The Saudi private business sector is expected to be the driving force behind investments in new energy sources, including nuclear and solar energy, to help the country reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and contribute to a cleaner environment. This is according to Dr. Maher A. Alodan, Consultant at the King Abdullah City for Atomic & Renewable Energy (KA-CARE), who was delivering a keynote address on behalf of Dr. Khalid Al-Sulaiman, Vice President For Renewable Energy at KA-CARE, during the opening here of the First Saudi Energy Conference & Exhibition. “The government will provide the incentives and support programs. Research organizations and universities will develop the right technologies and innovations, but Saudi private business will certainly be the sector that will shape the energy mix that will help us meet our future energy needs,” Alodan said. He said private business should therefore invest in the development of renewable energy, particularly solar energy, the most viable source for the Kingdom. Renewable energy such as photovoltaic and thermal solar is a long term solution in meeting the country's appetite for power. Alodan outlined the KA-CARE energy road map for the Kingdom from 2012 to 2020. He said KA-CARE is now undertaking resource monitoring and mapping, and standard performance and reliability testing and certification of the different renewable energy sources. The development program will include solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, wind, geothermal and waste-to-energy, energy storage and fuels, renewable desalination, grid management, and hybrid energy generation. With regards to nuclear energy, Alodan said the Kingdom's nuclear energy development plan is purely for innovative nuclear technology development, such as for medical and industrial application. There will also be a focus on nuclear fuel management research; safety and security system analysis; radioactive waste management systems; radiation protection and modeling; environmental monitoring and protection; and human demographics. Renewable energy experts said that the Kingdom is targeting to spend $100 billion in developing renewable and nuclear energy in order to meet future electricity demand and curb dependence on oil. The current generating capacity of the Saudi Electricity Company is about 45,000 megawatts. This is projected to increase to 75,000 megawatts by 2018 and to more than 120,000 megawatts by 2030. __
