EnerTech, a Kuwait-based innovator, investor and developer of end-to-end sustainability solutions, has launched its solar-powered charging platform for electric motorcycles in the UAE.
CHRGR is a fully integrated, sustainable electric mobility ecosystem that integrates solar charging points with last-mile delivery electric motorcycles.
The company shared that the CHRGR ecosystem has been developed over three years of intensive research and development, and includes solar-powered charging points, electric motorcycles, and a mobile app, all seamlessly integrated with advanced IT infrastructure.
The mobile, plug-and-play, modular solar-powered charging points, which are capable of supporting up to 30-kilowatt peak (kWp) of photovoltaic (PV) panels each, can be rapidly deployed without the need for civil works to meet the growing demands of urban mobility, it was shared.
Inside the stations, CHRGR’s cabinets are also modular, each accommodating ten battery slots, with the CHRGR platform also offering a dedicated mobile app.
The first set of CHRGR charging points will be deployed across the Emirates in partnership with the Private Office of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Dalmouk Al Maktoum.
Commenting on the launch, Abdullah Al Mutairi, CEO of EnerTech, said: “CHRGR ushers in a new era for sustainable mobility. At EnerTech, we are immensely proud to launch this innovative platform in the UAE in partnership with the Private Office of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Dalmouk Al Maktoum. “
“The development of this sustainable last-mile delivery solution underscores our determination to lead the region’s charge towards a circular economy and can play a significant role in accelerating the race to global net-zero emissions by midcentury.”
“EnerTech, with its proven track record of developing and investing in cutting-edge solutions to the climate challenge, has emerged as a trusted sustainability advisor and partner for both the public and private sector as we collaborate to implement and scale innovative solutions to fast-track net-zero ambitions.”
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Dalmouk Al Maktoum commented: “Our collaboration with EnerTech on CHRGR is a strategic leap towards actualizing the UAE’s vision of a sustainable future. This aligns perfectly with our goals for COP28 and beyond, as we focus on turning aspirations into tangible achievements, propelling sustainable mobility to the forefront of the UAE’s transportation landscape and beyond.”
FlyNow has announced that it is exhibiting its Passenger Air vehicle at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 in Las Vegas, running from January 9-12.
At CES, eVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) technology is in the spotlight, an area in which FlyNow said it is innovating.
FlyNow shared it is showcasing its eVTOL Passenger Air vehicle at the Schaeffler booth, which it said is “designed to redefine urban mobility.”
International SOS, a health and security risk services company, has shared key data on global travel, which reveals increasing international travel and calls for enhanced risk management strategies for travellers and organisations.
International SOS shared that there was a 59 per cent increase in international travel and a 48.4 per cent increase in domestic travel during October 2023, as compared to the beginning of the year.
These findings, it said, align with a recent report from The International Air Transport Association (IATA), revealing a resurgence of global travel.
According to IATA, global air traffic reached 97.3% of pre-COVID levels at the end of 2023.
However, it noted that while global travel regained momentum despite significant fluctuations throughout 2023, the evolving landscape raises concerns about the growing complexity of risks that both travellers and organisations need to navigate.
Michael Rogers, Chief Security Analyst at International SOS, said: “The resurgence in global travel comes at a time in which the travel security landscape is increasingly being complicated by geopolitical events, natural disasters and other developments. More and more organisations are finding comprehensive risk mitigation strategies for their mobile workforce to be of upmost importance.”
Adding: “Today, more than ever, travellers need to remain informed of prevailing risks and attendant mitigation measures. Beyond geopolitical issues and natural disasters, emerging diseases, social unrest and evolving crime dynamics require that travellers practice vigilance. Across a series of concurrent and overlapping crises, International SOS observed a 16% increase in the volume of security and medical alerts issued to clients throughout January to November this year compared to same period in 2022. The considerable increase illustrates both the evolving global security environment as well as value of timely and verified information and analysis as a key resource to ensure workforce safety.”
The impact of climate change, including extreme weather events, natural disasters and environmental changes, also poses an additional layer of risk to global travel, which it said is proving to be increasingly disruptive.
It highlighted the warning of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which has said that within the next two decades, temperatures are likely to rise by 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and we are likely to see a “multitude of unavoidable climate hazards globally.”
Natural disaster-related reporting accounted for 20 per cent of International SOS’ medical and security alert volume in July and August of 2023, a 5 per cent increase compared to 2022.
These months fall within the peak of hurricane and tropical cyclone season, highlighting the increased risk of natural disasters.
Michael Rogers said: “With climate change exacerbating existing travel risks, it is important for organisations to have robust and integrated health and security travel policies that safeguard employees from potential impacts of climate change during travels. Additionally, encompassing the ISO 31030 standard in organisations’ policies provides a framework to ensure preparedness for a changing travel security landscape and to be better placed to mitigate increasingly complex travel risks.”
The transport and logistics sector is among the world’s biggest emitters, and as a hard-to-abate sector, there are numerous challenges when it comes to its decarbonisation.
However, climate change will only continue to impact the sector, meaning its pivot toward decarbonisation is vital, not only for our planet’s health but also for maintaining operations and safeguarding global supply chains.
As COP28 wrapped up, ESG Mena sat down with Piotr Konopka, Group VP, Global Decarbonisation & Energy Programmes, DP World, to hear how the multinational logistics company is approaching decarbonisation and navigating industry challenges as the climate crisis intensifies.
Tell me about the role of tech and AI in decarbonisation. How are they facilitating movement towards net zero within logistics?
In the DP World context, when we talk about logistics, we’re talking about ports and terminals, landside logistics, like trucking and warehousing and shipping. AI and technology have quite fundamentally different roles in each of them, but our decarbonisation strategy sits on five pillars, applicable to all of them: electrification, efficiency, renewable energy, low-carbon fuels, and carbon compensation.
When it comes to tech and AI, the majority of it sits in efficiency, it really helps us make things move quicker. For example, in the ports industry, we’re doing a lot of work around automation, where decarbonisation is almost an externality of automation because that’s the most efficient way of doing things – and that’s where technology really plays a huge role.
Another one you might have heard about is BoxBay, our high bay storage patented system. It’s absolutely full of technology to make sure cargo finds its way to where it’s supposed to be within the stack to entry and exit points.
In shipping, technology plays a huge role in efficient routing. So, we’ve been working with a startup called Zero North based out of Denmark. They help us with our weather routing.
It’s where you put in a control system with a monitor inside a vessel and it informs the captain how to navigate around, for example, rough sea conditions, or sometimes you may have to go a slightly longer distance, but the fuel use and the associated carbon emissions are significantly lower.
It’s a similar thing with trucking. Here, weather routing doesn’t necessarily apply, but it can help you with logistics; it will find the most optimal way, avoiding traffic and making sure you pick up and drop off cargo in the right locations to reduce your fuel use.
On the climate finance side of things, can you tell me about your recent $1.5 billion green sukuk issuance? How does this play into DP World’s decarbonisation strategy and how do you see it evolving?
That was a very exciting project for us as the decarbonisation team.
We started earlier this year as a multi-departmental effort between decarbonisation, engineering, finance and sustainability by developing the sustainable financing framework.
We identified all of the assets that would be applicable for the financing, which includes electrical equipment, like electric cranes, renewable energy assets, and anything capex-related on technology, for example, Zero North, as I mentioned, green buildings, and green vessels.
It started with identifying what assets we have purchased over the last few years and what we’re planning up until 2030. This allowed us to calculate the amount that will be spent and is required.
That’s really how the 1.5 billion came up because our KPI for that green bond or green sukuk is what you call use of proceeds. So we need to allocate that 1.5 billion to these projects that have been set in the sustainable financing framework.
It’s been a huge help to us as the decarbonisation team, because this has really strengthened the internal commitment of the organisation towards making these projects happen.
And can you tell me more about the ports piece, electrification efforts, timelines and challenges here?
It really depends on the type of equipment. There are types of equipment in the port environment that are inherently electrical, for example, the ship-to-shore crane; the ones that are static.
When it comes to types of equipment, there are easier ones and there are more difficult ones. The rubber-tired gantries are relatively easy, because they don’t require a battery, and we can attach a cable reel and attach that to a substation, and then you have an electrified piece of equipment.
It gets a little more difficult when you need to include the battery because then you’ll run into similar problems you have with electric cars, for example, how often you charge it, the range anxiety, the operational characteristics and the electrical infrastructure within the port.
So, one that we have worked a lot on over the past few years is electric terminal tractors. These are the tractors that never leave the terminal, but move the containers within.
We’ve done a couple of proofs of concepts here in Jebel Ali with Terberg and Gaussin with very good results, which resulted in internal guidance that all of the newly purchased terminal tractors should be electric, with, ideally, the suppliers that we have trialled.
We’re going to trial new ones from other countries and other manufacturers to see how they operate.
We have also started the process of retrofitting the existing assets, which is an amazing project.
Our very talented team of engineers in Terminal One here in Jebel Ali took diesel terminal tractors that were basically end-of-life and would have otherwise had to have been scrapped and removed all of the internal combustion engine elements. They got the rest of the equipment, like the electric motors, the control systems and the batteries, and they put them into the frame of the terminal track, effectively giving them another ten years of useful life.
So it’s not just decarbonisation, it’s also about the circular economy, SDGs and sustainability aspects. Comparing them to the new ones, they have the exact same operational characteristics.
We’re planning to do up to 40 per cent of a thousand terminal tractors that we have in Jebel Ali already by 2030 by retrofitting in that way, the rest we will probably get new.
We’re looking at full electrification of terminal tractors in Jebel Ali by 2030, hoping to achieve 100 per cent of terminal tractors globally soon after 2030.
You spoke of targets there, and before COP28, Spendwell released an analysis about the sponsors of COP and their commitments to SBTs and renewable energy. DP World was highlighted as one of the companies that hasn’t yet created those targets in line with those included in its climate commitment ranking. Why hasn’t that happened yet? What are the plans for implementation and aligning with those in the climate ranking?
It has, and it’s still in the works.
So, first of all, we are absolutely committed to Net Zero by 2050. So that aligns us; it’s been announced in our ESG reports and everywhere basically, and we’re looking at Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3, and net-zero is net-zero.
We also have a target of carbon neutrality by 2040, recognising that there is only so much we’ll be able to deeply decarbonise by 2040, and then we want to utilise high-quality offset credits.
We suspect that we will probably be close to full decarbonisation of Scope 1 and 2 by 2040, but we cannot guarantee that Scope 3, meaning our supply chain, will also be net-zero ready; that’s why we set that target as carbon neutrality.
We want to be ready with our carbon compensation strategy for 2030, so the short-term target.
When we launched our strategy back in 2020, we set that 28 per cent reduction target, which still stands and that used to be a target that the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) back then allowed, because that keeps us under well below the two-degree scenario to 2030 and then we accelerate towards 2050.
Now, we’ve also made the commitment to SBTI. We are an SBTI-committed company as of two years ago; however, last year, the guidance changed a little bit, which would require us to stay on the Net Zero pathway towards 2030. And, the maritime guidance only came out a few months ago.
So, we are in the process of finalising it; we remain committed, and verification is pending.
And what about RE100 and EP100 for energy efficiency, which you haven’t yet committed to? Can you give me some insight into that and what the plan is there?
So, I can comment on renewable energy because that’s the one we have analysed.
For renewable energy, specifically, today, we are at 60 per cent of renewable electricity supply as a proportion of the total electricity consumption.
We want to be around 70 per cent by 2030, we’ll probably over-achieve that, and we’re planning for 100 per cent renewable energy by 2040.
What would you say are some of the biggest barriers and challenges that the industry is facing right now?
So, in terms of hurdles, the first thing that comes to my mind is that decarbonisation is not something that one company can solve by itself.
You need partnerships; you need coalitions.
For the shipping business, for example, you need a technology provider to build the vessel and have it available in time, and then you need fuel, which also means you need green corridors. Otherwise, you end up with a methanol vessel that starts in Rotterdam, only to find out that there is only ammonia in Singapore when it gets there.
So, green corridors are absolutely crucial and green corridors are again a collaboration between energy providers who can provide the fuel, port authorities who can bunker the fuel and regulators to allow, certify and standardise these different types of fuel and also enable production capacities in the country.
Then, finally, it’s also willing customers. We want to work with our customers on that transition.
I would say these are the main hurdles in terms of that interconnectivity.
Of course, on top of that, there is technology availability, and supply chain availability.
When we talk about electrical terminal tractors, and we do foresee that, especially towards 2030, there may be supply chain shortages to give us and other port operators a sufficient amount of terminal tractors.
That’s also why we started that retrofit programme: we wanted to future-proof the business against the risk that new equipment may not be available.
The second thing we did for that is launch a coalition called the Zero Emission Port Alliance with APMT.
That alliance is meant to do exactly that: bring together the port operators, port authorities, OEM associations, knowledge partners and other players within the industry to discuss what the total demand is, or what should be, at least, the voluntary design standards.
So you’re working towards the same goal rather than everybody doing their own thing.
And how is DP World bolstering resilience within its operations?
On the resilience part of things, I think it’s a really good question because today, we are already seeing the impacts of climate change.
They’re not large enough to make an impact on the bottom line, the total revenues of the company, but when you look at specific operating entities, there’s definitely an impact.
For example, in Canada last year, we lost multiple shifts because of extreme cold or flooding, and that is a problem.
These acute events triggered us to do a full-scale resilience study.
So we’ve hired a company called Jupiter Intelligence and Guidehouse to provide us with the data for what different climate change RCP scenarios from 2.6 to 8.5 will look like for all of our port locations.
For example, under each climate change scenario, what is the projected wind speed in 2030, 2050, and all the way up to 2100.
Then, we try to overlay this on top of the operational characteristics of our equipment.
So, say we have a crane and a port that can only operate up to an X wind speed, we know that from the design specification of that crane that we have in operation today, and the data from Jupiter, lets us predict how many times in a year under different climate change scenarios you expect that wind speed will occur, which means that the crane would have to stop its operation.
Having done this for most of our operations, or at least operations at risk, we were able to translate that into potential revenue loss by 2050 and 2100.
That was a super insightful study. I think the next step in that study will be moving away from us as a port internally, because, as a matter of fact, even if our equipment operates properly, but the roads are closed or flooded, and trucks can’t come, or trains can’t come, we’re still in trouble.
So, in the future, we will want to go beyond our own operations and actually analyse the full supply chain resilience.
Finally, what are your hopes in terms of the COP28 outcome, and do you have any further collaboration & partnership plans?
Personally, I do hope that it will be a tipping point. Carbon emissions have only been going up and up. And unfortunately, 2023 looks to be the warmest year on record.
So I do have very high hopes for the Global Stock Take, and we will take a pause and analyse all the pledges and the progress and take it from there.
I do believe that the COP28 Presidency has the capability to push things forward.
When it comes to DP World, for us, that’s what COP is about: it’s bringing together all of these partners and using the opportunity that all of these partners are here to announce our collaborations because it’s been in the works for months now.
So, for example, I’ve mentioned the alliance with APMT, which I have very high hopes for because this is a first-of-a-kind industry initiative around the electrification of port equipment.
I do believe it’s going to be impactful on the future of electrifying equipment and bringing more to the market, standardising it.
We have also signed an MoU with PIL, a Singaporean shipping line, to establish a green corridor between Singapore and Jebel Ali.
What’s exciting about this is that the traditional definition of the green corridor very much focuses on Scope 1, so the fuel part of the equation, what we have added with PIL, is also the Scope 3 consideration for a shipping line.
So it’s not just PIL operating a vessel on a carbon neutral or close to zero carbon fuel; it’s also considering us handling their cargo in the port in Jebel Ali with electric equipment supplied by renewable energy, which means that their Scope 3 would also be minimised.
So, we are looking to do some first trials of that in the first quarter of next year and take it from there.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced that it has received the ISO 39001:2012 certification in Road Traffic Safety (RTS) Management Systems. DEWA shared that this makes it one of the first international and local entities to obtain this certification.
The certification recognises DEWA’s excellence in meeting all the requirements and standards for RTS management systems and also reflects the implementation of all applicable traffic practices and laws in DEWA’s fleet of heavy and light vehicles.
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, was awarded the certificate at DEWA headquarters, in the presence of Dr. Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources at DEWA; Zaal bin Zaal, Vice President of Supply Chain Management and Quality Health Safety & Environment at DEWA; Dr. Marcell Greeff, Deputy Sr. Manager of Health & Safety at DEWA; and Humaid Al Awadhi, Sr. Manager of Fleet Management at DEWA.
Commenting on this, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, said: “This accomplishment consolidates DEWA’s position at the forefront of sustainable utilities, fully abiding by all local and international environmental and health & safety specifications. Obtaining this certification emphasises DEWA’s keenness to preserve lives and property, reduce costs resulting from traffic accidents and penalties, and enhance the happiness of all stakeholders. DEWA is committed to realising the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, including Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being; and Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. As part of our social responsibility, we are committed to keep pace with developments in occupational health and safety. We seek to raise the awareness of society and our employees of health, safety, and environmental standards to become positive practices in their daily lives. In line with our Integrated Management Systems Policy, we aim to promote leading health and safety standards in all our projects and operations.”
Dubai-based Dulsco Group has announced its partnership with Assured Aviation Services, a provider of dry washing services tailored for aircraft and airport ground service equipment.
This collaboration, the two shared, introduces an “eco-friendly and cost-effective” alternative to traditional wet washing techniques in the UAE aviation sector.
Dulsco integrates Assured’s advanced dry washing technology, which employs specialised chemicals and state-of-the-art equipment to efficiently eliminate dirt, grease, and debris from aircraft, buses, tugs, and other equipment.
Dry washing has several key advantages, the two said, including its flexibility to be performed in various locations and its suitability for comprehensive exterior aircraft washing during maintenance downtime, all without the necessity of a dirty water drainage system.
A study conducted by a UAE-based carrier revealed that dry washing a fleet of 260 aircraft saved over 11 million litres of fresh water in a single year over wet washing.
Assured Aviation has saved more than 1.5 million litres of water in less than 20 months by adopting the dry wash process, it was noted.
This technique also reportedly mitigates the risk of corrosion, prolongs the lifespan of ground equipment, shields paint from sun exposure and ensures enhanced safety for both equipment operators and maintenance personnel by eliminating slippery surfaces.
Further, dry washing relies on environmentally friendly cleaning agents, reducing the overall environmental impact of the cleaning process.
It also eliminates the need for water in the cleaning process, addressing concerns in regions facing water scarcity or prioritising water conservation.
Antony Marke, COO of Dulsco People, commented: “In our pursuit of sustainability, we leave no stone unturned, keeping both the environment and our clients at the forefront of every solution. Our global partnerships strengthen our commitment to excellence, allowing us to enhance our capabilities for our valued clients. As we join hands with Assured Aviation, we are not only promoting sustainable aircraft and airside vehicle maintenance but also championing environmental responsibility in the aviation industry.”
Matthew Chitty, Director of Assured Aviation Services, said: “Embarking on a strategic partnership with Dulsco People, we soar towards a future of excellence in airport services across the UAE. Together, we chart new horizons, where innovation, sustainability, and client-centric solutions converge to redefine the standards of excellence in aviation. This partnership is not just a collaboration; it’s a commitment to elevating the passenger and customer experience while pioneering a sustainable and dynamic future for airport services in the heart of the UAE.
Global MICE Organisation Limited (GMOLx) has announced the launch of DRIFTx in Abu Dhabi.
The international thought-leadership and exhibition platform is dedicated to advancing the future of smart and autonomous mobility across air, land, and sea.
Anchored by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), which recently launched Abu Dhabi’s Smart & Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster, DRIFTx will bring together global leaders aiming to shape the future of transportation and sustainable mobility.
Abu Dhabi’s SAVI cluster, it was shared, aims to unlock and amplify the global potential of smart and autonomous vehicle technologies and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, R&D centres, and comprehensive value-added services within a conducive regulatory framework.
DRIFTx reportedly aims to serve as an international platform within this ecosystem, driving multi-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration between leaders and innovators from across the world, including multi-national organisations, governments, academia, regulatory bodies, and the global start-up community, as well as showcasing smart and autonomous mobility solutions across air, land and sea applications.
Set to be anchored in Abu Dhabi, DRIFTx will serve as a global platform featuring conferences, meetups, exhibitions, and entertainment.
The event aims to drive discussions and debate on the evolving trends, challenges, and opportunities that can accelerate the future of smart and autonomous mobility solutions.
DRIFTx will also showcase cutting-edge technologies and innovations from across the world.
Welcoming the launch of DRIFTx, Badr Al-Olama, Director General of Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), said: “With growing urbanisation, smart and autonomous technologies stand as a transformative wave that will address mobility in light of complex challenges that are related to environmental sustainability, social equity, and urban planning. DRIFTx will serve as SAVI’s flagship platform that will foster cross-disciplinary collaboration to drive innovation across the sector, and cementing Abu Dhabi as the epicentre for advanced urban mobility that unites the automotive, aviation, and maritime sectors to shape a more connected, sustainable, and equitable future.”
Set to be held in April 2024, DRIFTx will drive multi-disciplinary discussions, foster collaboration, and showcase innovations that propel sustainable aviation, drone technology, smart road and rail systems, eco-conscious maritime solutions, and last-mile delivery solutions.
Namir Hourani, Managing Director of Global MICE Organisation Limited (GMOLx), said: “We are thrilled to be launching DRIFTx, supporting Abu Dhabi’s mission to pioneer smart and autonomous vehicle applications in the UAE and beyond. By bringing together key stakeholders in Abu Dhabi, DRIFTx is set to catalyse discussions and collaborations that will create a sustainable, innovative future that transcends borders and sets new benchmarks in the autonomous vehicle and mobility sector.”
Parsons Corporation, a technology provider in the national security and global infrastructure markets, has shared the latest trends driving best practices for sustainability in the region across key sectors such as aviation, rail, and artificial intelligence (AI).
According to Parsons, key trends across critical sectors in the UAE include:
· Rail as a sustainable form of transport
Economic growth linked to increasing urban populations and associated traffic congestion has led to numerous passenger transit investments. In addition to aiding the economy’s growth, it highlighted “innumerable benefits” to the environment.
Mass transit, it said, is inherently the most sustainable form of transport given the carbon impact is much less compared to road and air travel, be it metro or rail, high-speed, respectively.
Rail transportation of goods has a similarly massive impact on carbon reduction by taking heavy goods vehicles off the road.
The success of Dubai passenger operation and ridership has set a precedent in the region. High speed is the next big passenger opportunity to build connectivity between cities and complement the metro services within cities, it shared.
· Ensuring aviation infrastructure sustainability
According to Parsons, innovative infrastructure projects continue to transform the Middle East into an international destination, airport asset owners and operators are looking for opportunities to improve efficiency, throughput, and sustainability not just on the airside —runways, aprons, taxiways, etc.— but also on landside such as terminals and supporting infrastructure.
· Seamless integration of AI in construction and engineering
Parsons shared that it is integrating, streamlining, and scaling artificial intelligence (AI) and 360-degree imagery on nearly 30 deployments, including mega- and giga-projects, across the Middle East.
Working with SEKTOR.build, the company is leveraging the OpenSpace.ai platform for this initiative, combining the latest in technology with advanced construction supervision technologies to improve efficiency throughout the project lifecycle.
Pierre Santoni, President of Europe, Middle East, and Africa at Parsons, commented: “The engineering sector is undergoing a transformative revolution led by artificial intelligence. Parsons distinguishes its projects through our proficiency in implementing cutting-edge technologies, fostering a smooth integration of AI and introducing an era of unparalleled efficiencies and capabilities.”