Sheraa and Ministry of Culture and Youth call for high-impact startups across MENA in a bid to boost UAE’s creative economy

 

• The newly launched Access Sharjah Challenge focuses on the Cultural and Creative Industries 

• Applications for the challenge are open until October 10

• Two winning startups will be announced at World Conference on Creative Economy in Dubai and given access to an equity-free prize pool of $100,000 divided into prize money and the opportunity to implement their solution in Sharjah

 

Sharjah, September, 2021

 

The Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) and the Ministry of Culture and Youth have launched the Access Sharjah Challenge with an equity-free prize pool of $100,000 open to top startups from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The platform aims to empower conscious entrepreneurs invested in creating innovative solutions in the Cultural and Creative Industries.

 

Inspired by the United Nations Assembly’s declaration of 2021 as the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, the competition is in line with Sheraa’s mission to support startups in the creative sectors, and to support innovative, creative, and tech-savvy startups from around the region by connecting them with the private and public sectors to reach their target market and stimulate innovation in the UAE.

 

In strategic partnership with the Sharjah Museums Authority, Alef Group and Air Arabia, the competition is looking for innovative startups operating in the following sectors under the creative industry: Cultural & Natural Heritage; Performance & Celebration; Visual Arts & Crafts; Audio Visual & Interactive Media; Design and Creative Services; and Books & Press. 

 

Startups fulfilling the following criteria are encouraged to apply: the startup is revenue-generating, has at least one successful implementation of their solution, at least one full-time founder and is headquartered in the MENA region. 

 

The challenge offers a myriad of benefits; starting with a grant of up to $50,000, composing of $25,000 towards an implementation contract to bring their projects to life at Alef properties and Sharjah Museum spaces, $15,000 in cash and $10,000 towards business setup support; in addition to operational business support services including discounted office space and banking services; mentoring from Sheraa’s in-house team and their community of mentors; and access to market.

 

Applications for the challenge are now open and will be accepted until October 10, of which ten finalists will be shortlisted and will receive the opportunity to pitch their ideas and innovations on stage at the upcoming Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival (SEF). The winners will be announced at the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) 2021, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Youth, held at Expo 2020 Dubai.

 

Interested startups can apply on Sheraa’s official website at sheraa.ae/asc

 

Bodour Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa) said, “We are pleased to launch this pioneering initiative, which seeks to attract and connect successive generations of conscious entrepreneurs and their unique ideas to Sharjah and the UAE. The underlying objective of this challenge is to allow the top startups in the creative and cultural fields to benefit from the growth opportunities in our innovative- and impact-driven local economy, which has succeeded in bringing new ideas to life in a variety of sectors – from heritage, art, culture and design to media, publishing, photography and film making.”

 

Bodour Al Qasimi emphasised that the Access Sharjah Challenge pays homage to the emirate’s deep-rooted history and leadership across various creative sectors, while promoting its stimulating and holistic environment for the pursuit of conscious entrepreneurship. This in return would help drive economic diversification, sustainable development, and cement the UAE’s global positioning as a leading hub for creativity and innovation.

 

Commenting on the initiative, H.E. Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth, said: “This initiative contributes to our collective mission to help our youth leverage opportunities that the Cultural and Creative Industries offer. These industries have huge potential to help overcome economic and social challenges arising from the Covid-19 pandemic, and reinforce the UAE’s resilience, as well as its adaptability in the face of the rapid changes we are facing today.

“Access Sharjah reiterates the UAE’s message to startups and youth, locally as well as globally, that our nation is on a steadfast track to accelerate post-COVID recovery within the creative economy to diversify opportunities and boost job creation. We are moving towards a knowledge-based economy to make positive social and environmental impact and realize our long-term vision for strategic socioeconomic development and sustainability.”

On her part, Najla Al Midfa, CEO of Sheraa, commented: “The Access Sharjah Challenge was created to support the growth of MENA’s high-caliber startups by offering them a platform to impact not just their communities, but the world at large. For its third edition, the Access Sharjah Challenge is set to recognize founders leading the charge in building a thriving creative economy."

 

She added: “At Sheraa, our vision is to deepen the culture of entrepreneurship by nurturing impactful ideas and promising talent with the potential to create lasting change. And, with Sharjah known as the cultural capital of the Arab world, there is no better place for innovators in the creative economy to call home.”

 

Manal Ataya, Director General of Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA), asserted that SMA’s support for the project launched by Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa) to empower emerging companies, is in harmony with SMA’s commitment to collaborate and partner with organizations that promote innovation and the emirate’s position as a leading platform for pioneering entrepreneurship, and an environment that nurtures creativity and talents of all kinds.

 

She pointed out that being committed to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah regarding the importance of investing in future generations and sustainable solutions in order to enhance the development of the cultural sector, SMA has always focused its work on supporting creativity, encouraging knowledge and innovation, and developing the potential of youth in particular.

 

Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, said: “Promoting creativity and innovation is always top priority in setting our strategy and plans. The Access Sharjah Challenge initiative aims to support and connect innovative startups in Sharjah to build a better future. As a strategic partner, we look forward to original and path-breaking ideas by innovative startups across different sector which will lead to building a

better future together.” 

 

Issa Ataya, CEO of Alef Group, said: “Alef Group is delighted to be partnering with Sheraa in promoting innovative start-ups and entrepreneurs that have the potential to scale up and be part of a growing SME ecosystem in Sharjah, boosting the emirate’s position as a leading hub for entrepreneurship. We have long been supporting initiatives that support small and medium-sized enterprises in their growth aspirations as part of our corporate social responsibility commitment.”

He added: “Through this, we are actively participating in the government’s efforts to promote collaboration and cooperation between public and private sector entities that will have a positive impact on the development of the economy within the Emirate.”

 

Johnson Controls Issues First $500 Million Sustainability-Linked Bond

• Johnson Controls becomes first S&P500 industrial company to publish an integrated sustainable finance framework and issue a Sustainability-Linked Bond

• Sustainability-Linked Bond will target greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals

• The offering and publication of an integrated sustainable finance framework represent new milestones in sustainable finance, following entry into sustainability-linked revolving credit facility in 2019 and issuance of inaugural green bond in 2020

CORK, Ireland, September 16, 2021 — Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings has furthered its leadership in sustainable finance following the completion of its first Sustainability-Linked Bond offering of $500 million in ten-year senior notes. The offering of the Sustainability-Linked Bond is in conformity with the company’s recently published integrated green, social and sustainability-linked finance framework. The publication of an integrated sustainable finance framework and issuance of a Sustainability-Linked Bond mark two new sustainability milestones for Johnson Controls, which has become the first S&P500 industrial company to complete both accomplishments.

Earlier, in January 2021, Johnson Controls adopted a new set of ambitious environmental goals, which were approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative. The company committed to cut operational emissions by 55 percent and reduce customers’ emissions by 16 percent before 2030. Based on these commitments, the company issued a Sustainability-Linked Bond which ties the interest rate on the bond to the achievement of these environmental goals. This means that Johnson Controls will pay a higher interest rate to bond investors if it fails to meet its interim targets for reducing Scope 1 + 2 and Scope 3 carbon emissions by September 16, 2025.

“Experts say that an additional $1-2 trillion/year must be invested in sustainability and cutting greenhouse gases if we are going to have any chance of meeting the steep carbon reductions science tells us is urgently required,” said George Oliver, chairman and CEO, Johnson Controls. “Governments alone will not be able to mobilize this sum of money, so private sector capital needs to get sustainable, and fast. Building the market for sustainable finance is therefore an imperative; and ensuring that the highest standards are met so that dollars flow to projects that truly accelerate decarbonization, is also critical. With our continued commitment to sustainable finance and aggressive sustainability targets, we are showing our leadership in the field.”

The adoption of an expanded, integrated Sustainable Finance Framework gives Johnson Controls the flexibility to utilize a wider range of sustainable finance instruments than its prior Green Finance Framework, now enabling the company to issue Green, Sustainability, and Sustainability-Linked Bonds and Loans. This more than ever shows the company’s desire to promote an ESG impact via its debt financing and further strengthen the commitments the company has made around reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. The Sustainable Finance Framework received a positive Second Party Opinion (SPO) from Sustainalytics, calling the framework “credible and impactful”, noting that the company’s key performance indicators (KPIs) are “very strong”, and the company’s sustainable performance targets (SPTs) are “ambitious” to “highly ambitious”. The integrated Sustainable Finance Framework is available on the Johnson Controls Corporate Sustainability website, together with a link to the SPO.

The Sustainability-Linked Bond offering further solidifies Johnson Controls leadership in the use of sustainable finance instruments to support initiatives aimed at combatting climate change – now being the first S&P500 company to have floated the trifecta of sustainable instruments. In December 2019, Johnson Controls became one of the first industrial companies to tie its senior revolving credit facilities to individual sustainability metrics in the U.S. syndicated loan market. In September 2020, it completed its inaugural green bond issuance in the form of $625 million in ten-year senior notes. This landmark issuance was not only one of the largest among industrial issuers in the U.S., but also made Johnson Controls one of the first industrial companies to issue a green bond in the U.S. dollar debt capital markets.

With respect to the company’s green bond issuance, the company is pleased to announce that it has fully allocated the net proceeds of the green bond within one year of issuance on projects aimed at driving energy efficiency, both internally and for its customers. An overview of the final allocation, along with the corresponding positive environmental impacts and project spotlights, will be provided in the 2021 Green Bond Report, which will be posted on the company’s Corporate Sustainability website tomorrow, September 17, 2021.

“This is further demonstration that Johnson Controls is taking a lead in the zero emissions buildings space, said Katie McGinty, vice president & chief sustainability, government and regulatory affairs officer at Johnson Controls. “Slashing carbon emissions from buildings is critical in tackling climate change, since they represent 40 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions and analyses show that 30 percent and more of green finance proceeds go to sustainable buildings projects. Johnson Controls OpenBlue digital platform and services for optimizing buildings can drive improvements of 50 percent and more in energy efficiency to deliver corresponding reductions carbon emissions.”

As a leader in the buildings space for more than 135 years, Johnson Controls has been a pioneer in sustainability. It is ranked in the top 12 percent of climate leadership companies globally by CDP and was recently named again to the World’s Most Ethical Companies® Honoree List and one of Corporate Knights' Global 100 most Sustainable Companies.

For more information, please visit: https://www.johnsoncontrols.com/corporate-sustainability/sustainable-finance

Valmet to supply a container board making line to Kipas Kagıt in Turkey

 

Valmet Oyj’s press release on September 17, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. EET

Valmet will supply a new container board making line with extensive packages of automation and services to Batı Kipas Kagıt Sanayi İsletmeleri in Söke, Turkey. The new board making line (PM 3) will produce high-quality fluting and liner grades. The start-up of PM 3 is scheduled for the third quarter of 2023.

The order is included in Valmet's orders received of the third quarter 2021. The value of the order will not be disclosed. The total value of an order of this type and delivery scope is typically around EUR 90-110 million.

“The new board machine PM 3 will be a showcase of Valmet’s high-level technical innovations. Batı Kipas Kagıt wants to be a forerunner in technology. We selected Valmet due to its innovative solutions and the good performance of Valmet’s earlier delivery of our PM 1 in Kahramanmaraş,” says Sinem Öksüz Dedebayraktar, Member of Board of Kipas Holding.

“Our cooperation with Kipas Kagıt has been excellent. In August, we also announced a multifuel boiler delivery to the same customer. The high-level technical solutions we have offered have really been differentiation factors to Kipas Kagıt – in this sales project, aqua layer headbox, impingement drying and hard nip sizer are good examples of them,” says Haluk Arıcan, Senior Sales Manager, Turkey, Valmet.

Technical information about the delivery

Valmet's delivery for PM 3 will include a high-speed container board making line from broke collection and an approach system to a reel and a winder. An OptiFlo Layering Gap headbox with new innovative aqua layering technology will be used to produce a two-layer sheet with a very good layer coverage using only one headbox and one OptiFormer Gap forming unit with shoe and blade technology. These will be followed by an OptiPress Linear press section and OptiRun Single dyer section topped with an OptiDry Twin impingement drying unit providing superior drying efficiency, excellent runnability, enhanced draw control and increased bulk, and an OptiSizer Hard sizer giving higher strength values.

The end of the machine line will be equipped with an OptiReel Linear reel combined with transfer rails, and a high-capacity OptiWin Pro two-drum proactive winder with Dual Unwind for even higher winding capacity. A wide scope of board machine and machine hall process ventilation systems, continuous surface size preparation and OptiSizer supply systems will be included, too.

The delivery will include Valmet DNA Automation System including process controls, drive controls, and condition monitoring, and Valmet IQ Quality Control System (QCS) with web monitoring and web inspection systems. The start-up and the further optimization of the new board machine will be supported remotely from Valmet Performance Center utilizing the latest Industrial Internet solutions. Cost Monitoring will offer real time cost information of energy consumption in the production process. The delivery will also include Valmet Paper Machine Clothing, spare parts and consumables packages.

The 9,100-mm-wide (wire) board machine will produce recycled fluting, testliner and kraft top testliner grades with a basis weight range of 60-110 g/m². The design speed of the machine will be 1,800 m/min and the annual capacity approximately 650,000 tonnes.

About the customer Batı Kipas Kagıt Sanayi İsletmeleri

Kipas Kagıt Sanayi İsletmeleri A.Ş. started as a joint venture of Kipaş Holding in 2011 and produces high-quality containerboard paper from wastepaper. Currently, Kipaş has two paper machines: PM 1 in Kahramanmaraş with an annual production capacity of 450,000 tons and PM 2 in Söke with a production capacity of 720,000 tons of coated grades.

VALMET
Corporate Communications

UAE and UK to strengthen cooperation on Climate Action and Environment

MoU – signed ahead of UN climate summit - will seek to deliver on Paris Agreement and support COP26 goal of accelerated climate action
Agreement recognizes climate action as a driver for economic growth, job creation and sustainable development
Framework will facilitate cross-sector cooperation across government, business, and research

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 18 September, 2021 The UAE and the United Kingdom today agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation to accelerate climate action and environmental protection in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by H.E Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Special Envoy for Climate and the Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, UK Minister of State for Middle East and North Africa.

The MoU comes ahead of the UN COP26 climate summit in November, due to be hosted by the UK in the city of Glasgow and offers a framework for wide-ranging cooperation by government entities, companies, and research agencies in support of realizing COP26 goals.

The agreement recognizes that strong, decisive climate action can be an engine for economic growth, job creation and sustainable development and aligns with the UAE’s recently launched “Principles of the 50” roadmap to mark the country’s Golden Jubilee. The Principles will help forge a new era of economic and social growth for the UAE over the next 50 years.

H.E Dr. Sultan Al Jaber said: “Fifteen years ago, the UAE made a strategic decision to invest heavily in innovation and low-carbon energy, especially renewables and in partnership with other countries. In the UK, we were an anchor investor in some of the country’s largest wind projects - including Dudgeon and the London Array - that have helped make Great Britain the world’s leading market for offshore wind energy.

“Today’s MoU, on the eve of the UN climate summit in Glasgow, builds on our long-standing partnership with the UK, including on environmental cooperation and investment. We look forward to strengthening our collaboration across all sectors to help support and realize the bold ambitions the UK has outlined for COP26.”

Under the MoU, the UAE and the UK will work together in seeking to deliver on the Paris Agreement, including by reducing emissions to keep 1.5 degrees in reach, facilitating greater action on adaptation, mobilising finance for climate action and collaborating on pathways to low emission and climate-resilient growth.

The UAE was the first country in the region to ratify and sign the Paris Accords and the first in MENA to set an economy-wide reduction in emissions by 2030, as part of its second Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The country has a demonstrable track record on progressive climate initiatives across all key sectors, including energy, industry, and agriculture.

Today’s agreement with the UK focuses on facilitating the exchange of information on policies, programmes, regulations, and business models that support joint efforts on climate action. It will also better enable research and development, promote investments and the adoption of technology, and support private sector collaboration as well as assist with coordination and cooperation on development and humanitarian activities.

November’s UN climate summit will see the official launch of the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate ​(AIM for Climate), co-founded by the UAE and the United States with endorsement from the UK’s COP Presidency. Agricultural innovation for climate action will be an area of strong cooperation with the UK. Others include adaptation and resilience, low-carbon energy and decarbonization, green finance and investment and climate science and research collaboration.

الإمارات والمملكة المتحدة توقعان اتفاقية لتعزيز التعاون المناخي والبيئي

توقيع مذكرة التفاهم قبل مؤتمر COP26 يسهم في تعزيز التقدم لتحقيق أهداف اتفاق باريس ودعم جهود تسريع العمل المناخي

الاتفاقية تؤكد على دور العمل المناخي بوصفه محركاً للنمو الاقتصادي وتوفير فرص العمل والتنمية المستدامة

مذكرة التفاهم تعزز التعاون بين الهيئات الحكومية والشركات ومؤسسات البحوث في القطاعات ذات الصلة

دبي، 18 سبتمبر 2021: وقعت اليوم دولة الإمارات والمملكة المتحدة اتفاقية لتعزيز التعاون الثنائي من أجل تسريع العمل المناخي وحماية البيئة، وتشمل إطار عمل لتعاون واسع النطاق بين الهيئات الحكومية والشركات ومؤسسات البحوث دعماً لتحقيق أهداف مؤتمر الأمم المتحدة للمناخ (COP26) الذي تستضيفه المملكة المتحدة بمدينة غلاسكو في نوفمبر المقبل.

وتؤكد الاتفاقية التي وقعها معالي الدكتور سلطان أحمد الجابر، وزير الصناعة والتكنولوجيا المتقدمة، والمبعوث الخاص للتغير المناخي بدولة الإمارات ومعالي جيمس كليفرلي، وزير شؤون الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا للمملكة المتحدة، على دور العمل المناخي بوصفه محركاً للنمو الاقتصادي والتنمية المستدامة وخلق فرص عمل جديدة، وتتماشى مع خريطة طريق "مبادئ الخمسين" التي أطلقتها دولة الإمارات استعداداً للخمسين عاماً المقبلة للمساهمة في رسم ملامح عصر جديد من النمو الاقتصادي والاجتماعي في دولة الإمارات.

وبهذه المناسبة، قال معالي الدكتور سلطان أحمد الجابر: "قبل خمس عشرة سنة، ومن خلال الرؤية الاستشرافية للقيادة الرشيدة، اتخذت دولة الإمارات قراراً استراتيجياً بالاستثمار المكثف وبالشراكة مع بلدان أخرى في الابتكار والطاقة منخفضة الكربون، لا سيما الطاقة المتجددة. وكانت دولة الإمارات من أوائل المستثمرين في كبرى مشاريع طاقة الرياح المجدية تجارياً في المملكة المتحدة، مثل محطتي دادجون ومصفوفة لندن، والتي ساعدت بريطانيا في أن تصبح السوق الأهم في العالم لطاقة الرياح البحرية".

وأضاف: "تستند مذكرة التفاهم الموقعة اليوم إلى شراكتنا التاريخية مع المملكة المتحدة، والتي تتضمن الاستثمار والعمل المناخي. ونتطلع إلى تعزيز تعاوننا في مختلف القطاعات للمساعدة في دعم وتحقيق الأهداف الطموحة التي وضعتها المملكة المتحدة لمؤتمر COP26".

وبموجب مذكرة التفاهم، ستتعاون دولة الإمارات والمملكة المتحدة لإنجاز مستهدفات اتفاق باريس، وذلك من خلال خفض الانبعاثات ليبقى الاحتباس الحراري في حدود 1.5 درجة، وتسهيل المزيد من الأعمال بشأن التكيف مع التغير المناخي، وحشد التمويل للعمل المناخي والتعاون لخفض الانبعاثات، وتعزيز النمو بالتزامن مع الحد من تداعيات تغير المناخ.

وكانت الإمارات أول دولة في المنطقة تصادق وتوقع على اتفاق باريس، وأول دولة في الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا تحدد هدفاً لخفض الانبعاث في مختلف القطاعات الاقتصادية بحلول عام 2030، ضمن مساهماتها الثانية المحددة وطنياً. وتمتلك دولة الإمارات سجلاً حافلاً بالمبادرات المناخية الفعالة والناجحة في مختلف القطاعات الرئيسية، بما فيها الطاقة والصناعة والزراعة.

وتركز اتفاقية اليوم مع المملكة المتحدة على تسهيل تبادل المعلومات حول السياسات والبرامج والتشريعات ونماذج الأعمال التي تدعم الجهود المشتركة بشأن العمل المناخي. كما تسهم في تمكين البحوث والتطوير وتعزيز الاستثمارات ونشر تطبيقات التكنولوجيا، وتدعم التعاون مع القطاع الخاص، إلى جانب المساعدة في تنسيق الأنشطة التنموية والإنسانية.

وسيشهد مؤتمر الأمم المتحدة للمناخ COP26 في نوفمبر الإطلاق الرسمي لمبادرة "الابتكار الزراعي من أجل المناخ"، التي تشاركت في تأسيسها دولة الإمارات والولايات المتحدة. وسيكون الابتكار الزراعي من أجل العمل المناخي أحد مجالات التعاون مع المملكة المتحدة. وتشمل المجالات الأخرى التكيف والمرونة ونزع الكربون والطاقة منخفضة الكربون، والاستثمار والتمويل الأخضر والتعاون في مجال البحوث وعلم المناخ.

-انتهى-

 

Shanghai Electric Ranks 51st on ENR's 2021 Top 250 International Contractors List

 

SHANGHAI, Sept. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/Knowledge Bylanes -- Shanghai Electric (601727.SS and 02727.HK) announced the Company has been ranked 51st on the 2021 Top 250 International Contractors list published by Engineering News-Record (ENR), a world-renowned publication for engineering and construction news and analysis. With a total of 22 overseas projects, Shanghai Electric saw the biggest jump in rankings among its Chinese peers this year, despite the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global large-scale engineering projects.

Widely considered the industry barometer, the ENR list ranks global construction companies based on revenue generated by their overseas projects. According to the annual list, 2020 marked another difficult year for global infrastructure construction firms, filling the market with uncertainties and short-term risks. ENR reports that the total international contracting revenue for the Top 250 dropped 11.1% to $420.4 billion in 2020, from $473.1 billion in 2019, which is the largest single-year drop recorded in ENR international contracting data going back to 2003. Amid the complex and challenging market climate, Shanghai Electric implemented proactive business strategies at home and abroad, in an effort to protect onsite employees while maintaining a high growth rate of revenue for its major international projects, including Dubai CSP, Pakistan's Thar Block-1 Integrated Coal Mine and Power Project, Serbia's Pančevo, Vietnam's Forte, Greece's photovoltaics, and Iraq's Huashide maintenance projects.

Looking back in 2020 along which Shanghai Electric rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic, a spokesperson of Shanghai Electric, stated that Shanghai Electric has once again shown its resilience in difficult times for the global engineering industry. "In the face of a constantly shifting business environment and uncertain industry outlook over the past year, Shanghai Electric has taken swift actions to minimize construction delay, address onsite worker safety and shortages, and ensure a high turnover of its overseas projects. The recognition from ENR is another testimony to the exceptional efforts we made, as well as our efficient management and the industry-leading product quality as a result of our unwavering pursuit of excellence," he said.

Meanwhile, construction of Shanghai Electric's major overseas projects is underway with all progress on schedule.

• The 300MW first stage of the 900MW Phase 5 at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park (MBR Solar Park) completed a 10-day performance test in late July this year and entered commercial operation ahead of schedule in mid-August.
• The first aquifer of the open-pit coal mine of Pakistan's Thar Block-1 Integrated Coal Mine and Power Project has been completed at the end of June.
• The 220 kV switch station at the Pančevo gas combined cycle power plant in Serbia completed backfeeding on August 19. The operating status of all devices involved is stable and showed promising results, which laid groundwork for grid-connected power generation.

In addition, the 300 MW Unit -1 of the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Station (DCRTPP), Yamuna Nagar of Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL) has broken the records by completing a 145-day continuous operation on April 19, 2021, carried out by the Shanghai Electric engineers.

The maintenance mission came amid a challenging time when India was experiencing a new wave of COVID-19. Working under immense pressure and against all odds, HPGCL and Shanghai Electric engineers joined hands to undertake an overhaul for the unit, which allowed the unit to operate without any technical issues over the next five months. In March 2021, the unit recorded a monthly Plant Load Factor (PLF) of 86.32 per cent, which is among the best-performing power plant benchmarks across the country.

Unit 4 of Jindal 4X300MW coal-fired power plant in India also recorded a 711-day failure-free operation in September 2020, smashing the previous record of 684-day operation without breakdowns and set a new standard for the entire country. In January 2021, India's Warora 2X300 MW coal-fired power plant project clinched the "Best Performance Award", which marked the third consecutive year the power plant has received the recognition.