Alternative energy sources – including coal, nuclear, solar, wind and hydrogen – are being pursued out by Gulf states and the UAE is leading the pack says David Weaver, group CEO of ESR Technology, an engineering, safety and risk management company.
“The vast majority of power generation projects in the Arabian Gulf are for power stations using conventional gas for their energy source,” said Weaver.
“But the region is struggling to find enough suitable gas to meet future power demands and the first signs are beginning to emerge of major investment in the region into alternatives,” he added.
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There are 114 active power generation projects of all types in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates worth a combined total of well over US $160 billion.
“The United Arab Emirates – with an insatiable and growing demand for power which it is unable to meet from gas alone, along with pressures to reduce high per capita carbon dioxide emissions – is leading the way in looking seriously at alternative energy sources,” said Weaver.
“One of the major areas of study is nuclear,” said Weaver. “A nuclear programme study is to be carried out on behalf of Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Company and is said to have a budget of US $4 billion.”
“There is also considerable new activity beginning in the renewable energy field, principally in the UAE,” said Weaver. “A design study is being carried out for a US $500 million solar power plant for the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company Masdar.”
Other Masdar studies include looking at the possibility of building a hydrogen-fired power plant, while Dubai is investigating wind power.
“The research is on … a grand scale, aiming to supply up to 10% of Dubai city’s power requirement,” said Weaver.
Weaver says the projects demonstrate the pace of the move towards sustainable, renewable energy.
