UAE firm opens Chad’s first large solar plant
30 September 2025
Abu Dhabi-based Global South Utilities (GSU) has inaugurated the Noor Chad 50MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena.
The project is the first of its scale in the country and will provide clean electricity to about 274,000 homes.
The inauguration was attended by Mahamat Ahmad Alhabo, minister of state and secretary-general of the Presidency of Chad, along with other government officials, the UAE ambassador to Chad Rashid Al-Shamsi and GSU CEO Ali Alshimmari.
The facility combines 50MW of solar power with a 5MWh battery energy storage system. It is expected to displace more than 1.36 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over its lifetime.
GSU will operate the plant, which aims to deliver large-scale clean power and reduce Chad’s reliance on imported diesel.
“This is the first project we have delivered from signature to commissioning in Africa,” Alshimmari said.
The plant included the installation of over 81,000 solar panels and 158 inverters. GSU said the project will serve as a model for future renewable energy developments in the country.
GSU recently boosted international expansion plans with the acquisition of a 51% majority stake in Uzbekistan’s Yashil Energiya.
The transaction, the first by a UAE company for a renewable energy developer in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), marked GSU’s entry into Central Asia.
It also expanded its activities to include distributed solar and electric vehicle charging, in addition to utility-scale projects.
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The latest approval from KPC for the project comes after the availability of the necessary feedstock for the project was confirmed, according to KPC’s most recent annual report.
In July, MEED reported that feasibility studies for the project had been completed, but PIC was waiting for confirmation of the volumes of gas that would be available for the project as feedstock.
The Olefins IV project is expected to use natural gas produced by upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), another KPC subsidiary.
There is currently uncertainty at PIC about when the front-end engineering and design work for the project will commence, according to industry sources.
As part of PIC’s long-term strategy, which looks ahead to 2040, it is aiming to scale up its portfolio and leverage partnerships to add value.
The company has stated that it aims to expand its core portfolio both within and outside Kuwait through greenfield and brownfield projects, with the goal of achieving a leading global position.
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SWPC names preferred bidder for Jizan sewage project
3 October 2025
Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) has announced its preferred bidder for the Jizan Cluster Small Sewage Treatment Plants (SSTP) and Collection Network (CN) project.
AlKhorayef Water & Power Technologies, part of Saudi Arabia-based AlKhoraef Group, is the favourite to win the contract to develop the project under a 25-year contract.
The $150m scheme involves the construction of 12 sewage treatment plants across the Jizan region in the southwestern part of the kingdom. The plants will have a combined treatment capacity of 74,700 cubic metres a day (cm/d), with individual plant capacities ranging between 1,800 and 15,000 cm/d.
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Iraq’s Ministry of Transport and General Company for Airport & Air Navigation Services released the tender in July this year.
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According to a statement posted on its website, the Ministry of Transport says the initial capacity of the airport is expected to be around 9 million passengers, which will be gradually increased to 15 million passengers.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is the project’s lead transaction adviser.
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A consortium led by Qatar’s UCC Holding has signed five consultancy and design agreements for the redevelopment of Damascus International airport in Syria.
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> H’Collective: Responsible for the architectural and interior design of the new Damascus Airport hotel.
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