Militaries are considering a wholesale change in their fuel use ahead of Cop28, the leading British general on climate issues has told The National.
The armed forces are considering micronuclear plants to power bases, water capture from the air and new fuels for warships as part of an overhaul to cut emissions, said Lt Gen Richard Nugee, the chief adviser for climate change and sustainability for the Ministry of Defence.
Western militaries are also re-examining defence planning to tackle potential conflicts and disasters that climate change might bring, he said.
Micro-nuclear
During the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq it was found that British forces suffered an average of one casualty out of every 24 times it resupplied its bases in 2007.
“A very large amount of our soldiers were killed on combat patrols on resupplying our bases,” said Lt Gen Nugee, 60.
Getting fuel to Afghanistan’s Bagram airbase using lengthy and dangerous convoys through Pakistan cost $150 for every litre delivered.
Rolls-Royce is developing technology that could have a dramatic impact on military energy. The company is building micronuclear plants that fit into 12-metre shipping containers.
The reactor can produce an output of five megawatts over five years without refuelling. That would have been enough electricity to power Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, which housed up to 20,000 British, American and other Nato troops until 2014.
“We are actively looking at it,” said Lt Gen Nugee. “It’s designed for a deployable base, where you dig it in and it is incredibly safe. From our perspective, this is brilliant, because five megawatts is a lot and any excess energy can be used for creating water, synthetic fuel or hydrogen.”
The small reactor could also be used to help power refugee camps, he added.
Water from air
Aside from fuel, water is another key requirement for military operations, with infantry soldiers needing up to 10 litres a day while on combat patrols.
During Britain’s operation to suppress ISIS-linked extremists in Mali, its base was filled with water bottles that had to be hauled in by lorries. Similarly, in Afghanistan water at times had to be flown into outposts by helicopter adding significantly to cost and risk.
The army is now examining a technique developed by a Dutch company that can harvest 1,000 litres of drinking water from condensation and humidity using a special windmill.
“In Mali, our troops were frankly horrified by the maintenance and supply chain for fuel but more importantly the number of trucks coming in with water bottles,” said Lt Gen Nugee. “That was a real problem with all these thousands of bottles of water.
“But 1,000 litres of water a day is enough for a company of soldiers and demonstrates that new technologies are coming along and will only get bigger and more cost-effective.”
Warship fuel
The UK Royal Navy is looking at its next generation of warships to design engine space to accommodate opportunities from future fuels.
Methane is being considered to power multi-fuel engines that could cope with ammonia or synthetic fuel.
Given the size of the industry, the navy will wait to see what new efficient fuel the International Maritime Organisation will agree on as it sets its own standards for reaching net zero.
“The IMO has not yet come to a conclusion on that but once it's made we should be piggybacking on the back of that rather than going our own way,” said Lt Gen Nugee, who wrote the climate change policy for defence before retiring in 2021.
Meeting Cop28 emission targets that will be set in the UAE summit later this year will be “very difficult for militaries because they've got to balance that with combat effectiveness and that's been brought home in spades because of Ukraine”, he said.
Many more armies were now examining the security implications of climate change with a view to what they might be asked to do.
“That wouldn't necessarily have been on their radar before but it is something that all the militaries that I'm speaking to are beginning to wake up to,” Lt Gen Nugee said.
This could be humanitarian assistance and military aid to civil authorities during disasters or combating territorial disputes caused by people moving from uninhabitable areas.
“It will be the military that picks up the pieces where tension and conflict are consequences of climate change,” he said. “It’s something that the cabinet office is thinking about very much.”
War emissions
War itself causes significant emissions with tanks and explosions, but it is more the rebuilding of destroyed towns and cities that will impact climate.
It is estimated that to rebuild Ukraine, aside from the estimated $400 billion cost, will use 100 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. In peacetime, the British military uses about 3.5 million tonnes a year.
“Finding ways of using new technology to make themselves more sustainable must be the answer,” said the officer. “Technology is moving at pace and I think that is the place where we will find answers.”
Nato leaders have identified three challenges for the alliance stemming from climate change.
At this month's Nato Forum in Vilnius, David van Weel, the assistant secretary general, said changing weather patterns would mean militaries needing to fight differently.
Soldiers and trainers who are part of the Nato mission in Iraq need to cope with temperatures over 40ºC. The alliance is changing the way bases are built to protect against climate change.
Adaptation is an overarching challenge as naval bases flood, helicopters are impacted and the extremes of weather patterns widen.
The difficulty is that Nato is a security-first alliance that must keep its existing equipment in a state of readiness.
“We feel the impact of climate change,” said Mr Van Weel. “We have to do disaster relief and there is a great awareness within the military that climate change is real.
“The question is, 'how fast can we move?'
“Of course we are not going to change our tanks for solar tanks tomorrow.
“We need the equipment we have now, we need to use it and we are going to be using it more as we are increasing our deterrence posture here in Europe.
“We are looking at best practices from our nations.
The Netherlands is now experimenting with electric infantry fighting vehicles, Germany is looking at hybrid propulsion and Poland is looking at hydrogen propulsion for tanks.
“This will help us reach our goals and be a contributor to net zero.”
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Roll of honour
Who has won what so far in the West Asia Premiership season?
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens - Winners: Dubai Exiles; Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Cup - Winners: Bahrain; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Trophy - Winners: Dubai Hurricanes; Runners up: DSC Eagles
Final West Asia Premiership standings - 1. Jebel Ali Dragons; 2. Abu Dhabi Harlequins; 3. Bahrain; 4. Dubai Exiles; 5. Dubai Hurricanes; 6. DSC Eagles; 7. Abu Dhabi Saracens
Fixture (UAE Premiership final) - Friday, April 13, Al Ain – Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Tim Paine (captain), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner
Full Party in the Park line-up
2pm – Andreah
3pm – Supernovas
4.30pm – The Boxtones
5.30pm – Lighthouse Family
7pm – Step On DJs
8pm – Richard Ashcroft
9.30pm – Chris Wright
10pm – Fatboy Slim
11pm – Hollaphonic
The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
The%20specs
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THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
UAE squad
Men's draw: Victor Scvortov and Khalifa Al Hosani, (both 73 kilograms), Sergiu Toma and Mihail Marchitan (90kg), Ivan Remarenco (100kg), Ahmed Al Naqbi (60kg), Musabah Al Shamsi and Ahmed Al Hosani (66kg)
Women’s draw: Maitha Al Neyadi (57kg)
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
Result
Arsenal 4
Monreal (51'), Ramsey (82'), Lacazette 85', 89')
West Ham United 1
Arnautovic (64')
