Energy

The world’s largest integrated off-grid utilities system has entered commercial operation at The Red Sea destination in Saudi Arabia.

The evolution of sustainable infrastructure has reached a defining milestone, proving that mega-scale developments can operate entirely independently of conventional national grids.

The world’s largest integrated off-grid utilities system has entered commercial operation at The Red Sea destination in Saudi Arabia. The milestone follows the signing of the Project Commercial Operation Date (PCOD) between Marafiq Red Sea for Energy Company – an Acwa-led consortium with SPIC Huanghe Hydropower and Saudi Tabreed – and The Red Sea Utilities Company, a subsidiary of Red Sea Global.

Marking the official commencement of a 25-year concession, the agreement confirms that all primary utility networks across the luxury destination are in active commercial service. This represents the first time a giga-project in the Kingdom has brought its entire utilities infrastructure online powered exclusively by renewable energy, without reliance on or support from the national grid. The system now supplies operational hotels, community facilities, the staff village, logistics networks, an electric fleet, and the Red Sea International Airport.

World-Record Solar and Storage Capacity

Continuous energy delivery across the coastal destination is underpinned by a massive standalone generation and storage network. The setup pairs a 340 MWac solar photovoltaic plant with a 1,227 MWh battery energy storage system – the largest off-grid battery installation constructed anywhere in the world. Delivering up to 760,000 MWh of clean electricity annually, the system prevents roughly 600,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year at full capacity. Furthermore, the infrastructure is designed to scale dynamically alongside the destination as future hospitality phases open.

Highlighting the importance of this milestone, Mohammad Abunayyan, Founder and Chairman of Acwa, stated: “The Red Sea project embodies the ambition of Saudi Vision 2030 and the vision of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to deliver pioneering projects that redefine modern infrastructure and reinforce the Kingdom’s position as a global leader. As the world’s largest integrated off-grid utilities system, and the first of its kind at this scale, the project sets a new global benchmark for sustainable development.”

Comprehensive Multi-Utility Network

The concession spans five interconnected utility sectors delivered as a single cohesive platform:

• Potable water production across three seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plants.
• A municipal sewage treatment plant treating 16,000 cubic metres of wastewater daily to create wetland habitats and irrigate the RSG nursery and Shura Links golf course.
• A centralised waste management centre dedicated to resource recovery and responsible material processing.
• An energy-efficient district cooling infrastructure delivering 32,500 refrigeration tons (RT) to hospitality venues and airport facilities.
• Full charging and support networks for land- and sea-based electric vehicle logistics fleets.

Funded through approximately USD 1.33 billion in senior debt within a total investment of c. USD 1.84 billion, the development demonstrates landmark bankability for pioneer off-grid infrastructure. Engineering, procurement, and construction were completed by EPC contractor SEPCO III (the Shandong Tiejun consortium), achieving 30 million lost-time-injury-free hours in a complex coastal setting. Acwa Operations will manage operations and maintenance over the 25-year concession.

Ecological Protection and Local Industry

Developing utility infrastructure within pristine coastal and marine ecosystems required strict environmental safeguards. All utility packages underwent comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) processes, securing permits from the National Center for Environmental Compliance (NCEC), with Marafiq executing ongoing monitoring to protect terrestrial and reef habitats.

Emphasising the environmental philosophy of the project, John Pagano, Group CEO at Red Sea Global, said: “This milestone brings our vision for a new model of regenerative tourism to life at full scale. By operating without a connection to the national grid and powering the destination entirely through renewable energy, we are demonstrating how sustainable infrastructure can support tourism that gives back to the natural environment and communities on which it depends.”

Local content was prioritised throughout construction and continues in operations. Materials were sourced from domestic suppliers wherever viable, with Saudi engineers working across all technical packages. Over the 25-year concession, the partnership will expand domestic expertise and build a resilient local supply chain aligned with Saudi Vision 2030.

Veolia has signed three strategic memorandums of understanding with premier national industrial entities: Acwa, Ma’aden, and Khazeen.

Industrial sustainability and resource resilience have taken centre stage in the Middle East, with environmental security rapidly emerging as a cornerstone of economic sovereignty.

In a decisive move to accelerate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's resource preservation, environmental services leader Veolia has signed three strategic memorandums of understanding with premier national industrial entities: Acwa, Ma’aden, and Khazeen.

Announced on 1 September 2026, these landmark agreements establish an enhanced cooperation framework across advanced water technologies and hazardous waste treatment. Closely aligned with the national objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and Veolia's strategic GreenUp programme, the tripartite partnerships tackle several of the Kingdom's most urgent priorities: energy efficiency, industrial decarbonisation, the preservation of scarce water reserves, and the long-term cultivation of local technical capabilities.

High-Impact Partnerships Across Vital Sectors

The collaborative pacts target three pillar industries within the Saudi economy—water desalination, mining, and energy storage:

• Acwa: Partnering with the world-leading private water desalination company, energy transition champion, and pioneer in commercial-scale green hydrogen to enhance desalination plant operations.

• Ma’aden: Teaming up with the mining giant to overhaul the sector’s water cycle and industrial waste systems to promote economic diversification.

• Khazeen: Collaborating with the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage specialist, a subsidiary of the National Gas and Industrialization Company (GASCO), to decarbonise nationwide infrastructure.

Reinforcing the critical nature of these initiatives, Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia, highlighted the broader strategic imperative behind the agreements:

"Environmental security has become an essential condition for the sovereignty, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy of territories. In Saudi Arabia, this involves the ability to preserve every drop of water, decarbonize industrial development, and turn waste into resources. Through these agreements, and thanks to our cutting-edge technologies and solutions, we are taking action on a large scale to turn challenges into concrete and effective solutions, in line with Saudi Vision 2030. Our innovations and expertise are only effective when they find concrete applications in response to a territory's challenges and in support of its essential infrastructures," says Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia.

Advancing Desalination Performance With Acwa

Water scarcity remains one of the region's defining challenges, making efficiency in desalination essential. Expanding on previous operational successes across regional facilities, Veolia’s memorandum of understanding with Acwa focuses on optimizing plant design and daily performance. The collaboration targets:

• Upgrading energy efficiency across desalination facilities;

• Optimising the application of chemical solutions and improving overall water quality;

• Deploying state-of-the-art technical, digital, and operational practices.

Acwa’s operations currently manage a daily capacity of 9.7 million cubic metres—equivalent to 3,900 Olympic swimming pools per day. Through this partnership, the projected emissions reduction could reach up to 500,000 tons of CO₂ annually, an environmental benefit equivalent to taking approximately 110,000 conventional cars off the road, whilst significantly cutting operating costs and safeguarding regional water security.

Circular Economy and Industrial Decarbonisation

Beyond water production, the agreements introduce circular economy solutions to the Kingdom’s extractive and energy logistics sectors.

In the mining industry, Veolia is collaborating with Ma’aden to rethink supply chain sustainability. By implementing advanced water technologies, the partnership aims to treat and reuse industrial process water. Additionally, the agreement focuses on the management of hazardous waste, exploring material recovery, source reduction, and valorisation to establish closed-loop industrial systems.

Concurrently, the agreement with Khazeen deploys environmental technologies across its nationwide LPG storage facilities. Veolia will implement industrial water treatment and hazardous waste management solutions, alongside developing an integrated Facility Management offering covering water, energy, and waste for Khazeen’s commercial clients.

Five Decades of Environmental Stewardship

These strategic agreements consolidate Veolia’s half-century presence in the Kingdom. Operating in Saudi Arabia since 1975, the group has long managed essential infrastructure, including treating industrial wastewater from major petrochemical facilities at Jubail, the world’s largest industrial complex. Through sustained investments in water reuse, energy efficiency, and hazardous waste treatment, Veolia continues to anchor Saudi Arabia's transition towards environmental security and sustainable industrial growth.

BUTEC and Kanadevia Inova secured a major EPC contract for Casablanca's new waste-to-energy project.

Casablanca is accelerating its transition towards sustainable urban development with the announcement that engineering and contracting group BUTEC, in partnership with waste-to-energy specialist Kanadevia Inova, has secured a major engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the city's monumental waste-to-energy project.

This milestone initiative is set to fundamentally reshape waste management and energy generation across Greater Casablanca, addressing long-standing environmental challenges while supporting Morocco's ambitious nationwide decarbonisation objectives and renewable energy targets.

The project represents a vital leap forward in replacing traditional landfill disposal methods with advanced circular economy practices. By harnessing cutting-edge waste-to-energy technology, the initiative will efficiently process colossal volumes of non-recyclable municipal waste, converting an environmental liability into a reliable source of baseload electricity for local communities.

Project Scope and Key Infrastructure Details

Positioned northwest of the Mediouna landfill within the Casablanca-Settat region, the landmark facility involves extensive multi-sector engineering and infrastructural development. Key project figures, operational specifications, and contractual frameworks include:

• Processing Capacity: Designed to handle approximately 1.5 million tonnes of non-recyclable municipal waste annually, ensuring comprehensive coverage for the entire metropolitan area.

• Power Generation: Projected to generate roughly 126 megawatts (MW) of baseload electricity, alongside complementary renewable generation components designed to meet substantial local demand.

• Population Served: Set to reliably supply power and modern waste treatment infrastructure for more than 4.2 million residents across Greater Casablanca and surrounding districts.

• Concession Framework: Operating under a substantial 33.5-year concession agreement secured by the consortium, ensuring long-term operational stability and robust regulatory oversight.

• Emissions Reduction: Expected to avoid significant greenhouse gas emissions through systematic methane capture, reduced landfill dependency, and future-proof design readiness.

Collaborative Expertise and Strategic Responsibilities

The success of such a complex, large-scale undertaking relies heavily on precise division of labour among world-class technical partners. Under the EPC framework, Switzerland-based Kanadevia Inova is responsible for delivering the specialised waste-to-energy technology and core process systems, in addition to supporting operations, long-term maintenance and financial backing.

Meanwhile, BUTEC's comprehensive scope encompasses all civil construction across the entire site, alongside managing the engineering, procurement and building of non-process structures, essential amenities and associated infrastructure. This heavy-duty remit includes civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) tasks, as well as extensive external site work.

Commenting on the landmark agreement, Raymond Daou, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at BUTEC, emphasised the strategic significance of the venture for the region:

“Building on our affiliates' long-standing presence in Morocco, where BUTEC has established itself as one of the country's leading players in Electromechanical Solutions, the Group is reinforcing, through this landons.”

Daou further highlighted the company's rising prominence within the global environmental engineering sector, noting:

“With three consecutive large-scale Waste-to-Energy projects across the geographies in which it operates, BUTEC is establishing itself as the generalist EPC contractor of choice in this strategic sector.”

Strengthening Morocco's Green Transition

The Casablanca initiative arrives at a crucial time as urban centres across North Africa grapple with escalating municipal waste volumes and the heavy environmental footprint of traditional open dumping. Mediouna landfill, which has served the region for decades, has long faced criticism regarding odours, contaminated groundwater risks, and unmanaged methane releases that accelerate global warming. By introducing advanced incineration, strict emissions controls, and modern leachate treatment, the new facility establishes an exemplary gold standard for urban sanitation and municipal waste recovery.

Furthermore, the project unites international expertise from Morocco, Switzerland, and Japan—collaborating seamlessly with entities such as Nareva and Itochu Corporation—reflecting the sophisticated, borderless nature of modern green infrastructure finance and execution. Power purchase agreements secured with state utility ONEE and regional services company SRM Casablanca-Settat further anchor the venture's financial security. As construction milestones approach, this transformative venture promises to deliver enduring environmental relief, cleaner energy generation, and a resilient framework for future urban growth across the Kingdom.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has recently reaffirmed its commitment to aligning its extensive portfolio of clean energy projects with comprehensive environmental stewardship.

Modern infrastructure development is undergoing a profound transformation.

It is no longer sufficient merely to transition away from fossil fuels; the new mandate requires that renewable energy projects themselves harmonise seamlessly with the natural world. In the United Arab Emirates, this holistic philosophy is rapidly becoming the cornerstone of urban planning and utility generation. By intertwining large-scale power production with stringent ecological preservation, the region is pioneering a blueprint for sustainable mega-cities that respect their surrounding ecosystems.

At the forefront of this green revolution is the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), which has recently reaffirmed its commitment to aligning its extensive portfolio of clean energy projects with comprehensive environmental stewardship. This strategy ensures that resource conservation, emissions reduction, and biodiversity enhancement remain central to the Emirate’s infrastructure masterplan. In doing so, it firmly supports Dubai's standing as a global model for smart, sustainable urban environments.

The driving force behind this dual-focus strategy is deeply rooted in national policy and leadership. Speaking on the authority's strategic direction, a spokesperson stated: “At DEWA, we draw our inspiration for environmental protection and sustainability enhancement from the directives of our wise leadership, whose vision has established the UAE as a global model in climate action, sustainable development and the preservation of natural resources for future generations.”

To execute this vision, the organisation is aggressively pursuing rigorous long-term targets, refusing to compromise on environmental integrity. As noted in their recent public statement: “We are advancing the objectives of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 by delivering transformative energy projects that support Dubai's goal of providing 100% of its total power production capacity from clean sources by 2050.”

Scaling Solar and Hydroelectric Infrastructure

Embedding sustainability across all project phases—from initial design and careful planning to active construction and daily operation—is a foundational requirement for these mega-projects. To maintain these standards, the authority relies heavily on environmental monitoring programmes that regularly assess air, water, and soil quality, alongside ambient noise levels. This continuous feedback loop ensures rapid corrective actions and drives continuous improvement.

A prime example of this methodology is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park globally, operating under an independent power producer model. Key figures regarding this landmark project include:

• Current Capacity: The facility currently operates with a massive energy capacity of 3,860 megawatts (MW).
• Future Expansion: The park is expected to exceed 8,000 MW by 2030, significantly surpassing its initial target of 5,000 MW.
• Energy Mix Impact: This expansive growth is projected to increase the share of clean energy within Dubai’s overall energy mix to 36%, up from the original goal of 25%.

Beyond solar technology, the organisation is breaking new ground in energy storage and grid resilience. The pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant situated in Hatta highlights how clean energy generation can be carefully balanced with the preservation of a region's natural topography. Key specifications of the Hatta project encompass:

• Regional First: It stands proudly as the GCC’s first pumped-storage hydroelectric initiative.
• Production and Storage: The facility features a production capacity of 250 MW alongside an impressive storage capacity of 1,500 megawatt-hours.
• Longevity: The plant is engineered with a projected operational lifespan of up to 80 years.

Summarising the ethos behind these physical assets, the official release affirmed: “Our projects reaffirm that developing future infrastructure is driven by a comprehensive vision that accounts for environmental protection, resource preservation and biodiversity enhancement, aligning with the UAE's sustainability legacy and Dubai's ambition to build a greener, more resilient and prosperous future,”

Fostering Biodiversity and Community Action

Crucially, this environmental commitment extends far beyond the construction of concrete and steel infrastructure. The organisation places a heavy emphasis on community-driven initiatives designed to protect terrestrial and marine habitats. Guided by strict circular economy principles, they prioritise rationalising resource use, promoting material recovery, and minimising waste generation.

Mangrove forests have become a central focus of these conservation efforts. Revered for their unique ability to absorb carbon emissions, provide vital wildlife habitats, and protect fragile coastlines, mangroves are indispensable to the local ecosystem. Working in tandem with environmental partners, extensive conservation drives have been launched. Recent biodiversity achievements include:

• Targeted Plantings: Between 2023 and 2026, a remarkable 14,650 mangrove trees were planted at the Jebel Ali Marine Sanctuary.
• Recent Campaigns: In 2026 alone, dedicated planting and beach-cleaning events engaged 254 volunteers who planted 700 mangroves, contributing 508 volunteer hours.
• Waste Removal: Over the same three-year period, robust beach clean-ups removed 3,546 kilograms of waste—predominantly plastics—with the assistance of 2,154 community volunteers.

By formally embedding priorities such as climate change mitigation, circular economy practices, and biodiversity protection into its core corporate governance framework, the authority ensures long-term accountability. This holistic strategy proves that the ambitious expansion of clean energy networks need not come at the expense of the natural world, paving a genuinely sustainable path forward for future generations.