BP has launched its Energy Outlook 2023 which explores key trends and uncertainties surrounding the energy transition.
This year’s bp Energy Outlook explores the key trends and uncertainties surrounding the energy transition out to 2050.
The three main scenarios considered in the Outlook are the Net Zero, Accelerated, and New Momentum.
The Outlook’s three main scenarios are designed to explore the range of possible outcomes for the global energy system over the next 30 years. Understanding this range of uncertainty helps bp to shape a strategy which is resilient to the different speeds and ways in which the energy system may transition.
Click here to read the report.
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), a leading developer of sustainable energy solutions, and part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, has completed the financial close for two of its battery energy storage projects (BESS), Contego and Clay Tye, located in the United Kingdom in West Sussex and Essex.
The transaction is a major milestone for FRV as it is the largest project finance executed on a full merchant battery portfolio in Europe to date. The financing was carried out by Natixis CIB UK under the project finance modality, with an amount reaching USD $75 million (UK £61 million), more than 60% of the cost of the projects.
With an output of 99 MW, Clay Tye has a capacity of 198 MWh, using 52 Tesla Megapack lithium-ion batteries and is one of the largest BESS projects in the UK. Contego, meanwhile, uses 28 Tesla Megapack batteries and has an output of 34 MW and a capacity of 68 MWh. In total, FRV already has more than 5 GW of battery storage projects under development in the UK.
“Reaching this financial close marks another milestone in our commitment to developing the UK’s renewable energy sector and supporting the realisation of the country’s ambitions towards reaching net zero emissions by 2050. This significant achievement further promotes our position as a trusted partner that is leading the sector’s transformation around the world, while we make impressive progress in expanding our portfolio of BESS projects in the UK and globally,” Fady Jameel, Deputy President and Vice Chairman, Abdul Latif Jameel said.
David Menéndez, Managing Director of FRV UK said: “The financial closing of this portfolio adds another milestone to our growth objective in the UK’s BESS market, strengthening the sustainability of the business model in the long term and promoting our position as leaders in this industry.”
Pascal Soldaini, Managing Director and Head of the Infrastructure & Energy Finance of Natixis CIB UK, comments: “One of the focuses of Natixis CIB strategy is to finance the energy transition and increase our Green Loan origination, while supporting our core clients. BESS are a requirement to be able to reach the UK decarbonisation objectives, as they will allow further penetration of renewable energy in the UK energy mix while partially addressing the structural imbalances in the UK grid. This transaction is an example of innovative financing structured by Natixis and adjusted to BESS business model. It is another illustration of our close collaboration with FRV, an international leader in sustainable energy production as well as a proven successful BESS manager. We are keen to support this growing BESS sector, with an initial focus on the UK, Australia, the US and Europe”.
During 2022, Contego and Holes Bay, two of FRV’s battery plants in the UK, have been the best performing battery assets in the country according to the data analysis monitoring tool Modo Energy.
With the aim of promoting sustainable forms of mining, operational management consultancy dss⁺ are all set to present their sustainable operations vision at the upcoming Mining Indaba 2023 event in Cape Town, South Africa.
As South Africa progresses towards its 2050 net zero emissions targets, it needs to transition from a fossil fuel-based energy system to one that is renewable and ultimately more sustainable.
The latter is totally dependent on mining: copper is believed to be the most important metal for electrification and is necessary to all net zero plans; nickel, lithium, cobalt, and graphite are also critical to meet demand for applications such as energy storage batteries and electric vehicles.
As downstream companies seek adequate, affordable, secure and ethical critical mineral supply, the only path forward for mining companies is to pivot their operations toward more sustainable forms of mining.
However, driving substantial change at scale requires engaging multiple stakeholders to bring together perspectives and resources that create lasting operational solutions.
Addressing these operational challenges and building the required organisational capabilities is paramount to the success of the industry in the coming years.
Drawing from a wealth of experience in operational excellence, sustainability, and operational risk management from around the globe, operational management consultancy dss⁺ is well-positioned to assist local mining companies in taking advantage of the situation and building the required organisational capabilities.
“We can work with mines to move beyond their net zero roadmaps, using our extensive experience in operational transformation to realise their ESG targets and implement the necessary changes for future resilience,” said global Mining and Metals director at dss⁺, Johan Coetzee.
“We aim to help clients in the mining sector to build the organisational capabilities required to embed sustainability mindsets, behaviours and processes that establish fully operationalised sustainability projects. This also facilitates enhanced production and responsible asset stewardship in the process.”
The group’s involvement in the Mining Indaba promises to add significant value with some high-impact sessions delivered by seasoned veterans of the industry. On the Indaba’s main stage, Coetzee will discuss paths to resilience in mining operations, and how mines can lay the foundations to manage complex large-scale volatility challenges today and in the future.
Helder Santos, Director of Mining and Metals for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, stands among Africa’s industry pioneers working to build the organisational capabilities for sustainable mines of the future.
Having conducted several successful transformation programmes in the region, Santos will provide in-depth industry insights around operational excellence and operational risk management that facilitate paths to the new mining of the future, including energy transition and social impact, for example.
However, discussions about the future of mining and the management of key operational risks cannot be had without conversations around safety, and in particular the management of processes to ensure asset integrity and impact on communities.
To this end, Jaco Pieterse, Principal consultant and Process Safety Management expert at dss⁺, will moderate a panel about tailings, safety, asset management and community impact.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, dss⁺ are helping to build baseline resilience for their mining and metals industry clients, as well as organisations in related or downstream sectors, like oil and gas, chemicals, and manufacturing.
“dss⁺ looks forward to contributing vital insights at the Mining Indaba on how mines can lay the groundwork now for organisational resilience in the future,” Coetzee said.
The 2023 Investing In African Mining Indaba, running in Cape Town from February 6-9, will see experts explore themes such as supply chain security for the energy transition and how mines can capitalise on the investments to unlock value today and tomorrow.
For more information, visit http://miningindaba.consultdss.com
Global energy consultancy Xodus has identified significant emissions and cost savings following a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions baseline and energy efficiency review for a Middle East operator’s fleet of drilling rigs.
Xodus identified more than 25 energy and emissions reduction opportunities per asset. These opportunities represent a credible roadmap for a 60 percent reduction in total CO2 emissions for the operator, with more than 20 percent of these easily implementable with low or no CAPEX required. The review also outlined potential overall cost savings of up to $28 million per year.
The extensive work scope was built upon previous work completed by Xodus and focused on four key elements: a boundary, reporting and legislation review; an emissions baseline assessment; offshore site visits and opportunity identification and an emissions reduction roadmap development.
Natasha Howlett, Emissions & Climate Division Manager at Xodus, said: “We worked collaboratively with the client to deliver a study that has strengthened their understanding of scope 1 drilling and wells emissions and laid the foundations for the development of a robust, achievable and sustainable GHG emissions and energy efficiency framework to realise their net-zero goals.
“Utilising Xodus Digital Emissions Reduction Action Plan (ERAP), our proprietary digital solution which is designed to intuitively rank and prioritise emissions reduction opportunities, we were able to deliver a credible emissions reduction roadmap. This considered interactions and conflicts between reduction opportunities, ensuring that the roadmap is realistic and achievable in order to deliver emissions and cost reductions.”
Xodus has built up a wealth of experience and learnings from developing emissions reductions strategies in the UK and other global regions and is using these learnings to support Middle East operators as they strive to meet new country-level targets being set.
The Xodus team is travelling to Qatar at the start of February.
Emirates Health Services (EHS) has launched the “Microbubble Treatments for Children” programme – the world’s first non-surgical programme of this kind – along with two other breakthrough projects on day one of the Arab Health Exhibition & Congress (Arab Health 2023).
EHS is taking part in the event under the theme “Shaping the future of healthcare”, with a series of projects grouped into three main axes: Innovative and Sustainable Health Services, Advanced Healthcare Technology, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Preventative Forecasting.
EHS announced the Robotic Spine Surgery Suite project, in addition to three advanced technologies that Al Qassimi Hospital is the first institution in the Middle East to have implemented, namely, the Cardiology Services project, which offers the latest wireless pacemakers, the Altron platform and the Coroventis CoroFlow platform.
His Excellency Dr Essam Al Zarouni, Executive Director of the Medical Services Sector at EHS, said: “Emirates Health Services is participating in this year’s edition of Arab Health with a range of breakthrough healthcare projects being revealed for the first time. The exhibition offers a key platform for highlighting our role in strengthening the healthcare sector and shaping its future with our innovative medical projects and programmes, available across our various facilities. EHS’ participation in Arab Health serves to support our efforts to outline a sustainable future for the health industry, and aligns with our strategies, aspirations and future plans, which, in turn, are in line with the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision and the objectives of the UAE Centennial 2071.”
The first non-surgical programme of this kind in the world
With the first category of projects – Innovative and Sustainable Health Services – EHS revealed that the “Microbubble Treatments for Children” programme research project is being in partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The microbubble therapy project aims to administer various treatments through microscopic bubbles that move in the bloodstream to reach the target areas as needed.
The programme can be used in the treatment of traumatic brain injuries, where an inert gas is carried in the microscopic bubbles to the target area of the injury, and then sound waves are used to drive the bubble through the blood-brain barrier and release the gas, relieve the bruise and reduce swelling.
Microscopic bubbles injected with an intravenous dye also contribute to the diagnosis of stroke by targeting areas of ischemia and measuring brain pressure in a non-invasive manner. The direction of the movement of the bubbles is related to the areas of ischemia to be treated, as they are evaluated at the same time. Gene therapy is one of the most recent uses of these bubbles, where they are used to transport viral carriers that transfer modified genes to the target areas.
Robotic surgeries
The second project is The Robotic Spine Surgery Suite, allows for the use of robotic imaging and surgical planning using the robotic arm, the Loop-X Mobile Robotic Imaging device, and AI techniques for surgical planning which is the first of its kind in the world, and serves to provide high-resolution images, a smart navigation system and data processing.
Cardiology services
Emirates Health Services announced three innovative smart projects being applied for the first time in the Middle East at Al Qassimi Hospital. The first of the projects consists of advanced wireless pacemakers placed under the skin, which helps patients lead normal lives.
Meanwhile, the second technology – the Altron project – provides next-generation endovascular imaging and coronary physiology software on a single platform to guide clinicians through the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure, provide precise guidance to determine the appropriate pre-catheterisation treatment plan and ensure accurate stent sizing results.
And lastly, the third technology is the Coroventis CoroFlow project, which consists of an advanced platform for measuring cardiac physiological indicators, such as partial flow reserve to assess the heart vessels, and the coronary flow reserve and microcirculation resistance index, in order to assess microcirculation. The Coroventis device is the only piece of equipment capable of diagnosing cases of angina pectoris resulting from diseases of the capillaries of the coronary circulation.
Mitsubishi Power, a power solution brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), is demonstrating its commitment to supporting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s clean energy infrastructure and boosting national talent within the energy sector, at this year’s Saudi Aramco In-Kingdom Total Value Add (iktva) Forum.
Participating as a Platinum Sponsor, Mitsubishi Power is showcasing the company’s advanced energy transition technology solutions and processes as well as its progress in localising the energy value chain.
The company’s participation features a senior international delegation headed by Kentaro Hosomi, Executive VP, Chief Regional Officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, who will be speaking on a high-level executive panel along with Saudi Aramco representatives and key industry leaders, titled “Carbon Capture & Energy Storage” on February 1st in the Sustainability Pavilion.
Regional executives will also be in attendance and Mitsubishi Power Saudi Arabia’s team, which features a growing number of talented Saudis in leadership positions, including the recently appointed CEO Adel Al-Juraid.
This comes as part of the Mitsubishi Power National Programme launched by the company in 2019 to prioritise the development of local talent and expand industrial facilities and capabilities in Dammam to serve Saudi Arabia and the region. As a result of deploying several training and development programmes structured as a blend of classroom and on-the-job training, both in Saudi Arabia and in Japan, the company has successfully achieved a 54% Saudisation rate to date.
In line with its ongoing localisation plans, Mitsubishi Power completed a new local Blade and Vane service center, which is managed by Saudi nationals, and will result in time and cost efficiencies for Saudi Aramco and other customers.
“We are proud to continue our participation in the iktva event, and overall programme, where we are partnering closely with Saudi Aramco to drive domestic value creation and support the Kingdom’s economic transformation, towards enabling the sustainable progress of the Kingdom. With a proven track record in decarbonisation and energy transition solutions, Mitsubishi Power is committed to collaborate with our partners in the Kingdom to empower the country’s sustainable progress. As a Saudi national, I am especially honored to support this ambition with Mitsubishi Power’s industry-leading energy technology solutions, grounded in our strong localisation drive that leverages a century of global engineering innovation,” said Adel Al-Juraid, Chief Executive Officer, Mitsubishi Power Saudi Arabia.
With a rich heritage in Saudi Arabia spanning over fifty years, Mitsubishi Power works with key energy stakeholders including the Ministry of Energy, Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), and the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC). The company began operations in Saudi Arabia with its first supply of boilers to Aramco in Abqaiq and has since been active in power projects with major utilities and industrial companies in the Kingdom.
“We are committed to bringing our most advanced clean technology solutions and services to Saudi Arabia, to support our customers meet their power needs while achieving an optimal transition towards a decarbonised future with a resilient, reliable, and robust energy supply. In line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, we will also continue to support Saudi Aramco’s sustainability goals, through our increased localisation, and nurturing a growing number of Saudi talents, empowering with them with technical skills and promoting them into leadership positions,” Al-Juraid added.
At iktva, the company will be showcasing its pioneering breakthrough power generation and decarbonisation technologies to the MENA region and globally. From advanced class hydrogen-fueled gas turbines to autonomous power plants, Mitsubishi Power is continuing to harness the capabilities of the wider MHI group of companies to provide a comprehensive portfolio of energy transition solutions for cleaner, more efficient, and affordable energy.
Alongside supporting its customers realise their carbon neutral goals, MHI has announced its vision to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 across its operations.
With the world still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing health dangers posed by climate change, there has never been a greater need for a resilient healthcare system in the MENA region.
This year, the Arab Health Exhibition & Congress brings together over 4,000 companies exhibiting to more than 130,000 healthcare professionals from 163 countries. It is an opportunity for those within the industry to exhibit the latest innovations, and by bringing together regional and international policymakers, tech innovators and healthcare specialists, it also provides a platform to discuss the sector’s most salient issues.
Featuring nine CME-accredited conferences, the four-day congress will see a variety of presentations and lectures given by experts on everything from women’s healthcare to infectious diseases, with sustainability as a core theme.
Sustainability becomes a priority
Currently, the healthcare sector contributes approximately 4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The MENA region is already battling against the health implications of pollution and climate change; the latter identified by a recent Lancet Countdown report as increasing the risk of food insecurity, infectious diseases, and heat-related illnesses. With such imminent danger, it is evident sustainability, and the environment must be at the heart of healthcare.
With sustainability a critical focus of this year’s Arab Health Exhibition, the event has various initiatives promoting circular economy principles and is powered by renewable energy. It has also witnessed sustainability-focused announcements, including EcoStruxure for Healthcare, a collaboration between Emirates Health Services, Schneider Electric and Microsoft aimed to boost sustainability and energy efficiency in the UAE’s healthcare sector.
Companies within the space are taking action to reduce emissions and drive towards sustainability, including health technology company Philips. Speaking to ESG Mena, Vincenzo Ventricelli, CEO of Philips Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META), commented that Philips is committed to making the world healthier and more sustainable through innovation. “We also believe in the power of partnerships to identify future-ready opportunities and solutions designed to make healthcare work better — including ones that may not be on the radar today, but are crucial for tomorrow. As we continue to innovate for our customers and for patients, we are working to minimise our impact on the planet by taking climate action, driving the transition to a circular economy, implementing EcoDesign in our products, and partnering with our suppliers to reduce their environmental footprint. In such a rapidly evolving world, while we solve immediate pressing needs, it is critical to create capacity and capabilities for tomorrow.”
Making health equity a reality
In MENA, inequities in access to healthcare services remain despite significant progress in recent decades. This applies to overall health status, too, especially regarding maternal and child health outcomes. Demographic shifts, including the region’s ageing population and the rise in chronic diseases, also present significant challenges to the healthcare sector. Moreover, further health reforms are required to close the gap and meet emerging health needs.
Movement Health 2030 is working in collaboration with various stakeholders in Jordan, the UAE and Iraq to address this. Elsewhere, the Health Sector Transformation Program was launched in 2021 to restructure the health sector in Saudi Arabia, with governments in other GCC countries making similar commitments. Oman Vision 2040, for example, has made the healthcare sector a national priority, as has the UAE’s Vision 2021 and the UAE Centennial 2071. That said, it is a different story in low and middle-income countries of the region, with health systems varying vastly with regard to quality, leading to fragmented healthcare delivery.
Speaking about some of the accessibility challenges in the Middle East, Malda Q Bashi, Executive Chairwoman, Tamara for Medical Facilities Management Healthcare, said: “Although it’s uncommon, by global practices, for insurance companies to interfere with the clinical judgement or treatment plans, some indirectly attempt to influence the process mainly based on cost containment.”
She added: “Even continuity of care is seldom being challenged due to the doctors hopping from one facility to the other and not all facilities have the same coverage and accessibility to patients.”
Innovation in healthcare technology
This year’s Arab Health highlights how the latest innovations, such as AI, wearable technology and portable point-of-care diagnostic devices, are revolutionising healthcare.
ESG Mena spoke with Patrick Quinlan, MD MHA, CEO, co-founder of Hippo Technologies Inc. and the CEO Emeritus of Ochsner Health, to discuss how virtual care can tackle some of the issues currently facing the healthcare sector. Quinlan explained Hippo offers medical technology “built by clinicians for clinicians” to improve the medical experience and meet the fundamental needs of patients, delivering proper access, convenience, accuracy and affordability.
Speaking about Hippo’s technological offerings, Quinlan said: “Our Clinician Extender Model goes beyond the current limitations of the “one to one encounter” and creates a flexible “one to many” to replicate the kind of care received at the great institutions. We cannot affordably build or train fast enough to meet current needs with current methods. Hippo creates a better model and builds the workforce to bring patient care to when, where and how it is needed. “
Quinlan explained that team-based, collaborative care is “the hallmark of great medical care”, and by enabling a “polyclinic in your pocket” without regard to location, this paves the way to a new era of affordable access that “gets it right, first time every time”. “We can treat and train with every encounter to expand and improve the workforce in any patient encounter-hospital, clinic, home, work or ambulance. We can make what exists better and solve many of the seemingly intractable problems of healthcare today,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ventricelli stressed the role of partnerships in transforming healthcare: “We know that health technology solutions have great potential to improve patient outcomes and improve care delivery. If these solutions are underpinned by long lasting expert partnerships, co-development of technologies, collaboration between all stakeholders including governments, public and private providers and healthcare payers, and continued investments in bringing the vision of healthcare transformation to life, then progress and a positive impact is inevitable.”
A look ahead
Technological innovation, partnerships and collaboration between those in the healthcare ecosystem and governments are required to tackle combined climate and health emergencies and transform the region’s healthcare system. Events such as Arab Health can act as a springboard for such change.
ESG Mena will be providing coverage across the event, so stay tuned for updates and insights from those innovating within the industry.
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