SUN, WIND NEED BIG BUCKS IN BAHRAIN

$900m needed for green energy
February 3, 2009 (Gulf Daily News)

"Bahrain will have to invest an estimated $900 million (BD340m) in wind and solar power in the next decade to meet the growing demand for energy…According to the World Energy Council, the Gulf will require 100GW (gigawatts) of additional power to meet demand, said the International Solar Energy Society's (ISES) Bahrain chapter Arabic section chairman Prof Dr Waheeb Alnaser.

"…Bahrain would require investments of 1,200MW (megawatts)… Kuwait would also need to spend $2.5m (BD945m), Oman $800m (BD302m), Qatar $600m (BD226.8m), Saudi Arabia $15 billion (BD5.67bn) and the UAE $5.1bn (BD1.9bn)…"

click to enlarge

"Prof Alnaser said the only drawback at the moment was the high cost of solar energy technology…However, Prof Alnaser said the cost of solar panelling such as photovoltaic (PV) panels was expected to decrease… at the moment the price of PV material hovered around five euros (BD2.46) per peak Watt.

"Prof Alnaser said in addition to renewable energy options the GCC should also harness the benefits of investing in 'green buildings'…He said these reduced carbon dioxide emissions, lowered water consumption, improved energy efficiency and improved indoor air quality, among others."

Built-in wind turbines on Bahrain's World Trade Center could supply 11-to-15% of the building’s power. (click to enlarge)

"Prof Alnaser was speaking at the International Forum on Cleaner Technologies for Economic Development…under the patronage of Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Hassan Fakhro and organised by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), in co-operation with Kuwait Finance House (KFH).

"The forum included a ministerial meeting on Monday that was attended by about 20 ministers of Industry and Environment of Gulf countries, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe…[that] adopted the Manama Declaration: Zeroing industrial wastes and emissions through cleaner and resource efficient technologies and products. More than 300 public and private sector representatives, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and researchers [attended]… "