Showing posts with label Middle East. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Middle East. Show all posts

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Jordan most attractive Cleantech markets in MENA

A recent 2012 report by Ernst & Young concluded that Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Jordan as the most attractive Cleantech markets in the MENA region due to their government plans, budgets and long-term strategies. These countries have demonstrated investments in large initiatives such as KACARE for Saudi Arabia, Masdar for UAE and the ‘Green’ FIFA World Cup 2022 for Qatar. Although Jordan has limited financial resources, a new law was issued on renewable energy, which may help create new jobs by increasing local content requirements for investments in renewable energy.

The report also identifies the main drivers of Cleantech growth across the MENA region as: government policy, cost of the renewable energy, desire to reduce the use of fossil fuels, increased business efficiency and Job creation as a result of population growth and elevated rates of unemployment.

The report also sights broad opinion that Solar energy would be the leading Cleantech in the MENA region with Photovoltaic (PV) as the main solar technology for the MENA region followed by Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) by a lesser extent. The report sights in its survey that the lead of PV over CSP was justified mainly by the price per watt compared with the other technologies.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Clean Energy Growing in the Middle East

I found an interesting article online at (Link). The article confirms as I mentioned in a previous blog that Saudi Arabia is planning to secure 41 GW of Solar Energy by 2032. Highlighting that otherwise continued reliance on Oil for Power generation will limit the Kingdom’s Oil export capacity.
Also, noteworthy in the article was Iran’s plans to develop a 5MW pilot plant for geothermal energy and its intention to add 12,000 MW of renewable energy to its power capacity.
The article also mentions that Qatar Solar Technologies plans to build a $1 billion silicon plant in Qatar to supply the material to manufactures of solar panels. In addition, Qatar Electricity and Water Co. wants to get 10 percent of its electricity from solar by 2018.
The article also mentions Petra Solar and First Solar as companies targeting the Middle Eastern Renewable market. It will be interesting to see who the foreign solar companies will choose to strike their strategic partnerships in the region.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Welcome to Middle East Renewable Energy

Welcome to my blog.... Over the past few years it has become much more evident that climate change is indeed occurring and most of the scientific evidence points toward the raise in CO2 emissions due to human activities as the main reason for this raise.

Add to that, everybody acknowledges the finite nature of our fossil fuels, and despite the contradictions and views on how much reserve remains the fact is that it will run out sooner or later.... This alone emphasis the importance of preserving our fossil fuel (hydrocarbons) for use in applications that only they can fulfill rather than burning them as fuels. 

While preservation is important, many scientists believe that the sever impacts of climate change could well occur long before fossil fuels actually run out.

However, perhaps the biggest dangers from fossil fuels lay in how heavy dependent we have become on them for our Electricity, Water, Food, accommodation, transport, health .....etc. 

For these reasons, I have have always had a keen interest into the subject of Renewable Energy. I strongly believe that how we source our future energy is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity in this age and will a big factor in the long term prosperity of humanity.

Most of the Middle East is blessed with an abundance of these fossil fuels comprising the largest known fossil fuel reserves the world. The Middle East has enough energy to supply its own needs and export to the rest of the world.

Moreover, the region has abundant access to the original source of all energy on Earth "the Sun".

With wealth generated by fossil fuel and the availability of abundant sunlight this region has a unique opportunity to take advantage and look towards building a better future by supplying the world with energy long after the end of fossil fuels.

On this blog I hope to keep track of Renewable Energy developments with specific focus on the Middle East and the GCC. I hope you join me and look forward to your feedback.