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November 2015 - issue 1509
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Feature article : Is Saudi Arabia's oil-water loop a warning?
 Saudi Arabia's search for water led to the discovery of oil. And that's ironic, according to historian Michael Christopher Low, given the country's current dependence on oil to produce drinking water.
"Without desalinization there is no possibility that any major cities in Saudi Arabia could exist," Low says. "What happens if there is less oil in the future? The Saudis are completely dependent on oil for water. At what point will they not be able to devote those oil resources to run this energy-guzzling process just to create enough water, never mind the environmental consequences along the coasts?"
There are no simple answers to these questions that have global implications. Low says these are issues the United States must also consider as it explores alternatives to lessen dependence on foreign sources of energy. The cost of oil and oil extraction is often defined by gas prices, availability, or the impact on the economy, without much consideration of the environmental impact, Low adds.
"As we're thinking about the role of shale gas and oil fracking in the western United States, it would behoove us to keep in mind that this is a water-poor environment already," Low says. "This incestuous relationship between oil extraction, water scarcity, and water quality is one that haunts us. That's one way to think about this issue."
More background articles -
Low's paper in the journal Comparative Studies in Society and History highlights the precarious relationship between oil and water in Saudi Arabia-as well as the United States. As of 2010, Saudi desalination operations consumed a staggering 1.5 million barrels of oil per day, representing nearly 15 percent of the kingdoms daily oil production.
Controversy over desalination plants - Solar-powered desalination plants are used in the Middle East to rehabilitate the arid habitat of the vulnerable Arabian Oryx, but do their benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks?
The energy use is minimal, and the creation of quality habitat is key to reintroducing some arid-habitat specialists. However, the outflow of the plants by the sea spits brine-the left-over water containing high concentrations of salt-back into coastal waters, where the brine falls to the bottom, increasing the area's salt content and potentially harming the local marine life. Plants that use the brackish groundwater may jeopardize critical water supplies for surrounding ecosystems or communities. Fossil-fueled desalination plants also emit greenhouse gases, ultimately creating a cycle of a warming climate and an increasing need for water extraction.
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SOLAR GCC ALLIANCE NEWS
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Publisher's Note:
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This month we feature the upcoming COP21 and the Gulf States. What is COP21? - COP stands for Conference of Parties, an annual meeting of all nations that make up the United Nations Framework on Climate Change -- 195 nations in total. This is the 21st meeting (thus COP21), with the first occurring in Berlin in 1995.
The purpose of the meetings is to continually assess the nations' progress in dealing with climate change and, every so often, negotiate agreements and set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are the primary drivers of climate change
The mere submission of a plan by Saudi Arabia, which says its economy is threatened by a global shift from fossil fuels to renewable energies, is a positive sign for Paris. The UAE Cabinet endorsed the proposed climate action plan at its meeting on the 25th of October. The plan reflects the UAE's economic diversification strategy and its commitment to sustainable development, which harness innovation and green growth to ensure prosperity and environmental protection. The country's national target to generate 24 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2021 reinforces its contribution to climate action.
Regarding the Middle East and its oil, the late Sheikh Rashid Bin Saed Al Maktoum, longtime Emir of Dubai and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, once famously remarked:
"My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel."
"To be sure, the Gulf States' green objectives stem from very un-green desires; rapidly growing domestic consumption - largely fueled by mounting cooling demands - may transform the oil exporters into net-importers in the not too distant future. Sating domestic needs with renewable energy frees that oil for export and alleviates any potential pressure on government coffers."
Analysis published last week by the Washington-based World Resources Institute (WRI) has found that renewable energy supply will double in eight of the world's major economies by 2030, surpassing previously projected growth rates for clean energy deployment by as much as 18%.
Unfortunately, the low price of oil is likely to deter solar investment in the Gulf States rather than spur it because there is less money to go round. Let's see post COP21 if the Gulf States have the vision and commitment to expand solar energy utilization.
Regards,
Browning Rockwell
Executive Director, Solar GCC Alliance
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Solar GCC Alliance Jobs Portal
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Solar Careers in the MENA/GCC Region portal - over 2,000 CV's
The Solar GCC Alliance Jobs Portal is your source for opportunities in the GCC's growing solar industry. Click below to find jobs or qualified candidates.
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Solar GCC Alliance - featured BIPV - solar design
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Middle East representative :
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Solar GCC Alliance Partner News
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 Egypt-SIA launched :
This organization will seek to create new solar energy business and employment opportunities in Egypt and enable collaboration opportunities throughout the GCC region. For more information, contact:
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Solar Trade Leads and Tenders Bulletin Board
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Shams Dubai - DEWA's first smart initiative to connect solar energy to houses and buildings
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Upcoming Events
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Save the Date - Dec. 10, 2015
The Ritz-Carlton , Dubai, UAE
8:30 - 5:30 Conference
Solar Awards - 6:00-8:30
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REGIONAL & GLOBAL SOLAR NEWS
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Global - MENA - GCC countries:
Climate financing hits $391 billion, solar a key beneficiary
While private investment comprised the lion's share - driven by renewable energy deployment, and solar PV in particular - public financing notably increased.
 In its Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2015, the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) has found that climate financing surged in 2014, to reach $391 billion. This represented an 18% increase on 2013, which recorded $331 billion. The report looks at how much was invested, where the funds went and who supplied them Read article - click here
The Middle East Could Face A Historic Crisis By Century's End
According to a study by Jeremy Pal of Loyola Marymount and Elfatih Eltahir of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, large areas of the Persian Gulf may well be uninhabitable by the end of the century.
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Saudi Electricity Co. signs 2.5 bln riyal deal to build green power plant
 
Saudi Electricity, the Gulf's largest utility, contracted two companies for SAR2.5 billion (USD667 million) to build and operate the Green Duba power plant, state news agency SPA said.
Spanish solar firm Inteq Energia and the Saudi Services for Electro Mechanic Works (SSEM) won the bids for the 605-megawatt (MW) plant, which will produce 43 MW of solar energy. Read article - click here:
KSA looks to reform energy subsidy program - Low oil prices have encouraged radical thinking on the economy in Riyadh - including subsidy reform, which was avoided when government coffers were flush with petrodollars, reported the Financial Times.
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DEWA to champion Dubai solar market
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is turning its focus on changing mind sets about solar energy as part of its current efforts to drive solar adoption in Dubai, according to Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.  While prices for solar equipment continue to fall across the world, and the UAE's abundant sunshine widely considered a viable source for alternative energy, the rate of solar adoption in the country remains markedly low.
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Jordan to upgrade its network; accommodate more renewables
The European Investment Bank and France's government have recently approved loans to Jordan for the construction of two new electricity transmission lines and the upgrade of older ones. The project aims to reinforce the grid in order to accommodate a larger number of renewable energy projects. France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls and his Jordanian counterpart Abdullah Ensour signed an accord according in which the French Development Agency committed to providing finance to Jordan's National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) Green Corridor project
Read article - click here
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Solar Thermal Power Heats Up Outside the U.S.
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A new plant opening in Morocco signals the technology's direction.
Next month, in the Moroccan desert near the city of Ouarzazate, a complex of 500,000 parabolic mirrors will begin reflecting the sun's rays onto a fluid that runs through steel pipes above them, creating steam and driving turbines to generate electricity. Called Noor 1, this system, capable of generating up to 160 megawatts of power, will form the first of four solar thermal plants that will eventually have a combined capacity of 580 megawatts. Scheduled for completion by 2020, Ouarzazate will be the largest solar thermal plant in the world.
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Parsons to construct 1GW solar-to-oil park in Oman
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Parsons has been awarded a contract to provide front-end engineering design (FEED) services for a 1.1-gigawatt (GW) solar thermal park in Oman.
The park is being developed by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and GlassPoint Solar at the Amal oilfield in south Oman.
The contracting firm will provide basic engineering for the initial construction phases of the facility, which has been designed to use solar energy for the production of oil.
Miraah (meaning mirror in Arabic) will be a 1,021 megawatt solar thermal facility in South Oman, harnessing the sun's rays to produce steam. The steam will be used in thermal EOR to extract heavy and viscous oil at the Amal oilfield. Miraah will deliver the largest peak energy output of any solar plant in the world. The scope of this landmark project underscores the massive market for deploying solar in the oil and gas industry. Read article - Click Here
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Kuwait Takes a Practical Step Forward in Solar Energy
 Kuwait's Institute for Scientific Research signed a $52-million contract with a Spanish company, TSK Group, to design, establish, and operate the country's first station for electric energy production using thermal solar energy, with a capacity of 50 megawatts.
The institute's new contract shows the potential that Kuwait and other nearby countries have in applied research, scientists say, a potential some would like to see expanded with more public and private investment in science.
The Institute's director, Nagi Al-Mottery, told Al-Fanar Media that Al Shagaya station will be a "cornerstone" of a new regional approach to energy that will prioritize solar energy.
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CONFERENCES & EXHIBITIONS
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Featured Event -
The World Future Energy Summit (WFES) is the world's most influential event dedicated to advancing future energy, energy efficiency and clean technology. It's where government leaders, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and thousands of visitors come together to experience the latest developments in future energy.
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high-quality and informative articles, ees International - The Electrical Energy Storage Magazine
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