Sustainable AASTMT

7.2.6. Divestment Policy: Have a policy on divesting investments from carbon-intensive energy industries to renewable energy sources and clean energy

AAST Energy Research Unit and Energy Management Committee focus on divesting from carbon intensive industries by directing investments and research towards green clean energy and carbon emissions reduction, as well as expansion in renewable energy employment. This is demonstrated in Green Energy and Energy Management Policy which includes Investments and Research aspects besides other aspects including; Energy-efficient facilities, Regular Monitoring, Emissions Reduction, Community Engagement and Governments Support, Education.

The Investments and Research aspects in this policy include the following. 

Investments

• Divesting investments from carbon-intensive energy industries notably coal and oil to renewable energy initiatives including wind, solar, hydro, bioenergy, …. etc. projects.
• Sustainability-focused investment approach towards projects that promote environmental conservation, and clean energy technologies.
• Investments in start-ups and businesses that not only demonstrate a potential for economic growth, but also operate responsibly with a strong focus on sustainability and environmental stewardship.

Research

• Expand research on clean energy industry and green infrastructure projects that meet internationally recognized sustainability standards.
• Focus on carbon emission reduction projects and energy recovery projects via energy recuperation.

Moreover, there is the Sustainable Investment Policy-statement which focuses on investments in Renewable Energy initiatives, including but not limited to wind, solar, hydro, and bioenergy projects.

Check Sustainable Investment Policy on the AASTMT news page

2022/2023 Measures towards Green Renewable Energy

Over the course of 2022 and 2023, AASTMT made significant strides in transitioning to renewable energy sources, with a particular focus on solar power. The university expanded its solar infrastructure by operating 214 kW of photovoltaics and solar panels which contributed in increasing AAST renewable energy share supply to 24% of AASTMT total energy needs in 2023. This growth was made possible through further investments in renewable energy infrastructure as well as improvements in the maintenance and operation of existing solar installations. Moreover, in 2022/2023, AASTMT has significantly expanded its contributions to renewable energy and climate change through investments, research and projects as well as grants and innovations whose outcomes flourished within this period.

Related measures are detailed in AASTMT 2022/2023 Energy Progress Report and summarized below;

• The university fully utilized it photovoltaic infrastructure in 2022 where a solar power station with a capacity of 50 kilowatts is installed in the Seventh Engineering Building in Alexandria campus and another one of 150 kW in Aswan. Both work with net metering system. Improvements in the maintenance and operation of existing solar installations in 2023 help to maintain and even improve their output power thus enhancing its energy share in all AASTMT consumption.
• Solar heaters have been installed in 2023 to replace the electric heaters in students’ dorms – Alexandria campus- Abukir branch as was planned in 2022, besides the already applied solar heaters in the Pharmacy college.

• Investments in Energy-related LABs intalled in AASTMT different campuses to guarantee continuous improvements and maintenance within these facilities whih assist in consultancy, research and  trainings. These Labs include;

- Energy Research Unit LAB in Seventh Engineerring Building - Alexandria Headquarter

Energy Research Unit LAB

- Energy LAB in Eletrical Energy Engineering Department - Smart village campus

Eletrical Energy Engineering LAB

- Environmental Monitoring and Climate Change Laboratory - Scientific Research & Innovation Centre

 Environmental Monitoring and Climate Change Laboratory

• Participate in further renewable energy-related research projects and improve the outcomes of already existing ones to serve the industry and community effectively and resourcefully. 

It is worth noting that a number of renewable energy- related projects, undertaken by AASTMT, have resulted in significant outcomes in 2022/2023. Some examples are listed below.

- MAIA-TAQA Project (2019-2023)

An important outcome of this project is “The Innovation One Stop Shop (IOSS)” in the Energy research Unit LAB installed and operated in 2022. The IOSS main purpose in AASTMT is to support startups and industry with business models, besides being used for training and consultancy purposes with components and facilities related to Renewable Energy.

MAIA-TAQA-IOSS

- Smart Solar-Powered Public Parking System Project

This project was funded by Information Technology Industry Development Agency’s (ITIDA) and Information Technology Academia Collaboration (ITAC). This was followed by a related project, “Smart Integrated On-Board Battery Charger for Electric Vehicle Applications”. As an output of these projects, AASTMT Research and Development Center at Alamin campus designed and implemented two setups (PV-based Electric Vehicle Charger and Solar Power Smart Parking Meter) in AAST Abukir Campus in 2023 as a prototype for more duplicates.

Smart Charger for Electric Vehicle

- An Environmentally Friendly Electric Car Project

An electric car, that uses water and hydrogen, was invented by a student team from the Institute of Technical and Vocational Studies at AASTMT Industry Service Complex (ISC) in 2023.

AASTMT Electric Car Project 

- Monitoring, Assessment and Innovative Treatment Technology to Enhance Groundwater Quality for Irrigation Purposes toward Climate Change Adaptation (TREATMENT) Project

In 2022/2023, a Renewable, Innovative and Integrated Water Treatment Unit is designed to use energy harnessed from solar photovoltaic system to be used to lift water from a well, and subsequently, the water is directed through the four-stage nano-filter, where it undergoes a rigorous purification process. The end result is clean, potable water or water suitable for irrigation and cultivation and the PV system, serves as the sustainable energy source for the three-phase pump.

Treatment Project (2022-2023)

The AAST energy consumption is supplied mainly from the national grid in addition to solar energy in average 214 kW installed on AASTMT campuses buildings in 2022/2023.

Note that the national grid has 20% renewable energy according to National renewable energy Authority (NREA report 2022), as illustrated in Figure 6 (a) , and the national renewable energy share increased by almost 6% in 2023  as illustrated in Figure 6 (b). This contributed, besides the already installed 214 kW solar energy, to increase AASTMT average renewable energy share in supplying its total energy demand to around 24% in 2022/2023, as illustrated in AASTMT 2022/2023 Insights.

As shown in Table1, in 2022/2023, 270 GJ are supplied from renewable energy resources existing within AASTMT infrastructure which reflects AASTMT efforts to divert to clean energy, increase energy efficiency, reduce emissions and sustain serving the Environment. Moreover, Table 2 shows that 2022/2023 AASTMT total energy use from low-carbon renewable sources are 17271 GJ (270 GJ renewables installed in AASTMT and the rest from renewables’ share in national grid)  representing almost 24% of AASTMT energy supply.

2021/2022 share in energy supply from renewables in all AASTMT branches

Table 2 shows the total energy in GJ and energy density in all AASTMT branches allover EGYPT. It is worth noting that more than 267 GJ were supplied from renewable energy resources, as illustrated in 2021/2022 AASTMT Energy Insights, which reflects AASTMT efforts to divert to clean energy, increase energy efficiency, reduce emissions and sustain serving the Environment.