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ROUND-UP OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
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GREETINGS TO OUR MEMBERS, COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS.
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Welcome to the April Edition of our MESIA monthly insights report. From the very successful inauguration of the MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM SOLAR PARK SECOND PHASE, our very interesting participation in the Pakistan Solar Fair where we provided the Minister for Mines and Mineral Government of Punjab, Sher Ali Khan advice on implementing net metering to the numerous projects completed across the region, the first quarter of 2017 has delivered the promise that our Annual Outlook report identified for the year.
We congratulate MESIA Members Yellow Door Energy, Siraj Power, Jinko and others on their new projects and if you are looking for some project finance, see the $7m up for grab in the Africa Energy Forum in Copenhagen.
As usual, the regional solar industry and governments continue to set new benchmarks for pricing, project delivery and sheer scale, which makes it a great time to be involved in the business of delivering renewable energy across the region. See the many upcoming events below (including diarizing the very interesting trade mission to Saudi Arabia on the 20 & 21st September ) and register your interest in attending when the notifications come out in a few days from now.
To loosely quote CNN’s Richard Quest, may the months ahead continue to be interesting, exciting and profitable.
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James Stewart
Vice-President
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SOLAR PAKISTAN IN LAHORE
MESIA was actively involved in ”Solar Pakistan Fair” in Lahore this month. “MESIA Solar Outlook Report has been offered to the Minister for mines and mineral government of Punjab, Sher Ali Khan.
Karel De Winter, International Development Director of MESIA prsented the report highlighted what is expected in the Solar Industry in the MENA region in 2017. He also presented the Net Metering system in Dubai and how Pakistan could benefit from the lesson learnt in Dubai.
See more pictures here
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QATAR’S LARGEST SOLAR PROJECT TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION IN 2017
20 MARCH
A joint venture between Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC) and Qatar Petroleum will begin construction on a 200 megawatt (MW) solar project this year. Reportedly, construction of the country’s largest solar power project will begin in June 2017, scheduled to be completed and fully operational by 2020. According to Qatar’s Energy and Industry Minister Dr Mohamed bin Saleh Al Sada’s report to the annual general meeting of the QEWC, the project includes an expansion plan of up to 500 MW.
Read more
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TUNISIA TO INVEST $1 BILLION IN RENEWABLES IN 2017
13 MARCH
The Tunisian government has recently announced it plans to invest $1 billion towards the installation of 1,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy in 2017. According to the Energy General Direction of the Tunisian Ministry of Energy and Mines, 650 MW of the total 1,000 MW will come from solar photovoltaic (PV) power, with the remaining 350 being supplied by wind energy. At the same time, the private sector plans to invest a further 600 million into the development of renewable energy capacity in 2017, the Ministry added.
Read more
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ALGERIA: INVITATION TO TENDER FOR 4,025MW SOLAR PROJECT TO BE LAUNCHED
11 MARCH
The project, divided into three sections of 1,350 MW each, includes two segments: one concerning energy and the other one industry. It also provides for the construction of several plants in the High Plateaus and the South regions which possess significant solar energy potential. The solar plants will be located in several provinces like Bechar, El Oued, Ouargla, Biskra, Djelfa and M’sila, announced Arkab, adding that the average capacity of each plant would exceed 100MW. For the industrial aspect, GEEC plans the construction of one or several factories for the manufacturing of photovoltaic plants equipments and components. Read more
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TURKEY: KALYON ENERJI AND HANWHA Q CELLS (MESIA MEMBER) COMPANIES WON THE TENDER AT A RECORD LOW PRICE
20 MARCH
A 50:50 joint venture formed by ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Hanwha Q CELLS and Turkish firm Kalyon Enerji has been awarded a 1GW local content solar project in the Karapınar region in Turkey at a tariff of US$0.0699/kWh. The price will be valid for 15 years and the solar equipment used must be domestically sourced, according to a release from Gunder, an organization that represents the Turkey section of the International Solar Energy Society. Read more
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UAE: MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM SOLAR PARK SECOND PHASE NOW OPERATIONAL
20 MARCH
The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) officially inaugurated the second phase of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park on Monday. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the 200MW second phase, enough to generate clean energy for 50,000 residences in Dubai and will reduce 214,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year. Read more
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UAE: EDF PARTNERS WITH MASDAR FOR THIRD PHASE OF MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM SOLAR PARK IN DUBAI
22 MARCH
French utility EDF has entered the Middle East solar market by partnering with Abu Dhabi’s Masdar for the third phase of Dewa’s US$14 billion Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum solar park in Dubai. EDF, through its EDF Energies Nouvelles unit, will help develop the 800 megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) project, taking over the stake from Abdul Latif Jameel’s FRV. The deal signals a stronger alliance between the two companies for upcoming projects in the Middle East as EDF places a greater focus on the region’s renewable energy sector. Read more
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JORDAN: FRV (MESIA MEMBER) REACHES FINANCIAL CLOSE FOR TWO SOLAR PV PROJECTS TOTALING 133 MW
28 March
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV, Madrid, Spain), an independent solar power producer, on March 28th, 2017 announced the financial close of two of the four projects awarded in the second round of Jordan’s solar independent power producer (IPP) tender. Both solar photovoltaic (PV) projects represent a combined investment of USD 180 million and will start construction in the region of Mafraq, a premium location with high solar irradiation in the north of the country. Read more
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UAE: DUBAI COMPLETES SOLAR PLANT TO POWER 50,000 HOMES
20 MARCH
Dubai
completed
a
solar
plant
big
enough
to power 50,000 homes as part of a plan to
generate
three-quarters
of
its
energy
from
renewables
by 2050.
The 200
megawatt
plant
sprawls
over 4.5 square
kilometres
(1.73 square miles) of
desert
and
includes
some
2.3 million
photovoltaic
panels.
It
is
the second phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al-
Maktoum
Solar Park,
which
is
set to
pump
out a total of 1,000
megawatts
by 2020, the
Dubai
Electricity
and Water
Authority
said
.
The $326 million second phase
was
built
by a consortium
including
Saudi
Arabia's
ACWA Power and
Spain's
TSK
. Read more
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UAE: YELLOW DOOR ENERGY (MESIA MEMBER) AND AMI MIDDLE EAST SIGN DEAL TO BUILD 615 KWP SOLAR PV PLANT
12 MARCH
Yellow Door Energy will manage the construction, operation and maintenance of the solar PV plant for the next 25 years. AMI Middle East is the first freight forwarder in the UAE to use solar energy. The solar PV system will generate approximately 950,628 kWh per year and reduce CO2 emissions by 668 tonnes annually. Construction on the project will commence in April 2017 and the plant is expected to be operational by Q3 2017. Read more
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UAE: ABU DHABI TO CLOSE $872 MLN SOLAR PLANT FINANCING
5 MARCH
Abu
Dhabi's
government-owned
power utility
aims
to close a
financing
package for a 3.2 billion dirham ($872 million)
solar
power plant,
which
will
be
the
world's
largest
, in April, a senior official at the utility
said
on Sunday.
Last
week
, Abu Dhabi Water &
Electricity
Authority
(ADWEA)
said
it
had
selected
a consortium of
Japan's
Marubeni
Corp
and
China's
JinkoSolar
Holding to
build
and
operate
the 1,177
megawatt
plant. The duo
were
selected
from
six
bids
received
by ADWEA in
September
. Read more
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JORDAN: ET ENERGY (MESIA MEMBER) TO CONSTRUCT 61 MW PV POWER PROJECT
15 MARCH
German-based
ET Solutions AG, a
subsidiary
of ET
Energy
, has
started
the construction of a 60.9 MW
solar
power
project
in Jordan for ACWA Power, a
Saudi-based
independent
power
producer
. The
project
is
situated
in
Mafraq
, Jordan, 50
kilometers
north-east
of Amman. ACWA Power
is
the
developer
and the
owner
of
this
project
.
After
the
project
is
completed
,
it
will
deliver
power to National Electric Power
Company
(NEPCO) at a
tariff
of 0.043 JD per kWh (¢6.13 per kWh). This
project
was
awarded
in the Round II of the
Photovoltaic
Procurement
program of the Ministry of
Energy
and
Mineral
Resources
of Jordan
. Read more
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JORDAN: MUSTAKBAL CLEAN TECH BREAKS THE GROUND WITH THE FIRST CERTIFIED PV POWER PLANT
23 MARCH
TÜV AUSTRIA HELLAS‐Amman Regional Office (MESIA member) has performed the technical inspection and certification of a 5MWp photovoltaic plant according to standard EN 62446, which was installed at the Jordan University of Scienceand Technology (JUST) by Mustakbal clean tech, in partnership with Enerparc and Masannat Engineering and Contracting Company (MECCo) and connected within Irbid District Electricity Company (IDECO) franchise areas. This project is the first PV power plant that receives this kind of certification in Jordan, which involves testing and certification procedures to ensure the quality, safety and performance of the plant as a whole as well as its components. Read more
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UAE: MARUBENI (MESIA MEMBER) TO BUILD 1.18 GW PV POWER PLANT
3 MARCH
Japanese
trading
company
Marubeni
Corp. and
Chinese
Jinko
Solar Holding Co., Ltd have
signed
a 25-year power
purchase
agreement (PPA)
with
Abu Dhabi Water and
Electricity
Company
(ADWEC) to
build
a PV plant
with
a power
generation
capacity
of 1,177 MW
near
the
town
of
Sweihan
, in Abu Dhabi, United
Arab
Emirates
. A
special
purpose
company
owned
by
Marubeni
(20 percent),
Jinko
Solar (20 percent) and Abu Dhabi Water and
Electricity
Authority
(ADWEA, 60 percent)
will
construct
,
own
,
operate
and
maintain
the
facility
. Read more
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ISRAEL: JINKOSOLAR COMPLETES THE FIRST ATHLETIC ARENA PV INSTALLATION
22 MARCH
JinkoSolar (MESIA member) has provided 686KW high-efficiency modules to Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem, Israel. Being executed in partnership with Inbar, the project is the first athletic arena in Israel with a solar energy system.This 686-killowatt capacity photovoltaic system generates over 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, saving about NIS 400,000 of electricity costs every year and mitigates 700 tons of greenhouse gases released annually.
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IRAN: IRAN COULD ADOPT FULLY RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY SYSTEM BY 2030
9 MARCH
To
transform
the
electricity
system
fully
to
renewables
, Iran
requires
49 GW of
solar
photovoltaics
, 77 GW of
wind
power and 21 GW of
hydropower
. Most of the
hydropower
already
exists
, but the
solar
and
wind
capacities
would
require
new
investments
. Wind power
can
be
installed
in
many
parts of the country and
solar
systems
in all parts of Iran for an attractive
cost
.
Both
technologies
can
be
easily
added
to the
existing
energy
infrastructure,
which
is
mainly
based
on flexible
fossil
natural
gas
fired
power plants plus
hydropower
. Read more
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WHAT MESIA MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU
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$7 MILLION PRIZE UP FOR GRABS! CALLING ALL ENTREPRENEURS AND DEVELOPERS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS IN AFRICA
Submissions are now open,
download your application here. Access Power in partnership with Eren, is offering you the chance to pitch your renewable energy project to a panel of specialists at the Africa Energy Forum in Copenhagen for the opportunity to win US$7million in project development funding. Access Power will provide the winners with a technical support package from a highly experienced and specialized team of project developers.
Read more
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TUV REHEINLAND NEWSLETTER
TUV
Rheinland
is
happy to
give
you
the
latest
information about standards and directives,
testing
and certification as
well
as
events
relating
the
solar
energy
sector
. Read more
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WOMEN IN SOLAR
Date: April 25, 2017
Location: Hyatt Regency Hotel Dubai
MESIA is pleased to be co-hosting the Women in New Energy Workshop alongside the Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC) and Eversheds Sutherland. Hear from MENA’s leading female role models as we discuss relevant issues for women in the region. This workshop is free to attend and open to all.
Read more
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FREE WEBINAR: HARNESSING THE SAUDI ARABIAN 'SOLAR POWERHOUSE' OPPORTUNITY
Date: May 10, 2017 14:30 GST
Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s biggest oil producers, is seeking up to $50bn of investment in solar and wind energy. The Kingdom has recently announced a tender for 700MW of wind and solar energy. However, following several attempts to establish a stable context for renewable energy development which were promptly backtracked each time, information and transparency are key to success of the program and the players involved in it.
Read more
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WEBINAR RECORDING & PRESENTATIONS:
HOW TO SELECT THE BEST BATTERIES FOR YOUR PV WITH STORAGE PROJECTS
If you have not been able to attend our last webinar and to have access to the presentations and recording, please fill in the very short survey. When you press send, you will be redirected to the webinar materials and listen to the recording. Click here
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UPCOMING INDUSTRY MIDDLE EAST EVENTS
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THE FUTURE CITIES SHOW
Date: 2-4 April, 2017
Location: DWTC
The Future Cities Show 2017, is a new initiative which will showcase innovative solutions for the future of our cities based on 3 pillars: Sustainability, Innovation and Happiness. The exhibition will attract stakeholders from around the world and encourage partnerships between government and private sectors. On the second day (April 3rd), Gurmeet Kaur will present «MESIA Outlook Report 2017» Read more
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SNEC PV POWER EXPO
Date: 19-21 May, 2017
Location: Shanghai
Key players from all over the world will once again feature a showcase of solar PV solutions at SNEC11th International Photovoltaic Power Generation Conference and Exhibition. Upon the previous successes, SNEC (2017) PV POWER EXPO showcases PV manufacturing facilities, materials, PV cells and modules, PV application products, and PV project and system, covering every section of the whole PV industry chain. We expect over 1500 exhibitors and 180,000 sq. meters space. Read more
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MENA NEW ENERGY 2017
Date: April 25-26, 2017
Location: Hyatt Regency Dubai
With vast stretches of desert, windy coastlines and some of the highest solar radiation levels in the world, the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) is a natural home for renewable energy. In the last decade, the MENA region has started to harness the abundant natural energy resources that it has in plentiful supply – namely, solar power – but also, more recently, it has looked to take advantage of the power of the wind. Read more
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THE SMART MEP SUMMIT
Date: 2-3 May, 2017
Location: Doha, State of Qatar
In an effort to diversify its oil-dominated economy and to prepare for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar has entered a phase of massive spending on all subsectors. The country has pledged USD 140bn of investment between 2015 and 2020. Qatar is a countries where the procedures are the most streamlined and facilitated, and thus take the shortest time for prjoect formalization. Lusail and Barwa Al Khor cities are standing out with respective values of USD 45bn and USD 9.9 bn. Read more
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AFRICA RENEWABLE ENERGY LEADER’S SUMMIT
Date: 4-5 April, 2017
Location: Intercontinental, Nairobi
The Africa Renewable Energy Leaders’ Summit (ARELS), will bring together some of the most influential minds in the renewable energy industry. It will be a two days of thought-provoking environment for group dialogues, impactful break-out sessions, government keynote sessions, and much more. Don’t miss the chance to be among leaders and get exclusive industry insights.
The conference will give investors access into the Renewable Energy market in East Africa where policy makers will discuss the future of Renewables in East Africa and how investor can enter this hot market.
Karel Dewinter, International Development Director of MESIA will moderate: «Project Finance Panel: Attracting capital to develop renewable energy projects»
Read more
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CLEAN ENERGY SUMMIT AFRICA
Date: 4-5 April, 2017
Location: La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, Accra, Ghana
Discount for MESIA Members: 10% discount
Clean Energy Summit Africa is designed for project owners large and small to meet and win new business. Incorporating the 3rd annual Solar & Off-Grid Renewables West Africa conference, the event will put solar at its core with breakouts sessions designed for pico to utility scale projects. We will also bring major financiers and investors, innovative micro-grid operators and large energy users to see how Africa’s power landscape is maturing. Government representatives are also invited to contribute to the debate by outlining policy to support universal access to power.
Read more
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Joerg Althaus
Director Solar Energy – Germany / IMEA
TÜV Rheinland Energy GmbH
What are you doing?
I manage the Solar Energy business at TÜV Rheinland in Germany and the IMEA (India, Middle East and Africa) region from our headquarter in Cologne. After going through the very exciting and fast growing years for the European solar industry as well as the consolidation years, it is most exciting for me to see the MENAT region flourish. Relying on 40 years of experience in PV plant assessments as well as component testing and certification, we are able to offer technical consultancy throughout the solar value chain to all players in that field. My recent discussions with investors, lenders, developers, EPCs, utilities, regulatory bodies and researchers at the various IMEA events strengthen my view that we are well positioned with our global team to help securing the immense investments in renewable energies.
I take pride in being part of the global team of 250 solar experts at TÜV Rheinland and having the privilege to develop our business in the most exciting solar emerging market.
How did you start your journey in the solar industry?
Actually I already decided, when I was 14 years old and doing a school internship at a small solar company in my hometown, that this is an industry I want to be in. After studying electrical engineering, the first solar installation I worked on was at my parents’ house. When I got in touch with TÜV Rheinland I was immediately convinced by the companies’ vision of securing technological progress while assuring safety, environment and health. Starting as a test engineer, analytic and solution oriented thinking were the tools of my daily work. Through many years of experience in large international solar projects, the active participation in standardization committees, the interaction with my international business partners, and numerous business trips around the world, further enabled me to be where I am now. Today as a manager of a multinational team, I can use the skills learned over the years and still have the same passion for solar as I had at age 14.
What is your most memorable moment in solar?
Setting up my fists solar system at my parents’ house is among the top memories. Later as a young engineer, fresh from university, traveling to a then market-leading PV module maker in Japan for a factory inspection and not being looked at as a freshmen, but accepted as a business partner and even being asked for advice was another memorable moment. On many occasions in my professional life I felt that the solar industry is a big family and I am glad to see that the family has relatives all over the world. After many seeds have been planted, seeing the offspring grow and some of the largest solar projects happening in some of the sunniest parts of the world is a pleasure to me.
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RSA LOGISTICS AWARDS ROOFTOP SOLAR CONTRACT TO SIRAJPOWER (MESIA MEMBER)
16 MARCH
RSA logistics and SirajPower have signed a solar lease agreement to deliver a solar rooftop solution in Dubai. SirajPower will develop a solar system of 1.1 MW on RSA logistics’ rooftop, in Dubai Logistics City, Dubai South. The solar system will cover more than 90% of the energy consumption. David Auriau, Director at SirajPower highlighted: “This first-of-a-kind project will not only help cut energy expenditure, but will also help promote a green image among the public. Logistics companies have a key role to play in transforming Dubai into the smartest city in the world, and we sincerely thank RSA Logistics for trusting our venture and partnering with us in this initiative of building a green economy.” Read more
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AMPHENOL MIDDLE EAST ENTREPRISES
Amphenol
is one of the largest manufacturers of interconnect products in the world. The Company designs, manufactures and markets electrical, electronic and fiber optic connectors, coaxial and flat-ribbon cable, and interconnect systems. Learn more
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DENTONS
Dentons, focuses on developing a team of solar energy specialists over the last 10 years. Dentons has advised multinational organizations, developers, utilities, banks, landowners and contractors on all aspects of solar project development and investments - we can view your solar activities from all perspectives. Learn more
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GREENENERGY FINLAND
GreenEnergy Finland provides turnkey solar power plants for private and corporate customers. Our portfolio includes on-grid and off-grid solutions in power range from a few kilowatts to a multimegawatt level. We can also provide solar modules, power converters and mounting systems, from leading international manufacturers with the highest production standards. Learn more
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METEOCONTROL GMBH
The meteocontrol GmbH arose from an engineering office for solar technology established 1976. Since its reorganization in 2002 it has developed into an internationally active company with branches in Germany and abroad and about 130 employees meteocontrol has supported projects in the renewable energy sector for more than 40 years. Learn more
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ZAMIL INFRA
Zamil infra maintains end to end capability in rolling out Solar PV solutions for BTS sites with world class OEMs like Kyocera, AEG, NEC and many others for key components. We provide an integrated installation systems with highest engineering standards and compliances. We believe in developing the energy systems with a more affordable and cleaner methodology. Learn more
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If you have a question or would like to speak to us about a project, please contact the relevant board member below. For urgent queries please contact
[email protected]
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