New base 22 march 2021 energy news issue 1417 by khaled al awadi

Copyright © 2021 NewBase www.hawkenergy.net Edited by Khaled Al Awadi – Energy Consultant All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed,
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NewBase Energy News 22 March 2021 - Issue No. 1417 Senior Editor Eng. Khaled Al Awadi
NewBase for discussion or further details on the news below you may contact us on +971504822502, Dubai, UAE
Masdar taps new markets to double its clean energy capacity
over the next 5 years
The National + NewBase
Abu Dhabi clean energy company Masdar expects a "sizeable part" of its renewable energy growth
over the next five years to come from South-East Asia and Central Asia as it plans new projects
to double capacity.
The company plans to acquire renewable projects in Israel, while South-East Asia and Central Asia
remain a focus. The company will look to develop new projects in Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia
and Taiwan. It is bullish about new opportunities in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and
Armenia.
Wind turbines in Morocco. Masdar is bullish about clean energy projects in Malaysia, Vietnam,
Indonesia and Taiwan
“Masdar is now a global energy developer and we have an ambitious plan to grow our business
further,” said Fawaz Al Muharrami, acting executive director of clean energy at Masdar. “South-East
Asia is an interesting market, and the growth of their economies is high and they have also started
focusing on renewable energy targets,” he said.

“They are becoming active in that field and facilitating [a] proper regulatory environment to embody
the development of renewable energy projects. We think that there is a good opportunity for us to
benefit from this environment and grow further.”
Earlier this month, Masdar signed an agreement with Malaysia’s Petronas to explore renewable
energy opportunities in Asia with a focus on Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia. It also invested $100
million in Indonesia last year to develop the country’s first floating solar photovoltaic plant. The 145-
megawatt project is being developed in the Cirata reservoir in West Java.
In Central Asia, the company is “extremely active” and is participating in a number of bidding
opportunities in Uzbekistan and other countries, said Mr Al Muharrami. The company is building two
clean energy projects in Uzbekistan – a 500MW utility-scale wind project and a $100m 100MW solar
plant in the Zarafshon district of the Navoi region.
Last month, the company also signed a memorandum of understanding with Samruk-Kazyna,
Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund, to develop a 1-gigawatt renewable energy project and is "also
discussing with some other countries as well”.
Masdar, which is owned by Mubadala Investment Company, currently operates in more than 30
countries with a total investment of about $19.9 billion. The Masdar City-based clean energy
company aims to double its renewable energy capacity in the next five years from the current 10.7
gigawatts.
The company is also evaluating new investment opportunities in Israel following the normalisation
of relations between the country and the UAE last year.
It signed an agreement with France’s EDF Renewables in January to “collaborate on existing
renewable energy projects and projects under development, while also exploring joint participation
in new programmes announced by the government of Israel”.
Israel wants to generate 30 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, up from a
previous target of 17 per cent, as it phases out the use of coal. “We are really working very closely
with them [EDF Renewables] to try and build that platform to buy some of those projects in Israel.
Already, some of them are in operation and some of them are under construction.”
In Saudi Arabia, Masdar is developing the 400MW Dumat Al Jandal wind project and 300MW
Jeddah solar plant. “We will continue to be active in Saudi Arabia and it is an important strategic
market for us,” said Mr Al Muharrami.
Saudi Arabia is pursuing an ambitious renewable power strategy and plans to add 60 gigawatts of
clean energy capacity to the national grid by 2030. Meanwhile, construction on the 2-gigawatt Al
Dhafra solar plant in Abu Dhabi, which will be the biggest in the world when completed, has started
and is “going to take a year and a half or so until the project is complete”. The project is being
developed by EDF Renewables, China’s JinkoPower and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, or
Taqa.

The plant is expected to become fully operational in 2022 and will generate enough electricity for
about 160,000 homes across the UAE.
Masdar Clean Energy- Overview
Masdar’s Clean Energy division is a leading developer and operator of utility-scale renewable
energy projects, applications providing energy access to communities away from the electricity grid,
and energy services consultancy.
Since 2006, Masdar has been a catalyst for renewable energy and clean-tech innovation in the
MENA region and countries around the world – working with governments and leading businesses.
Active in more than 25 countries, Masdar is a global renewable energy leader and one of the largest
developers of off-grid solutions in the world.
KEY UAE PROJECTS
Shams, Abu Dhabi (100MW CSP plant)
In March 2013, Masdar inaugurated Shams, one of the world’s largest concentrated solar
power(CSP) plants and the first of its kind in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region.
Masdar partnered with Total and Abengoa to deliver the 100 megawatt (MW) solar thermal
project. In January 2016, Masdar purchased Abengoa’s stake in the project. In October
2018, Abu Dhabi Retirement Pensions and Benefits Fund (ADRPBF) purchased a 29 per cent
stake in Shams.
Masdar remains the majority shareholder with a 51 per cent stake.
Masdar City 10MW and Rooftop Installation
Masdar City uses clean energy generated on site from both the 10MW solar power plant and
1MW rooftop solar panels installed on the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial
Intelligence campus buildings, supplying the national grid. Combined, they produce
approximately 19,100MWh of electricity annually, displacing 11,450 tonnes of CO2 emissions
per year. This is enough to power500 homes in the UAE for a year.
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, Phase 3
In June 2016, a Masdar-led consortium was selected to develop the 800MW third phase of
the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai. At the time, the consortium’s
winning tariff of 2.99 US cents per kilowatt hour was the lowest price quoted for solar power
generation inthe world. The project Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) was signed in
November 2016, with the first 200MW stage inaugurated in April 2018. Phase 3 of the Dubai
Solar Park is due for completionby 2020.
Sharjah Waste-to-Energy Project
The Emirates Waste to Energy Company, a joint venture between Bee'ah and Masdar, is
developing a cutting-edge waste-to-energy plant in Sharjah. Diverting around 300,000 tonnes of
solid waste from landfill each year, it will contribute to the UAE's efforts of diverting 75 per cent
of solid wastefrom landfill by 2021.
KEY INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
London Array, UK (630MW offshore wind farm)
A joint venture between RWE (30%), Orsted Energy (25%), Caisse de dépôt et placement du
Québec(CDPQ) (25%) and Masdar (20%), London Array is the world's second-largest

offshore wind farm currently in operation. Inaugurated in July 2013, the plant powers
over half a million homes and displaces about 925,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
Gemasolar, Spain (20MW)
The world’s first utility-scale solar power plant to combine a central tower receiver system and
moltensalt storage technology enabling electricity supply 24 hours a day, Gemasolar can generate
electricity for up to 15 hours without solar irradiation.
Valle 1 and 2, Spain (100MW)
The adjacent solar plants in Cadiz, Spain, feature parabolic trough solar technology combined
with molten salt storage facilities. The plants have a combined power capacity of 100MW and
produce approximately 320 GWh/year, which is equivalent to the average consumption of
45,000 households,or the entire city of Cadiz.
Tafila Wind Farm, Jordan (117MW)
The first commercial utility-scale wind power project in the Middle East, the Tafila Wind Farm has
increased the country’s total power capacity by 3 per cent and generates enough electricity to
power83,000 homes.
Dudgeon, UK (402MW offshore wind)
The Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm, located 32 kilometres off the coast of Norfolk, in East
Anglia, is apartnership with Equinor and China Resource Holding. Masdar has a 35 per cent
stake in the project,which provides electricity for approximately 410,000 homes and displaces
893,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
Hywind Scotland, UK (30MW floating offshore wind farm)
Hywind is Masdar’s latest investment in the UK’s renewable energy sector and the world’s first
commercial scale floating offshore wind farm, located 30 kilometres off the coast of Peterhead,
Scotland. Hywind was jointly developed by Equinor (75%) and Masdar (25%) and provides
electricityfor approximately 22,000 homes.
Batwind, Scotland, UK (energy storage)
Batwind is the first energy storage system to be connected to an offshore floating wind farm.
The 1.3MWh battery stores excess electricity generated from the world’s first commercial floating
windfarm,the 30MW Hywind Scotland. Both Batwind and Hywind Scotland are owned by Masdar
and Equinor.
Using sophisticated data-analysis algorithms, Batwind will determine when to store and
releaseelectricity when it is most needed, and for the best market price.
Krnovo, Montenegro (72MW)
The Krnovo wind farm is Masdar’s first investment in Montenegro’s renewable energy sector. The
72MWonshore wind farm is Montenegro’s first wind farm and one of the largest in the region. In
December 2018, Masdar acquired 49 per cent of Krnovo Green Energy, the owner and developer
of the Krnovo wind farm, which was established as a subsidiary of Akuo Energy. On stream since

November 2017, the Krnovo wind farm is now supplying approximately 45,000 households with
electricity and displacing an estimated 80,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
Rocksprings and Sterling Wind Farms, US (179.9MW)
In 2019, Masdar acquired John Laing Group plc’s interest in two wind farms in the United
States, marking the first time the company has invested in renewable energy projects in
North America. The 149MW Rocksprings project in Val Verde County, Texas, and the 29.9MW
Sterling project in LeaCounty, New Mexico, were both commissioned in 2017.
Baynouna, Jordan (200MW)
Located east of Amman, Baynouna is the largest single solar energy project currently under
development in Jordan. The project constitutes 4 per cent of the installed capacity in Jordan.
Theplant will supply the annual energy needs of 160,000 homes and displace 360,000 tonnes
of CO2 emissions each year.
Čibuk 1, Serbia (158MW)
The Čibuk 1 wind farm in Serbia is the largest utility-scale commercial wind project in Serbia and
the Western Balkans. The wind farm has a capacity of 158MW and was inaugurated in October 2019.
The project will provide clean, reliable and economically viable electricity to approximately 113,000
Serbian homes,mitigating approximately 370,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
Dhofar, Oman (50MW)
Masdar has delivered the first large-scale wind farm in the Gulf region. The 50MW project is
located in Dhofar Governorate, in the Sultanate of Oman. Funding for the wind farm is provided
by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD). The project includes 13 GE 3.8MW wind
turbines and will powerapproximately 16,000 homes and displace approximately 110,000
tonnes of CO2 annually.
Afghanstan
Masdar has installed 600 solar home systems in 27 villages in Helmand Province in southern
Afghanistan. Completed in September 2013, the project is improving the lives of more than
3,000people without access to electricity.
Sheikh Zayed Solar Power Plant, Mauritania (15MW PV plant)
Masdar’s 15MW PV power plant in Nouakchott was the largest solar power installation in
Africa at the time of its completion. The project is the first utility-scale solar power installation
in the IslamicRepublic of Mauritania, accounting for 10 per cent of Mauritania’s grid capacity.
Distributed Solar PV projects in Mauritania (16.6MW)
Eight rural solar energy projects, with a capacity of 16.6MW, were completed in November
2016, nearly doubling the UAE’s total contribution to Mauritania’s clean energy capacity. The
projects sup-ply clean power to remote communities, meeting 30 per cent of their demand on
average.

Port Victoria Wind Power Project, the Republic of Seychelles (6MW)
The Port Victoria Wind Power Project, a 6MW onshore wind farm in the Republic of Seychelles,
is thecountry’s first large-scale renewable energy project. It accounts for more than 8 per
cent of the gridcapacity on the archipelago’s main island of Mahé, where 90 per cent of the
country’s residents live.
Masdar Solar Programme in Egypt
Masdar has delivered 30MW of utility-scale clean energy projects and 7,000 solar home systems
in remote and strategically important areas across Egypt. The projects are part of a UAE-funded
grant programme for rural electrification in Egypt, carried out in partnership with Egypt’s New and
RenewableEnergy Authority.
a) Siwa Solar PV Plant (10MW)
Masdar’s 10MW solar PV power plant in Siwa was the largest solar power installation in Egypt
at thetime of its completion in March 2015. The project is the first utility-scale solar power
installation in the country and accounts for 30 per cent of the grid capacity of Siwa City and its
neighbouring areas.
b) Red Sea Solar Power Plants (14MW)
Built in the Red Sea cities of Marsa Alam (6MW), Shalateen (5MW), Abu Ramad (2MW), and
Halayeb (1MW), the four PV plants in Egypt’s Red Sea Governorate have a total capacity of
14MW and providereliable energy supply to support the area’s vital tourism sector.
c) Al Wadi Al Jadeed Solar PV Plants (6MW)
Masdar built three solar power plants in the Governorate of Al Wadi Al Jadeed, the largest and
most sparsely inhabited region in Egypt. The plants have been developed in the cities of Al
Farafra (5MW), Abu Minqar (0.5 MW) and Darb Al Arbaeen (0.5MW). They provide electricity
for over 4,800 homes, displacing over 8,700 tonnes of CO2 emissions and reducing the diesel
consumption of existing powerplants by over 40 per cent.
d) 7,000 Solar Home Systems
Masdar has provided 7,000 standalone solar home systems (SHS) to homes and
public/community buildings in remote areas in six Egyptian governorates without access to
the national electricity grid.Each SHS consists of two solar panels, two batteries, charge
controllers, energy saving light bulbs, cables, switches, and a mounting structure.
Bab Al Shams (1.2MW)
Located in the Bab Al Shams area of Dubai, the project is a 1.2MW PV plant connected to the DEWA
grid.It provides electricity to a large farm that is growing animal fodder. The plant is located in the
desert andequipped with automatic cleaning robots to clear the dust from the PV modules and
assure continual high energy production.
Solar Home Systems in Morocco
As part of an innovative project to electrify rural Morocco, Masdar installed 19,438 solar home
systemsacross 1,000 villages through a partnership agreement with Morocco’s Office National de
l'Electricité etde l'Eau Potable (ONEE). Each system contains two solar panels with a total capacity
of 290 watts and two batteries with storage capacity of up to three days.
UAE-Pacific Partnership Fund projects
The UAE-Pacific Partnership Fund (UAE-PPF) is a US$50 million initiative led by the Masdar

Energy Services unit. The fund delivers grant-funded renewable energy projects across 11 Pacific
Island nations. All projects are delivered by Masdar in cooperation with each nation’s government,
with grantfunding provided by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD).
Cycle 1
a) Kiribati: 500kW Solar PV & Water Protection
The UAE-PPF project is helping to meet the needs of 17 per cent of Kiribati’s population who live off-
grid.The 500kW solar PV plant is also protecting an endangered freshwater aquifer by restricting
access and limiting contamination. The project also features a state-of-the-art control system.
b) Fiji: LaKaRo 525kW Solar PV
Inhabitants on three of Fiji’s outer islands (Kadevu, Lakeba, and Rotuma) have access to energy
aroundthe clock having previously had power for only 12-18 hours a day.
c) Samoa: 550kW Cyclone-Proof Wind Farm
Samoa depends on imported diesel to meet 70 per cent of its energy demand. This UAE-PPF project
is thefirst wind farm in the country and is designed as a cyclone-proof facility with two 55-metre-tall
turbines that pivot at the base, enabling them to be lowered and locked in place in less than one hour.
d) Tonga: Vava’u 512 kW Solar PV
Masdar has helped reduce fuel consumption on the Tongan island of Vava’u by installing a 512kW
solar PV plant along with advanced control systems. These systems ensure a maximum of 70 per
cent of the solarenergy is efficiently fed into the grid at peak hours, while any surplus is stored in a
battery bank for later use.
e) Tuvalu: 500kW Rooftop Solar PV
Built on a four-metre high structure, the UAE-PPF project in Tuvalu creates shaded public space
while feeding clean energy into the grid. 500kW of energy capacity is distributed across three
roofs and threestructures.
f) Vanuatu: Port Vila 767kW Solar PV
Port Vila, the capital city of the island state of Vanuatu, has a population of 44,000, of which only
27 per cent have access to electricity. While the island already has some local renewable
generation capacity –including PV, wind, and hydro – the majority of energy demand is still met
by diesel generators. Masdar installed three solar PV plants to help increase the share of
renewable energy in the energy mix in addition to providing shading for 112 parking spaces at
the country’s key civic areas.
Cycle 2
g) Solomon Islands: Solar PV Plant in Honiara
The Republic of the Solomon Islands consists of over 1,000 islands inhabited by a total population
of 609,883. Approximately 90 per cent of the electricity produced is diesel generated. The 1MW
plant, whichwas expanded from 600kW following a grant from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade,bolsters energy resilience and reduces costs associated with diesel imports.
h) Marshall Islands: Solar Water Collection in Majuro
The Republic of the Marshall Islands is made up of 29 low-lying atolls and five elevated islands
inhabitedby 71,000 citizens. The nation is dependent on diesel for more than 90 per cent of its
electricity. A 600kWPV Plant in Majuro was built on an existing water reservoir. The plant provides
power to the existing grid and increases the rain water yield of the reservoir through increased
run-off.

i) The Republic of Nauru: Nauru Solar
The Republic of Nauru is an island of just 21 square kilometres with more than 9,500 citizens who
are highly dependent on imported fossil fuels for transport and power generation. The 500kW solar
PV plantbolsters energy resilience by contributing electricity to the national grid.
j) Palau: Solar Penetration and Water Access
The Republic of Palau consists of over 250 islands inhabited by a total population of 21,186 citizens,
the majority of whom are located on four main islands including Peleliu and Angaur. The three
projects in Palau consist of a 100kW PV / 150kW low-load diesel hybrid generation plant on Peleliu,
a 100kW PV / 100kW diesel hybrid plant on Angaur, which powers a water treatment facility
capable of supplying 50m3
of clean water per day, and 100 1.7kW solar home systems on the island of Koror provided through
asubsidy loan programme by the National Development Bank of Palau.
k) Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM): Solar PV
The Pohnpei Island State is one of the four main groups of islands in FSM. The 600kW solar
plant, the largest PV project in FSM, supplies up to 10 per cent of the peak demand of Pohnpei’s
34,000 residents.
UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund
Cycle 1
a) Bahamas: Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium 925kW Solar PV Carport
Power Plant The 925 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) plant at the national
stadium, which also serves as a carport with 342 parking spaces including 4 spots
for families and 2 spots with fast charging electricvehicle (EV) charging stations,
is the country’s first large-scale solar energy project.
b) Barbados: Bridgetown 350kW Solar PV Carport Power Plant &
Bowmanston 500kW Solar PVPower Plant
This project has two elements: a 350kW solar PV carport with 124 parking spaces,
which include six level 2 EV charging stations, and a 500kW ground-mounted PV
plant. Both projects were developed in partnership with the Barbados Water
Authority and are built on sites operated by the authority.
c) Saint Vincent & the Grenadines: Union Island 600kW Solar PV Battery Hybrid
Power PlantLocated on Union Island, the 600kW solar PV plant and 637 kilowatt-
hour (kWh) lithium-ion batteryproject supplies all of the island’s daytime power
needs, and represents Masdar’s first fully implemented grid-connected battery
energy storage system.

Saudi Aramco to prioritise energy supply to China for 50 years
Reuters - Muyu Xu, Florence Tan
Saudi Aramco will ensure China’s energy security remains its highest priority for the next 50 years
and beyond as new and existing energy sources run in parallel for some time, CEO Amin Nasser
told the China Development Forum on Sunday.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, retained
its position as China’s top supplier in the first two
months this year, with volumes up 2.1% to 1.86 million
barrels per day (bpd), China customs data showed on
Saturday.
The kingdom beat Russia to keep its ranking as
China’s top crude supplier in 2020 despite
unprecedented production cuts in a pact between the
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and
its allies to balance global markets after demand
plunged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Ensuring the continuing security of China’s energy
needs remains our highest priority – not just for the next
five years but for the next 50 and beyond,” Nasser said in a video speech. “We appreciate that
sustainable energy solutions are crucial to a faster and smoother global energy transition ... But,
realistically, this will take some time since there are few alternatives to oil in many areas.”
Nasser told an earnings call earlier on Sunday that Chinese demand was very close to pre-
pandemic levels while Asia, East Asia in particular, had seen a strong pickup. Besides being a top
supplier of China’s energy needs, Nasser said Aramco is also well-placed to help China achieve its
second centennial goal in energy transition.
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in September that China will bring its carbon emissions to
a peak before 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060, a pledge that is expected to create a
tectonic shift in its energy and manufacturing sectors.
The state oil giant also expects opportunities for further investment in downstream projects to help
to meet China’s needs for heavy transport and chemicals, as well as lubricants and non-metallic
materials, Nasser said.
He added that Aramco is working with Chinese universities and companies in cleaner engine fuel
systems and technologies to convert crude to chemicals and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
from existing energy sources.
“In fact, we have even bolder ambitions to expand and intensify our research collaboration with
China,” Nasser said, adding that additional collaboration is likely on so-called blue hydrogen,
ammonia and carbon-capture technologies among others. Experts from China National Petroleum
Corp’s (CNPC) research institute have forecast that China’s oil demand will be capped at 730 million
tonnes by around 2025 under Xi’s climate pledge.
Aramco Aims to Partner With China on Blue Hydrogen
Saudi Aramco plans to “expand and intensify” cooperation with China on research in areas including
hydrogen and ammonia production from natural gas, according to Chief Executive Officer Amin
Nasser.

Aramco is looking to work with China on blue hydrogen and ammonia, synthetic fuels and carbon
capture utilization and storage, Nasser said at the China Development Forum in Beijing. “All of these
are essential to achieving our long-term, low-carbon ambitions,” he said.
The oil major is also sizing up possible investments in Chinese projects despite spending constraints
arising from a period of low oil prices as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We see opportunities for further investments in integrated downstream projects to help meet
China’s needs for heavy transport and chemicals, as well as lubricants and non-metallic materials,”
Nasser said.
China is the world’s largest producer of hydrogen, though currently uses fossil fuels for most of that
output. Spurred by the nation’s target for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060, energy giants
including China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., or Sinopec, are working on a shift to blue hydrogen -
- a process in which most carbon dioxide is captured and stored -- and green hydrogen, which
delivers oxygen as a byproduct.
Sinopec also plans to install 1,000 hydrogen refueling stations by 2025, up from about 27 pilot
stations at the end of last year, as the company and other key producers position themselves for
growth in the use of fuel for transportation.
Oil companies globally reported losses or falling profit for 2020 as plunging demand due to the
coronavirus pandemic led to lower prices and forced producers to shut in output. Aramco, the
world’s biggest producer, was no different, reporting Sunday a 44% drop in profit and further
investment reductions. Still, some advanced or strategic projects are going ahead.
Domestically, the Jazan refinery is “on stream,” Nasser told reporters on a separate conference call
to discuss earnings on Sunday. The planned 400,000 barrel-a-day crude-processing plant on Saudi
Arabia’s southern Red Sea coast was set to start running at about half capacity after taking crude
in the first quarter this year, Aramco said in August.
Nasser didn’t provide updates on the schedule or capacity for the plant that’s meant to bolster
employment in the remote and less-wealthy regions along Saudi Arabia’s border with Yemen.

Morocco moves closer to unlocking domestic gas riches
Trade Arabia + NewBase
Two significant gas projects that are poised to take final investment decisions (FID) in Morocco this
year could add 70mmcfd of natural gas to the country’s energy mix in the next five years. This will
support its ambition of reducing reliance on coal and costly imports from Algeria, according to
GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData's latest report, Morocco Exploration & Production, reveals that Morocco is on the brink
of unlocking its gas potential - even though the country is not a major producer and imports most of
its gas. The country has almost 700bcf of reserves sitting in announced developments.”
Santiago Varela, Upstream Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Productive growth is expected to
materialise with the launch of the first phase of Tendrara, which expects to provide gas volumes by
mid-2022 with a development breakeven price of under $5/mcf. Anchois, discovered in 2009, is
expected to produce first gas in 2024 and will be the largest gas development undertaken in
Morocco to date, by far. For both projects, the major obstacle is obtaining adequate financing, since
neither of the two operators have sufficient funds to undertake these developments alone.”
Anchois operator Chariot Oil & Gas has struggled during recent years to convince investors to
support the funding of the Anchois development. However, in the last year, the company
successfully reprocessed seismic data that led to an upgrade of 1tcf in recoverable resources. In
addition, the company announced the expression of interest of Africa Finance Corporation and a
Multinational Investment Bank to finance the project as well as a memorandum of understanding
for gas sales with the Moroccan ministry of energy. These latest developments move Morocco ever
closer to unlocking its largest gas field, and a final investment decision is poised to be taken this
year.”
Santiago continues: “Morocco has failed to develop its major gas discoveries to date, mainly due to
the fact that oil has been the preferred resource over gas. But now, with the focus turning to gas,
an attractive fiscal framework and strong domestic demand, international operators are pushing
hard to develop the country’s resources.”
“Although the economics of Tendrara and Anchois projects looks tempting, it is not yet clear whether
the current operators will be able to finalise the necessary funding required to develop the fields.
Securing capital is the final roadblock in the path for unlocking the country’s gas resources.”

U.K: BP to Develop U.K.’s Largest Blue-Hydrogen Plant
Bloomberg - + Source: BP
BP Plc is studying a project to build the U.K.’s largest blue-hydrogen plant, expanding further in low-
carbon energy as it slims down its traditional oil business.
The H2Teesside facility in northeast England could produce 1 gigawatt of hydrogen -- a fifth of the
U.K. government’s target -- by 2030, and would capture and store 2 million tons of carbon dioxide
a year.
In the global fight against climate change, hydrogen has been heralded as a clean-energy answer
to the fuel needs of industry and transport. BP has said energy companies will increasingly shift to
the gas, and it’s targeting a 10% share of “core markets” for the fuel by the end of the decade.
“Blue hydrogen, integrated with carbon capture and storage, can provide the scale and reliability
needed by industrial processes,” Dev Sanyal, BP’s executive vice president of gas and low-carbon
energy, said Thursday. “It can also play an essential role in decarbonizing hard-to-electrify
industries.”
The potential Teesside investment is the latest in a string of low-carbon ventures announced by BP
over the past year. If the project goes ahead, the company expects to take a final investment
decision in 2024, with a view to starting output by 2027. That would be a few years after a similar
facility being developed by Essar Energy at the Stanlow refinery in northwest England.
BP didn’t disclose cost estimates or sources of financing. It was not among a group of five
companies that won U.K. government funding on Wednesday for the Net Zero Teesside project,

which is aimed at cleaning up a cluster of CO2-intensive businesses with the use of carbon capture,
utilization and storage.
The “construction process and costs will need to be carefully monitored given past significant
overruns in the U.K.,” Barclays Plc analysts Lydia Rainforth and Joshua Stone wrote in a research
note. Still, the bank sees potential for “significant” growth in the hydrogen market in the industrial
sector, as well as in long-haul trucking and replacing natural gas for heating.
Business Zone
Teesside is home to an oil terminal and storage facilities, and is also one of eight new
freeports created by U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak. These are low-tariff business
zones aimed at stimulating post-Brexit trade.
BP’s project would focus on making blue hydrogen, a cleaner alternative to gray hydrogen, which
is typically created from natural gas and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. With blue
hydrogen, the emissions are captured and buried underground. BP is exploring technologies that
could capture as much as 98% of carbon emissions from the production process.
The cleanest of hydrogens is the green variety, which is made using renewable power. It’s also the
most expensive. Fossil fuel-derived hydrogen combined with CCS currently costs around $2 to $3
per kilo, compared with $4 to $7 for renewable hydrogen, according to the Global CCS Institute, a
think tank working to accelerate carbon capture development. However, the costs of both blue and
green hydrogen are declining.
BP has signed agreements to work with Venator, Northern Gas Networks and Tees Valley
Combined Authority.

Port of Rotterdam step closer to becoming hydrogen hub
Off Shore Energy - Sanja Pekic
The Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s leading trading hub, is working on the development of a new
hydrogen pipeline together with Gasunie to form the backbone of the future hydrogen infrastructure.
The project, named HyTransPort.RTM, is a key step forward in establishing Rotterdam as a major
European hydrogen centre. Both companies, which joined Hydrogen Coalition, believe that
hydrogen will play an important part in achieving the climate goals.
The plans are in the final phase before the start of construction. The operation is to start by the
second half of 2024. Gasunie and the Port Authority will be taking a definite decision regarding the
execution of this project in the second half of 2021.
The open-access pipeline will be constructed between the areas of Maasvlakte and Pernis and will
have a diameter of 60 cm. Open-access means that any company that wishes to deal with hydrogen
can connect to the pipeline.
Companies that intend to consume or produce hydrogen are welcome to link up to this open access
hydrogen pipeline.
The realisation of the project will create the possibility to exchange hydrogen between companies
in Rotterdam’s port area. In the future, it will also be possible to transport hydrogen to destinations
in the rest of the country.

The pipeline will also be linked to the national hydrogen grid that is being realised by Gasunie. It will
also be connected with Chemelot in Limburg, the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and other
European regions.
Shell has already expressed interest in connecting with the hydrogen pipeline, as the company sees
hydrogen as one of the key pillars of the energy transition and is developing plans for the
construction of an electrolyser at Maasvlakte 2, which will be used to produce hydrogen.
Companies that wish to participate as launching customer are asked to inform the Port of Rotterdam
Authority and Gasunie before April 10 2021.
About HyTransPort.RTM
Seven companies from the GET H2 initiative show how rapidly the planning of the national and European
hydrogen economy is developing. The consortium wants to build a cross-border infrastructure for hydrogen
— from the production of green hydrogen to transport and industrial use. From Lingen (Emsland) to
Gelsenkirchen and from the Dutch border to Salzgitter, production, transport, storage and industrial
acceptance of green hydrogen are to be connected in several steps between 2024 and 2030 under the
umbrella of the overall project.
For this project, the companies BP Europa SE, Evonik Industries AG, Nowega GmbH, OGE GmbH, RWE
Generation SE, RWE Gas Storage West GmbH, Salzgitter Flachstahl and Thyssengas GmbH, all partners
in the GET H2 hydrogen initiative, have now submitted an expression of interest for funding under the IPCEI
program (Important Project of Common European Interest) to the Federal Ministry of Economics and
Technology. By using green hydrogen in refineries, in steel production and for other industrial uses, the
overall project outlined here should be able to avoid CO2 emissions of up to 16 million metric tons by 2030.

India's crude oil throughput hits four-month low in February
Reuters + NewBase
India’s crude oil processing fell to its lowest in four months in February, retreating from a near one-
year high hit in the prior month hurt by higher crude prices and weaker fuel demand in the country.
Crude oil throughput in February dropped 8.8% year-on-year to 4.87 million barrels per day (18.62
million tonnes), provisional government data showed on Friday. On a monthly basis throughput fell
5.6%. There is a variation in percentage change as February 2020 had 29 days.
Fuel consumption in the country also fell to a five-month low in February as higher retail prices
dented demand. Indian state refiners have been planning to cut oil imports from Saudi Arabia by
about a quarter in May due to rising oil prices.
“Relatively high prices have slowed
oil processing,” Refinitiv analyst
Ehsan Ul Haq said, adding “India’s
recent decision to wean off Middle
East crude will boost imports and
processing as refiners will need more
crude oil as the economy recovers
from the impact of lockdowns.”
Indian refiners operated at an average
rate of 97.13% of capacity in February,
down from 110.7% in the same month
last year and from January’s 102.8%,

the government data showed. Refineries can operate at more than their usual capacity through
technical alterations.
The country’s largest refiner, Indian Oil Corp (IOC), last month operated its directly owned plants at
100.8% capacity, the data showed. Reliance, owner of the world’s biggest refining complex,
operated its plants at 93.2% capacity in February.
On an annual basis, crude oil production was unchanged at 610,000 barrels per day (2.32 million
tonnes), while natural gas output fell 1.4% to 2.31 billion cubic metres, the data showed.

NewBase March 22-2021 Khaled Al Awadi
NewBase for discussion or further details on the news below you may contact us on +971504822502, Dubai, UAE
Oil Steady above $64 as Investors Assess Demand After Ugly Week
Bloomberg + NewBase
Brent oil was steady as investors assessed the near-term demand outlook after ending the worst
week since October with a bounce.
Brent for May settlement fell 0.53% to $64.19 a barrel on the ICE Futures Europe exchange at 07:19
AM BST, after slumping 6.8% last week. West Texas Intermediate for April delivery, which expires
Monday, lost 0.34% to $61.21 on the New York Mercantile Exchange after adding 2.4% in the
previous session.
Oil price special
coverage

Futures in London traded near $64 a barrel after losing more than 1% earlier as a rising dollar
reduced the appeal of commodities priced in the U.S. currency. Demand is showing some signs of
weakness with the number of unsold April-loading oil cargoes from West Africa swelling, while
Germany is proposing an extension to lockdown restrictions. Despite posting a 2% gain on Friday,
crude suffered a heavy weekly loss following a bearish start to last week.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, saw another assault on its energy facilities. While the offensive by Iran-
backed Houthi rebels on an Aramco refinery on Friday had no impact on oil supplies, it’s the latest
in a series of attacks on the kingdom.
Despite the weekly plunge, there’s confidence in the long-term outlook and a return to higher prices.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said the recent sell-off was transient and that the rebalancing would
continue with vaccinations driving higher mobility. The market will be keenly watching the OPEC+
meeting next week for any change to its output policy in May, especially after the slide in oil and
comments from the International Energy Agency that supply is plentiful.
“Oil could continue swinging between red and green, being torn between demand fears and the die-
hard optimists,” said Vandana Hari, founder of Vanda Insights in Singapore. Prices are “likely to
hover around current levels, at least until OPEC+’s next move,” she added.
The prompt timespread for Brent is still in a bullish backwardation -- where near-dated prices are
more expensive than later-dated ones -- although the gap narrowed over the course of last week.
The spread was at 14 cents a barrel on Monday, compared with 67 cents at the start of the month.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, meanwhile, said his country was in no hurry to
revive the nuclear deal, although he reiterated that Tehran was still prepared to return to the original
terms of the agreement once the U.S. has lifted sanctions. Despite the penalties, Iranian crude
exports appear to be rising, with China boosting its purchases recently.

U.S. drillers add most oil & gas rigs in a week since January
U.S. energy firms added the most oil and natural gas rigs in a week since January even as oil prices
this week pulled back from a recent 28-month high.
The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose nine to 411 in the week to March
19, its highest since April, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report
on Friday.
That puts the rig count, which has climbed over the past seven months, up 68% since falling to a
record low of 244 in August 2020, according to Baker Hughes data going back to 1940. The total
count, however, is still 361 rigs, or 47%, below this time last year.
U.S. oil rigs rose nine to 318 this week, their highest since May, while gas rigs were unchanged at 92.
More than half the U.S. oil rigs are in the Permian basin in West Texas and eastern New Mexico
where total units rose four to 216 this week, the most since May.
So far this year, drillers have added 41 rigs in the Permian. That compares with no rigs added in
the basin during the same period last year.
Oil output from the Permian, the top producing basin in the country, is expected to rise for a second
straight month in April, the government said in a monthly forecast on Monday.

U.S. crude futures this week fell by the most since September 2020 on growing worries about rising
COVID-19 cases in Europe after soaring to a 28-month high near $68 a barrel earlier this month.
With prices mostly rising since October 2020, some energy firms have boosted spending in 2021
after cutting drilling and completion expenditures over the past two years.
That spending increase, however, remains small as firms continue to focus on boosting cash flow,
reducing debt and increasing shareholder returns rather than adding to output.
U.S. financial services firm Cowen & Co said the 45 independent exploration and production (E&P)
companies it tracks plan to increase spending about 2% in 2021 versus 2020. That follows capex
reductions of roughly 49% in 2020 and 12% in 2019.
Germany plans to extend a lockdown to contain COVID-19 infections into a fifth month, according
to a draft proposal, after new cases exceeded levels authorities say will cause hospitals to be
overstretched.
“The reality is that we’re still a long way from a full demand recovery, and it’s the record levels of
withdrawn production capacity that’s the main prop for the oil market,” said Stephen Innes, chief
global market strategist at Axi.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies have put in place
unprecedented production cuts in a pact to balance global markets after demand plunged during
the COVID-19 pandemic.

NewBase Special Coverage
The Energy world – March 01- -2021
U.S. Less electricity was generated by coal than nuclear in 2020
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly and State Electricity Profiles
U.S. coal-fired electricity generated totaled 774 million megawatthours (MWh) in 2020, which is less
than both natural gas-fired (1.6 billion MWh) and nuclear-powered generation (790 million MWh),
according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Electric Power Monthly.
Last year marked the first time that coal was not the largest or second-largest source of annual
electricity generation in the United States since at least 1949. However, EIA expects U.S. coal-fired
electricity generation to increase and for nuclear-powered electricity generation to decrease in both
2021 and 2022.
Note: The dotted gray line represents a counterfactual electricity generation calculation that assumes the coal fleet’s
capacity factor remained constant at its 2008 level.
Coal-fired electricity generation in the United States has continued to decrease as coal-fired
generating units have been retired or converted to use other fuels and as the remaining coal-fired
generating units have been used less often. U.S. operating coal-fired electricity generation capacity
measured 313 gigawatts (GW) in 2008.

In that year, the earliest for which EIA’s State Electricity Profiles have capacity factor data, coal’s
capacity factor was 72%. Capacity factors measure the actual generation output for a fleet of
generators as a percentage of what those generators are capable of generating. By 2020, coal’s
operating capacity had fallen to 223 GW, and the coal fleet’s capacity factor had fallen to 40%.
Nuclear-powered generation was relatively steady in the previous decade. Although several nuclear
power plants were retired, that decline in capacity was partially offset by uprates at several
plants and the addition of Watts Bar Unit 2 in Tennessee.
U.S. nuclear power, with 97 GW of capacity in 2020, has less than half as much operating capacity
as coal, but nuclear power plants are operated more intensively. Nuclear’s capacity factor in 2020
was 93%.
In the most recent Short-Term Energy Outlook, EIA expects U.S. coal-fired generation to increase
and for nuclear-powered generation to decrease in both 2021 and 2022. EIA expects that increases
in natural gas prices will make coal more competitive in the electric power sector.

This expected increase in coal’s utilization more than offsets the upcoming retirement of 2.8 GW of
coal capacity in 2021 and another 8.5 GW in 2022, according to planned changes reported to EIA
by owners and developers and compiled in EIA’s Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory.
EIA expects nuclear-powered electricity generation to decrease because three nuclear plants
(totaling 5.1 GW of capacity) plan to retire in 2021. Another plant, Michigan’s Palisades, plans to
retire in 2022. One nuclear power plant, Vogtle, in Georgia, plans to add 1.1 GW of capacity in
November 2021 and 1.1 GW in November 2022, based on information reported to EIA.
Nuclear and coal a major U.S. generating capacity retirements in 2021
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest inventory of electric
generators, 9.1 gigawatts (GW) of electric generating capacity is scheduled to retire in 2021. Nuclear
generating capacity will account for the largest share of total capacity retirements (56%), followed
by coal (30%).
Nuclear. At 5.1 GW, nuclear capacity retirements represent half of all total expected retirements in
2021 and 5% of the current operating U.S. nuclear generating capacity. The Exelon Corporation is
scheduled to retire two of its Illinois nuclear plants, Dresden and Byron.
Each of these plants has two reactors, and their total combined capacity is 4.1 GW. The Unit 3 (1.0
GW) reactor at Indian Point nuclear power plant in New York state is scheduled to retire in April.
If all five reactors close as scheduled, 2021 will set a record for the most annual nuclear capacity
retirements ever. The decrease of U.S. nuclear power generating capacity is a result of historically
low natural gas prices, limited growth in electricity demand, and increasing competition from
renewable energy.
Coal. After substantial retirements of coal-fired electric generating capacity over the past five years,
totaling 48 GW, coal retirements will slow in 2021; 2.7 GW of coal-fired capacity is scheduled to
retire, which accounts for 1% of the U.S. coal fleet.

These retirements will come primarily from older units—the capacity-weighted average age of
retiring coal units is more than 51 years old. Nearly two-thirds of the capacity retirements are located
in just four states: Maryland, Florida, Connecticut, and Wisconsin.
The largest coal retirement in 2021 will be at Chalk Point in Maryland, where both of its coal-fired
units (670 megawatts (MW) combined) are expected to retire. The next-largest retirements will be
at Big Bend (Unit ST2) in Florida, Bridgeport Station (Unit 3) in Connecticut, and Genoa in
Wisconsin.
Petroleum and others. More than 800 MW of petroleum-fired capacity and 253 MW of natural gas-
fired capacity are scheduled to retire in 2021. Almost all of the retiring petroleum capacity will be
from the 786 MW unit at Possum Point in Virginia.
The largest natural gas retirement will be McKee Run (103 MW) in Delaware. After operating for 34
years, a 143 MW biomass waste-to-energy plant in Southport, North Carolina, will retire in March.
The planned retirement capacity values are reported to EIA by respondents to EIA’s annual and
monthly electric generator surveys.

NewBase Energy News 22 March 2021 - Issue No. 1417 call on +971504822502, UAE
The Editor:” Khaled Al Awadi” Your partner in Energy Services
NewBase energy news is produced Twice a week and sponsored by Hawk Energy Service – Dubai, UAE.
For additional free subscriptions, please email us.
About: Khaled Malallah Al Awadi,
Energy Consultant
MS & BS Mechanical Engineering (HON), USA
Emarat member since 1990
ASME member since 1995
Hawk Energy member 2010
www.linkedin.com/in/khaled-al-awadi-38b995b
Mobile: +971504822502
khdmohd@hawkenergy.net or khdmohd@hotmail.com

Khaled Al Awadi is a UAE National with over 30 years of experience in the Oil & Gas
sector. Has Mechanical Engineering BSc. & MSc. Degrees from leading U.S.
Universities. Currently working as Technical Affairs Specialist for Emirates General
Petroleum Corp. “Emarat “with external voluntary Energy consultation for the GCC
area via Hawk Energy Service, as the UAE operations base. Khaled is the Founder
of NewBase Energy news articles issues, an international consultant, advisor,
ecopreneur and journalist with expertise in Gas & Oil pipeline Networks, waste
management, waste-to-energy, renewable energy, environment protection and
sustainable development. His geographical areas of focus include Middle East,
Africa and Asia. Khaled has successfully accomplished a wide range of projects in
the areas of Gas & Oil with extensive works on Gas Pipeline Network Facilities &
gas compressor stations. Executed projects in the designing & constructing of gas
pipelines, gas metering & regulating stations and in the engineering of gas/oil supply routes. Has drafted &
finalized many contracts/agreements in products sale, transportation, operation & maintenance agreements.
Along with many MOUs & JVs for organizations & governments authorities. Currently dealing for biomass
energy, biogas, waste-to-energy, recycling and waste management. He has participated in numerous
conferences and workshops as chairman, session chair, keynote speaker and panelist. Khaled is the Editor-
in-Chief of NewBase Energy News and is a professional environmental writer with more than 1400 popular
articles to his credit. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste
management and environmental sustainability in different parts of the world. Khaled has become a reference
for many of the Oil & Gas Conferences and for many Energy program broadcasted internationally, via GCC
leading satellite Channels. Khaled can be reached at any time, see contact details above.
NewBase: For discussion or further details on the news above you may contact us on +971504822502, Dubai, UAE
NewBase 2021 K. Al Awadi

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