Utilities

Global natural rubber prices to remain under pressure

Global natural rubber prices may remain under pressure on weak China and Euro zone manufacturing data which has prompted the traders to adopt a wait and see attitude. With the weak manufacturing report from the two leading global rubber markets suggests lower demand form tire manufacturers. But the lower rubber production due to unfavorable weather in the world’s three leading rubber exporters Thailand Indonesia and Malaysia likely to restrict price drop. Meanwhile demand from the third largest economy India is likely to dominate the global rubber demand as the country is expected to experience a shortage of roughly 100,000 tons for the current year. According to the Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has forecast that the rubber exports is likely to hit record of 882,000 tons this year against the annual target of 830,000 tons and mainly to India and China. In Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) the rubber for March delivery traded down 0.2 yen to 310 yen per kg on Monday. While In India's National Multi Commodity Exchange (NMCE) rubber for April delivery traded at Rs 20 086 per ton on 26th March. Source: Albawaba

Water professionals to discuss key issues

Professionals from both the water and wastewater industries in the Middle East will discuss sustainable and cost efficient strategies at a conference in Abu Dhabi next month. The O&M Water Middle East conference, being organized by BME Events, will take place on April 16 and 17. With growth in the Middle East water sector continuing to increase exponentially, now is a crucial time for plant managers, asset owners and engineers in the sector to optimize the efficiency of their plants and expand their knowledge, said the organizer. The region's largest markets are predicting growth to the value of several hundred billion dollars, with the Saudi government alone investing $56 billion dollars into in its water system over the next 15 years, over 70 per cent of which will be allocated to sewage and wastewater infrastructure. The conference will provide a comprehensive coverage of all the issues affecting operations and maintenance in wastewater treatment and desalination plants under one roof and promote debate between asset owners and end users. Kirsty Stevens, O&M Water Middle East developer, said: 'With so many resources being allocated to meet growing water needs in the GCC region there has never been a bigger call for O&M professionals working in the industry to ensure they are equipped to deal with this hugely increased demand.' Among the speakers at the conference are: Abhay Arya of Sembcorp Water Power Company, the plant manager of the Fujairah 1 plant, who will deliver an in-depth case study on the optimization and control of O&M costs for RO and MSF plants. Arya's presentation will be complemented by Julio Torre Gutierrez of Nomac's comprehensive overview into establishing a private independent water O&M company in the Middle East, examining considerations for the operations of mega projects in remote areas and the implementation of integrated management systems and standardized procedures across multiple sites. International participation from key stakeholders from Europe, Middle East and Asia, including Veolia Water, Sembcorp, Siemens, and Doosan is expected. Source: TradeArabia News Service

Abattoirs tap solar energy to cut costs, save fuel

The Dubai Municipality has started using solar energy to heat water in the large abattoirs in the emirate. “We have started using the solar system in the Al Ghusais abattoir for heating water which we use to clean slaughtering halls and equipment,” Ali Taher Al Hammadi, head of abattoir operations, told Gulf News, adding, “We would eventually like to extend it to other slaughterhouses.” The Municipality has so far installed 210 solar panels that can heat 70,000 liters of water at 80 degrees daily. The new system will reduce the periods of operation of steam boilers, which will, in turn, reduce operating expenses. Ahmad Hassan Al Shammari, head of abattoirs section, Public Health Services, said the section has been using hot water at 65 degrees to clean the slaughtering halls, tools and equipment. The water is heated using steam heaters to produce steam to heat the cold water in the thermal exchange unit. These boilers are powered by burning diesel fuel and chemicals needed to maintain the required levels of the elements within permissible limits. The section is now installing solar panels and a complete thermal exchange system and will connect it with the water heater system in abattoirs. Al Shammari said the section is confident about the benefits that can be achieved by this project. It reduces the consumption of diesel fuel, electricity to stove and run boilers, water consumption and chemicals for boiler water treatment, save the cost of boiler maintenance and reduces toxic emissions by burning diesel. Source: Gulf News

Dow, Saudi water firm sign desal MoU

The Dow Chemical Company and Saudi Arabia-based Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to pursue joint development activities in desalination technologies. As part of the MoU, Dow will partner with SWCC on initiatives to share local and global best practices and insights, while conducting research into desalination processes and technologies. SWCC is a Saudi government body responsible for desalinating sea water to augment the supply of potable water to coastal and inland cities in the Kingdom. It is the largest desalinated water producer in the world with 32 desalination plants that are responsible for 18 per cent of the world’s desalinated water production. “It’s a great honor for Dow to be selected as SWCC’s R&D partner and we are very conscious of the opportunity presented to our team,” said Jerome Peribere, executive vice president of The Dow Chemical Company. “With an unmatched specialty portfolio of advanced materials we constantly aim at bringing customers differentiation and solving global challenges locally together. Dow is looking forward to the profound local and global insights from SWCC while also sharing our expertise garnered over 50 years of innovation and market leadership. As Dow grows its presence in Saudi Arabia, we are partnering with leading entities such as SWCC in order to better understand the needs of this market and to deliver the right solutions at the right time,” said Dr. Ilham Kadri, commercial director, Dow Water & Process Solutions (DW&PS), Europe, Middle East and Africa and general manager, AMD, Middle East & Africa. “Our MoU with SWCC will present an excellent opportunity for joint R&D, an area that is particularly relevant in light of our plans to invest in a manufacturing facility in the Kingdom. Together, we will work on the membranes and the chemicals that Advanced Materials can offer, from ultra-filtration to reverse osmosis to PAA to our microbial offerings, with the aim of improving the efficiency of the desalination operations in Saudi Arabia and beyond,” he added. Source: TradeArabia News Service