Fertiglobe has selected Plug Power as a technology partner for a 100W green hydrogen project set to be deployed in Egypt.

Fertiglobe, a consortium of OCI, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Scatec ASA, the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, and Orascom Construction, will use Plug Power’s electrolyser technology to produce green hydrogen as feedstock for up to 90,000 tons of green ammonia production in Ain Sokhna, Egypt.

The project will be Egypt’s first green hydrogen production facility.

Owing to Egypt’s increase in solar and wind capacity, as well as its proximity to potential hydrogen markets, the country is a perfect fit to implement a green hydrogen project, according to the consortium.

Ayman Soliman, CEO of The Sovereign Fund of Egypt, said: “The project reflects TSFE’s alignment towards realizing the goals of Egypt’s 2030 vision, which embraces the principle of a green economy as a fundamental element of the comprehensive development process.”

Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug Power, added: “We are thrilled by the Consortium’s exciting move to put Egypt and the MENA region on the green hydrogen map.”

He said the project will support Egypt and the MENA region to accelerate the decarbonisation of numerous sectors including transport.

Green hydrogen will help to decarbonise numerous sectors which represent around 80% of current global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, including as an important alternative fuel in the power sector in Japan and other countries.

Nassef Sawiris, Executive Chairman of OCI NV, commented: “We are excited to announce this key milestone in this essential piece of our hydrogen strategy.

“At start-up, this will be the largest green hydrogen and largest green ammonia application globally. Construction is expected to follow an accelerated schedule to showcase the green hydrogen facility during COP 27 in Egypt in November 2022, highlighting Egypt’s and Fertiglobe’s growing leadership in the renewable energy markets and commitment to a greener future.”

Ahmed El-Hoshy, Chief Executive Officer of Fertiglobe, commented: “This is a huge step forward in our ambition to decarbonise our footprint to net-zero by 2050, and simultaneously help our customers decarbonise. As an early mover in clean hydrogen-based fuels, we are pleased that Fertiglobe is partnering with Plug Power to deploy cutting-edge technology at scale.”

Brazilian project company Gás Natural Açu (GNA) has ordered a turnkey combined cycle power plant from Siemens energy, to be built at Port of Açu in Rio de Janeiro.

The LNG fuelled power plant, UTE GNA II, is the second turnkey combined cycle power plant that Siemens Energy will build in the thermoelectric hub and will add further capacity of 1.7GW.

The GNA I and II power plants have a combined capacity of 3GW and can provide enough electricity for around 14 million households.

The scope for Siemens Energy foresees the entire power island delivery, including three HL class gas turbines, one steam turbine, four electric generators and three heat recovery steam generators (HRSG), in addition to instrumentation and control systems.

Siemens Energy will also provide long-term operation and maintenance (O&M) of the plant, including advanced remote monitoring and diagnostics by the Remote Operation Center, located in Jundiaí, São Paulo.

The power plant is being built together with the consortium partner Andrade Gutierrez who will provide the civil works, the infrastructure and the erection works.

“This project is strategic, not only for its grandeur, but also for its geographical location, close to the two main gas pipelines systems in Brazil, in the Northeast and Southeast of the country. And not to forget: Our gas turbines for GNA II are ready to burn hydrogen in the future. This means our technology is future-proof for our customers,” said Jochen Eickholt, Executive Board Member of Siemens Energy AG.

Besides the two thermal power plants, the Açu Natural Gas project includes a LNG regasification terminal, based on an FSRU (Floating Storage Regasification Unit), plus substations and transmission lines to connect the plants to the National Interconnected System.

The thermoelectric complex is part of the Açu Gás Hub which aims to provide a logistical solution for the receipt, processing, conversion to electricity and transport of natural gas in the Campos and Santos basins, as well as for importing and storing LNG.

French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune says he is eyeing a 10 December deadline for a resolution on a spat between France and Britain over the handing out of fishing licences in the wake of Brexit

Speaking on France Inter radio this Monday, Beaune said: “If there is no big gesture between now and 10 December, we will end our dialogue.”

The dispute broke out after Britain left the European Union, with Paris saying London should have issued more French boats with licences to fish in British territorial waters.

Britain says it is respecting post-Brexit arrangements.

Tensions flared in October, when France briefly seized a British fishing boat in its waters, and both countries sent maritime vessels to waters off the English Channel island of Jersey earlier this year.

Meanwhile last Friday, French fishermen temporarily blockaded the port of Calais and the Channel Tunnel in an effort to disrupt trade between Britain and the continent – escalating their row over licences to fish in British waters.

The dispute centres on the issuance of licences to fish in territorial waters six to 12 nautical miles off Britain’s shores, as well as in the seas off the coast of Jersey, which is a Crown Dependency in the Channel.

It’s getting to that time of the year when dust takes over.

The season of Harmattan, from Twi word haramata, originates from the dry and dusty harmattan trade winds which blows from the Sahara desert over West Africa.

It usually comes between the end of November and the middle of March.

In some parts of Nigeria, such as Lagos, harmattan can hardly be felt during these periods.

However, in places closer to the Sahara/Gulf of Guinea which are in the direction of the wind, harmattan effects can be quite severe.

For many states, harmattan is characterised by very cold temperatures, especially in the mornings/nights and very hot weather in the afternoons. The humidity also drops really low and the air is dusty. This means the skin has a tendency to dry up quickly and the wind can be very assaulting to the respiratory system.

Here are some tips on how to handle harmattan.

1. Stay hydrated
It’s normal to become dehydrated and get thirsty very easily at this time, so avoid carbonated drinks at and juices but rather drink at least 1.5 liters of water every day as this will help keep your whole body system working properly.

2. Adjust outfits
The weather is usually really bright and hot in the afternoon but could get very cold at night. To be on the safer side, put on warm clothing when going to bed at night or when going out in the mornings. You can loosen up your clothes as the day heats up.

3. Take vitamin C
This will help to reduce the likelihood of you contracting the flu otherwise known as catarrh. As there are dust and cold everywhere, taking vitamins generally will help combat the negative effects they could have on the body.

4. Moisturise
Let your lip balm and moisturiser/petroleum jelly/oil be your best friends. Always have a lip balm and moisturiser in your bag, pocket or somewhere easily accessible. Apply the balm on your lip and the moisturiser on the skin when any of them are starting to get dry.

5. Be careful with fires
Fires tend to get aggravated during harmattan. Avoid burning indiscriminately and if you have to burn anything, make sure it is attended and well monitored. Most fire accidents happen in this season because everywhere is dry and the fire can travel easily without restrictions.

6. Avoid dusty areas
For asthmatic patients, the dusty winds of harmattan can trigger attacks. This is why they should stay away from dusty areas and have their inhalers on them at all times. Wearing a nose/face mask is advisable during this period when one has to have contact with dusty environment.

7. Wear protective hairstyles
For Nigerian females, harmattan can be terrible for the tips. It can cause dry tips and hair breakage. Wear hairstyles that keep your ends hidden such as braids, tie scarves and keep hair moisturised.

Scientists have found evidence of ancient land dwellers at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

Researchers with Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute say they discovered a Columbian mammoth tusk in the deep waters off California’s coast.

Scientists estimate the tusk is more than 100,000-years-old.

It is over 3-feet-long and was found 185 miles offshore and 10,000 feet underwater.

The researchers note mammoth remains from continental North America are particularly rare.

They plan to use the tusk’s DNA to refine what we know about mammoths in that part of the world.

The navies of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives are part of a focused operation which aims for more synergy between the maritime agencies of the three countries in the Indian Ocean Region.

This first of its kind maritime operation – called the ‘Colombo Security Conclave (CSC)’, is being conducted for two days on November 27 and 28, 2021.

“Ships and aircraft of the Indian Navy (IN), Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) are participating and operating over a vast area in the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of the three countries in the Southern Arabian Sea,” a statement from the Indian Navy said.

Earlier, a trilateral Table Top Exercise (TTX) between the three nations was conducted on July 14 and 15, 2021.

The three countries also participated in the 5th Deputy National Security Advisors (NSA) level meeting of Colombo Security Conclave on August 4, 2021, wherein ways of enhancing maritime security cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region were deliberated upon.

The Indian Navy said the focused operation is being conducted with the aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping, international trade and conduct of legitimate maritime activities.