Image of the US-researched Aquatic Species Program from Jimmy Carter era The Arab gulf region is continuing to boost its international profile in renewable energy, the most recent initiative aims to use algae as biofuel. Lootah Biofuels in Dubai has recently inked a deal with Singapore-based AlgaOil with the ultimate goal of using algae for oil […]
Banking on Masdar to lead the Arab world in sustainability in 2013? With over 50 percent of the world’s oil and gas reserves the Middle East is not the likeliest place to be witnessing a green revolution, but with climate change running its course and oil prices rising through the roof, the region, and especially […]
The Gulf region is showing exactly why they are quickly becoming the top destination for renewable and clean technology in the world. A recent pilot project in Qatar aimed at growing cucumbers using seawater and solar power is just one of the more unique endeavors, and hopefully won’t have any Islamic leaders crying foul. According to […]
The United Arab Emirates could save approximately 30 per cent of its daily water use if multi-residential buildings implement greywater recycling programs, according to a recent report compiled by researchers from the University of Sharjah. Currently the average Emirati consumes roughly 550 liters of clean water every day, 30% of which is flushed down the […]
When Spain failed to show up for a recent Desertec meeting that would have signaled government support for the 150 MW concentrated solar plant (CSP) in Ourzazate, Morocco, energy bloggers rushed to dub the program designed to supply Europe with renewable energy produced in North African countries a failure. Both Bosch and Siemens pulled out as […]
On Thursday, Dec. 20, Tzipi Livni’s new party, The Movement, stated that environmental reforms will be key components of their platform in the January 2013 Israeli elections. They propose passing a Basic Law for environmental protection, and a long-term blueprint for the Israeli energy market. Livni presented The Movement’s environmental agenda together with Green […]
Falafel anyone? Saudi Arabia and Indian company will erect a biofuel plant based on used cooking oil. Biofuel is coming to Saudi Arabia. After much success in neighbor Egypt in low income areas, Saudi Arabia hopes that a new joint venture between Jeddah-based Middle East Environment Protection (MEEP) and the India-based Biomax Fuels will help […]
Last week was the annual ‘Made in Palestine 2012’ fair showcasing local Palestinian innovations. Now in its seventh year, the fair was co-sponsored by the Swedish NGO Diakonia and by Al Nayzak, a Palestinian organization. There were two exhibitions, one in the West Bank, at the Ramallah Cultural Palace exhibition hall, and one in the […]
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its neighbor the United Arab Emirates have been included in the Ernst & Young Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices, which evaluates the renewable energy markets of 40 countries across the globe. Two of the top oil producers on earth, the KSA and UAE each possess the requisite capital and […]
California-based GlassPoint Solar has installed an unconventional concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in Oman. Comprised of rows of six meter tall steel mirrors encased in glass boxes that look and in some ways act like greenhouses, this 7MW pilot project uses clean technology to extract dirty fossil fuels. Commissioned by Petroleum Development Oman, GlassPoint has […]
Jordan is the first country in the Arab world to offer its residents an opportunity to earn money through feed-in-tariffs (FITs). The Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) announced last week that citizens of one of the world’s most fuel-deprived nations can sell energy generated with solar panels for 120 fils per kilowatt/hour (kw/h) and wind power […]
Founders of the Arava Power Company in Israel have started a new firm that will focus on bringing renewable energy to countries in the developing world. Whilst Arava has made concrete inroads in their home country, with a 40MW photovoltaic solar farm on Kibbutz Ketura just north of Eilat among their most recent projects, Energiya […]
Trade unionists have used the COP18 discussions in Qatar to bring the silent but disturbing plight of migrant workers to light. While the emirate boasts about its plans to build a bevy of solar-powered stadiums in advance of the 2022 World Cup in addition to a host of other eco-boosting projects, very little has been […]
Omani scientists have discovered that date palm leaves – the bamboo of the Middle East – can be used to scrub the pernicious pharmaceuticals from hospital wastewater that most conventional sewage treatment plants are unable to process. The chemists from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) claim that wasted date palm leaves treated with sulphuric acid at incredibly […]
Like Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia, Qatar uses up a lot of its own fossil fuels – either to power energy-intensive desalination plants or complicated subsidies. The emirate is the world’s largest per capita consumer of energy, a topic that has come up time and again at the ongoing COP18 climate talks in Doha, and […]