Download Use of Renewable Energy in the Gulf Countries

4
Use of Renewable Energy in
the Gulf Countries
Introduction:
Ministry of Energy - Electricity
Affairs
Electricity and Water Desalination
Department
Research Project
Use of Renewable Energy in the
Gulf Countries
Envirocities eMagazine
The human keeps searching for new sources of energy to meet his growing
needs in the developed applications of life in which he lives. However, some
sources of energy are known of being exhausted, high cost of their utilization
and negative impact of their use on the environment. The human has become
aware in the modern era of the possibility of benefiting from the sunlight
heat, which is characterized as renewable and sustainable energy, the same as
the energy that can be obtained from the wind, water flow or other natural
phenomena that can produce energy. The world has recognized clearly the
great danger caused by using the other and conventional sources of energy
(especially oil and natural gas) in pollution and destruction of environment,
making the renewable energy the best option at all. Therefore, the renewable
sources of energy have become in this current era a national income for some
countries, so that in the Arab Gulf Countries, which are considered as of the
most oil-rich countries in the world, the solar energy is mainly and effectively
used.
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Historical Overview:
Since renewable energy is considered as of the modern scientific fields and disciplines, as attention to renewable energy
as a source of energy dates back to the early thirties where thinking at that time was focused on finding materials and
devices capable of converting solar energy into electrical energy, and a substance has been discovered called selenium of
which electrical resistance is affected once exposed to light. Such discovery occurred by chance, as the original search was
to find a substance with high electrical resistance for the purpose of extending communication cables at the bottom of the
Atlantic Ocean. In addition, the use of the wind energy as a basis in production of energy for mills is long experienced
in Europe.
The region works on establishing or planning a lot of wind and solar energy production projects, including projects for
creating cities that depend on the renewable energy sources in the United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
For example, "Masdar" initiative in Abu Dhabi plans to build the largest plant for production of concentrated solar energy
in the world with a capacity up to 1000 MW, while Jordan plans to produce 300 MW of its need of electricity in the year
2020 from the solar energy. Egypt seeks to open the first plant for solar energy production south of Cairo at the end of
the year, coupled with energy production using gas.
While the Arab Mediterranean countries and Arab Gulf Countries develop policies that support efficiency of energy,
however success or failure of the attempts made by the region's countries for diversifying the energy sources, predominating
the low-carbon solutions, depend on the ability of such countries to remove a lot of strategic challenges.
A Magazine for the
Environmental Center for Arab Towns
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Why the renewable energy
sources should be developed
in a region that has a large
reserve of fossil fuel ?
The renewable energy industry in most
countries of the Middle East and North
Africa suffers from low or non funding.
However, there are at least seven reasons
that should motivate the region to take
a leading role in the development of this
sector:
1. The region enjoys suitable geographic and climatic
features, as the Middle East and North Africa region
has the largest potentials in the world for solar energy
production.
2. The renewable energy will contribute to reducing
the greenhouse gases and facing the climate change.
Many countries of the region are considered as
among the countries which emit the highest amount
of greenhouse gases in the world per capita.
3. The renewable energy sources can help in solving
the other environmental problems of the region.
The region faces a rapid rise of pollution levels
accompanied by high costs and deterioration of the
quality of life. It currently experiences the second
highest level of air pollution in the world.
4. The renewable energy sources can reduce the
quantities of oil and gas used in the production of
electricity locally, and thus it is possible to make use
of these quantities in more profitable fields.
5. The renewable energy industry can contribute to
economic diversification and job creation. The oil and
gas sector produces 47 percent of the total domestic
product in the Arab Gulf Countries, however it does
not have more than one percent of the jobs.
Envirocities eMagazine
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issue 1, January 2012
Options of Renewable Energy Use
The wind energy and solar energy are considered the most attractive options in the Gulf region.
Wind Energy
Solar Energy
In good locations, the energy generated from the wind
on the land competes generation of energy from the fossil
fuel in terms of the cost. However, the main problem
in the wind is that it is intermittent as it does not storm
at all times when there is a need to generate electricity.
This issue can be managed in part by distribution of
wind turbines on a wide geographic area. In this regard,
Al Hussaini says: "The planners can get more energy
from the wind through linking the wind turbines to the
hydroelectric plants that can be used to compensate such
intermittency and absorb the excess wind power".
There are two essential technologies for production of
solar energy. The first is called the concentrated solar
energy and it uses mirrors and lenses to concentrate
the solar energy as it is used on a commercial scale to
rotate turbines and produce electricity. As for the solar
energy generated through the photovoltaic panels, it
converts the sunlight directly to electricity by using the
semiconductors, and this technology is often used in
smaller applications, such as the home use.
The two types of solar energy technologies can be used on
a large scale in the region. For example, Masdar initiative
in Abu Dhabi has recently started the construction of
the first photovoltaic generation plant on a commercial
scale in the region, and small plants are spread in several
countries, especially in remote areas."
A Magazine for the
Environmental Center for Arab Towns
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Generation of Renewable Energy in the Middle East
Participation of the private sector in the development of the renewable energy sector in the
Middle East and North Africa is essential due to its experience in reducing cost and improving
efficiency." However, the region's governments should also play a leading role to activate the
sector and encourage investments therein by the following:
1. Development of a strategy for renewable
energy
Development of the renewable energy strategy requires to
take several factors into consideration. The governments
should evaluate their renewable sources and technical
capabilities. They also should take into consideration the
economic benefits resulting from creating an industrial
sector capable of providing the renewable energy projects
with the necessary parts and equipments instead of
importing them. In addition, the governments should
start use of the technology models and small pilot projects
so as not to incur high costs as a result of the inevitable
errors occurring in the new projects, and should grow
rapidly through transition to a larger scale as soon as
the models prove efficiency and effectiveness, and then
starting construction of infrastructure and the human
capital.
2. Establishment of appropriate renewable
energy corporate frameworks
In most countries of the Middle East and North Africa,
there is no clear responsible authority on the governmental
level concerned with the affairs of renewable energy.
Al Sayyed says: "The governments should assign and
empower a body to lead policy development in this field
and follow up their implementation".
3. Development of appropriate policy and
regulatory framework to promote the
development of renewable energy and its use
The governments can develop the regulatory action plans
to allow the renewable energy projects to enter into such
plans, as well as creating incentives that launch renewable
energy investments and to promote decentralized projects
for renewable energy generation. The regulators should
also take into consideration to give the individuals some
independence in certain activities such as installation of
solar panels on the roofs of houses.
4. Facing the technical challenges
Since generation of energy from the wind and solar
sources is intermittent, these two sources should be
associated with the traditional generation of energy.
Fayyad comments on the topic, saying: "This issue
represents a technical challenge, however it was passed
successfully in other parts of the world."
5. Building the capabilities of research and
development and strengthening the local
skills
The renewable energy industry needs qualified workforce
of technicians, designers and engineers. In addition,
the renewable energy sector depends substantially on
research and development to make progress in the areas of
materials, technology and implementation. The pioneers
in the renewable energy sector are often near the global
research institutes.
Envirocities eMagazine
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Does the western world oppose
the development of renewable
energy alternatives in the Arab
Peninsula and Gulf ?
A Magazine for the
Environmental Center for Arab Towns
issue 1, January 2012
The Arab Peninsula and Gulf region was and still be one
of the most important regions and strategic centers in the
world, as it is associated with the major oil discoveries,
making it the focus of attention and competition of the
major countries for the purpose of investment of oil
and seeking to secure its sources and flow to the global
markets. However, in the light of the concerns of losing
this abundant grace, it is required to talk about other
alternatives, on the top of which is the solar energy. The
geopolitical importance of the Arab Gulf region lies in
being as a warehouse of the world's energy, increasing
its importance, as it has the largest reserve of oil and gas,
causing the future of energy supplies subject to ensuring
its security and stability, and as the recent period has
witnessed a marked increase in the countries that wagered
on using the renewable energy as an important factor in
the global economy and on the environment together
with using the solar heaters to heat water for different
purposes and practical applications.
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Importance of the role of oil
producing countries in the
development of renewable
energy
The oil-producing countries assume today a leading
central position in the global energy sector that witnesses
increasing growth and demand. These oil-producing
countries can maintain and promote the leading role they
play within this vital sector by diversifying the energy
sources to increasingly include the renewable energy.
The investment in renewable energy sources is considered
as a logical step for the countries of which economies
depend substantially on the production and export of
oil and gas, as this investment shall contribute to shifting
from oil and gas-producing and exporting countries to an
important player in the field of energy in general.
Dependence on the renewable energy sources shall also
contribute to diversifying our economy and development
of human capital required to build sustainable knowledgebased economy.
Despite the continued domination of fossil fuel on the
energy market during the next few decades, it is very
necessary to put in our mind the renewable energy sector.
Therefore, the diversification of energy sources to include
the renewable energy shall allow us to maintain the
hydrocarbon sources and use them for a longer period of
time and thereby making use of the expected increase in
the fossil fuel prices.
By establishing the renewable energy sector and our
interest in the development of clear technologies, we
shall contribute effectively to the diversification of our
economy and we shall become less dependant on the
imported technologies, through working on developing
these technologies locally and creating large exporting
opportunities that would contribute to the development
of sustainable knowledge-based economy.
To ensure the success of the development of renewable
energy industries in the oil and gas- producing countries,
it is necessary to work with similar plans and mechanisms
to encourage the use of renewable energy sources,
Envirocities eMagazine
the matter which would help these countries to compete
in the renewable energy market and reduce costs and
develop the clean technologies.
Thanks to the deep foresight of the wise leadership, the
United Arab Emirates plays today a leading role in the
renewable energy field and the climate change issues, as
the efforts exerted in this regard have culminated in the
success of the efforts of the United Arab Emirates to host
the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy
Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi.
Moreover, the United Arab Emirates established in 2010
a department specialized in the energy and climate
change affairs within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to
ensure that (IRENA) receives support allocated by the
United Arab Emirates and to follow up its works, as well
as organizing and unifying the local efforts in the climate
change affairs and protecting the country's interests in the
field of international negotiations on the climate change.
The objective that is on the top priorities of the Department
is represented in ensuring invitation of the United Arab
Emirates to all closed-door talks relating to energy and
climate change issues, and ensuring that the international
bodies concerned are aware of our national strategy in
order to maintain our leading role in the energy field.
Abu Dhabi has also become today a global platform
for global cooperation and debate about the fields of
renewable energy and climate change, through hosting
many international important events and conferences,
such as the World Future Energy Summit held annually
in Abu Dhabi. The absolute commitment by the wise
leaders of the United Arab Emirates to the renewable
energy field is considered as the best evidence for its deep
economic foresight and its continuous commitment to
lead the international efforts aiming at preservation of the
environment.
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issue 1, January 2012
Prospects for the use of solar
energy
In the Arab World
The search for and persistent creation of
alternative sources of energy are just integral
part of the continuity of the role of Arab
countries as energy exporting countries and
maintaining the economic level enjoyed now
by these countries. In order to keep up with
the remaining countries of the world in this
field, it is proposed to take the following into
consideration:
1. Material and moral support and stimulating the
movement of research in the solar energy areas.
2. Creation of a bank of information for solar radiation,
temperatures, wind intensity, amount of dust and
other periodic information required for the use of
solar energy.
3. Undertaking pilot and fairly large projects at a level
that benefits the country as another source of energy
and training the Arab cadres as well as not to be
repeated, rather diversified in the Arab countries to
make use of all applications of solar energy.
4. Activation of the exchange of science and scientific
advise among the Arab countries by holding regular
meetings and seminars.
5. Updating the studies of solar energy applications
in the Arab World and counting and evaluating the
existing ones.
6. Applying all ways of rationalization of energy
preservation and studying the best ways as well as
supporting the citizens who use the solar energy in
their homes.
7. Encouraging cooperation with the advanced
countries in this field and benefiting from their
experiences, provided that it is based on equality and
mutual benefit.
Sources: Translated from the publications of the Ministry
of Energy on its website for a study having the same title
A Magazine for the
Environmental Center for Arab Towns