents the release of any methane that would have occurred had the grounds been sent to a landfill. Notably, the mix does not require a specialized engine and can be used with any diesel bus, making the switch easy.

Bio-bean estimates that Britain produces nearly 500,000 tonnes of coffee grounds a year—enough to power a third of London’s entire transport network. At the moment, bio-bean’s plant has the capacity to recycle 50,000 tonnes of grounds a year. Company founder Arthur Kay, however, hopes to scale the project. Kay, in fact, has his sights set on the U.S. where coffee consumption is the highest of anywhere on the planet with 400 million cups downed daily.

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Today Evovelo unveiled a tiny solar-powered vehicle that combines the advantages of a car — such as safety, weather protection and stability — with the ease of a bicycle and the low energy consumption and space utilization of a light electric vehicle. The cute little trike is called Mö, and its practicality, customization, and sustainability make it a great fit for commuters looking to lower their environmental impact.

Mö is perfect for short commutes, as it is made from sustainable materials and it has an all-electric range of up to 50 kilometers (31 miles). The vehicle has a top speed of 45 Km/h (about 30 mph), and a set of roof-mounted solar panels rapidly recharge the vehicle’s 1000Wh battery. A single hour in the sun will yield 5-10 kilometers of range, and the vehicle will fully recharge in 3-4 hours.

The tricycle can also be propelled by pedal power to further extend its range, and a regenerative braking system stores energy as the vehicle slows down.

Its dimensions of 140 cm wide, 200 cm long and 130 cm high means Mö doesn’t take up much space; however, it is large enough to seat two adults up front and two children in the back with optional kids seats. Because Mö has a full lighting system, turn blinkers, safety belts, a front crash crumple zone, side impact protection, and other safety features, one can feel comfortable commuting in the environmentally-friendly vehicle.

The vehicle’s battery can be removed and charged at home, in the office, or in a garage – wherever one has access to an electrical outlet. Evovelo’s new prototype officially debuted today in Malaga, Spain, and more information — including its cost — will be released in the near future.

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Plastics clog up our oceans, take a million years to decompose, and directly affect our food chain. Basically, they’re a threat to our entire ecosystem. On the other hand, we have tonnes of agricultural excess that is burnt, leading to another big problem—adding to the existing unchecked air pollution. The after effects of the two create a sight of terror.

Imagine replacing this plastic with packaging or disposables made of agricultural waste. It suddenly sounds like a solution to two of the biggest problems Mother Earth wouldn’t have to deal with anymore.

Bio-lutions GmbH, a revolutionary company that believes in sustainable innovations, does just this. The idea is to create a win-win situation. No more mountains of plastic and cellulose waste that takes forever to decompose, plus the added income for the farmers who would otherwise just burn the excess plant scrap.Their innovation is a patented ‘mechanical process’ through which agricultural residual fibres are converted into self-binding micro and nano fibrillated natural fibres using only water.

This Germany-based company, founded by architect and industrial designer Eduardo Gordillo in 2012 has set up its first ever pilot project in Bengaluru and is slowly working toward making a huge change in the game of disposables and packaging.

Journey in India

According to a report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India goes through 15,000 tonnes of plastic produced every day, out of which 6,000 tonnes remain uncollected. Also, an estimated 32 million tonnes of agricultural residue is burnt every year, adding to the already alarming problem of air pollution in the country. This makes the Indian market perfect for a product such as this.

Bio-lutions Eco Tech India focuses on not having to go through the stages of the 3Rs by eliminating the use of plastic altogether and preventing the infringement of forests to procure otherwise used petroleum or virgin cellulose with the alternative of using readily available agricultural excess.

The company was set up in January 2017 by three Indian partners: Kurian Mathew, 41,  Managing Director; Kurian George, 35; and George Thomas, 35 the directors in collaboration with Bio-lutionsGmbh owning majority share of the company.

Kurian George says, “Although the roots of the company are in Germany, the biggest part we have played is that for the first time in the world, from a research stage we have been able to take the company to a commercial stage.”

An established one-of-a-kind production plant on the outskirts of Bengaluru currently sources agricultural waste from the farmers of the Mandya region. Sugar leaves, pineapple leaves, tomato leaves, banana stems, water hyacinth plants are obtained from working with the farmers’ cooperative in the region, who in turn can earn from what was earlier disregarded, improve their livelihood through varied income, and can contribute to the good cause of cutting down on the use of plastics.

The agricultural excess is then converted into all natural, biodegradable, recyclable, and 100 percent food grade packaging. The end product is being provided to local businesses in Bengaluru where plastic is already banned, filling in the need for sustainable packaging.

Kurian Mathew says, “Localisation is at the heart of the company. We source locally, produce locally, and cater to the local market. We are able to be part of the local waste management system. Given that agriculture is a primary source of income, it is a win-win situation for farmers and us.”

An unparalleled technology

Bio-lutions stands out in terms of its distinctive technology. Kurian George says, “Another research organisation had been working on a particular technology for a different purpose. On Mr Eduardo’s interaction with them, this technology was tweaked wherein now the crop residue is incorporated with this modified technology to produce the products we manufacture today.”

Their unique, first of its kind “upgrading” technology uses only agricultural excess and water in a two-step procedure with zero chemicals and additives unlike any of the traditional technologies that undergo processes involving chemicals, bleaching agents, and additional binders using a great deal of water and energy to convert agricultural fibres to cellulose.

Baby steps towards making an incredible change

Bio-lutions has put into perspective an issue that needs to be addressed right away. With a fast-paced lifestyle like ours, we mindlessly throw away thousands of non-biodegradable disposables every day. This company offers a solution to it all. It puts an end to pollution caused by non-biodegradables, offering products that are so green and recyclable they can be added to home compost and will degrade without any effort. They are also a socially responsible venture. By providing for farmers in terms of profitable ways of disposing waste, adding to their income and generating a backup in times of drought and inconsistent rains, they make them independent.

Presently, Bio-lutions works with the farmer producer organisations (FPOs) under the Government of Karnataka and more importantly with the corporate society called Organic Mandya that works with the farmers in Mandya district, educating them on organic farming. These are the farmers who act as providers of raw materials to the company.

Overcoming challenges in the research stage and issues in adapting to the machinery in the commercial stage, George says, “We are in the process of setting up a second plant by October or November in Mandya district itself. Since we have no benchmark, we are learning as we progress.” Currently, bio-lutions converts one tonne of raw material in a month but with the second plant in place they will be able to upscale and convert six tonnes per day, making a huge advancement. The company has two product lines—

biodegradable tableware for consumers and a biodegradable option over petroleum-based plastic or paper packaging for businesses. They also already have a tie-up with a major online supermarket as well as a food delivery service to provide ethical packaging at competitive market prices.

“Bio-lutions has been voted ‘the world’s bio-based material of the year’, 2017, held recently in Cologne, Germany and has received financial support from DEG, a German Bank, that promotes pioneering investments of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through its upscaling programme This has enabled the company to scale up its production capacity,” says George.

In a wider sense, Eduardo seeks to take the technology across the world and tie up with partners from each country. He says, “Imagine tomato trays made from tomato plants, coffee capsules made from agricultural waste of pitted coffee sherry, or perhaps, cookie packaging made from wheat straw. The possible potential is limitless.”

A world with less pollution and plastic—that is what they have set out to achieve.

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