JEDDAH — A poster exhibition by the German Energy Agency (DENA) offering an insight into the German renewable energy philosophy was presented in Saudi Arabia in line with the 18th annual conference of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held for the first time in the Gulf Region (Doha) between Nov. 26 and Dec. 7. Organized by the German Embassy in Riyadh, Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), Green Gulf and the German-Saudi Arabian Liaison Office for Economic Affairs in Riyadh (GESALO/AHK Saudi Arabia), the exhibition has already reached Riyadh and Al-Khobar and is currently being displayed at the InterContinental Hotel in Jeddah (Dec. 5-7). Mainly educational, the DENA posters explain the political and legal framework for the success of renewable energies in Germany; the operating principles behind wind power, photovoltaics, solar thermal, bioenergy, hydropower and geothermal energy; and the advantages of these technologies in terms of climate change mitigation, costs, availability, reducing risks for security and economic development. Counselor of Economic Affairs at the German Embassy Peter Hofmann said: “Germany is now the first major industrialized country that is going into renewable energies on a big scale. “Almost 20 percent of the country's electricity is generated from renewable resources and by 2013 we expect to be able to manage 80 percent of our energy needs through renewable energies. “Apart from being environmentally friendly and available in abundance, renewable energies are one of the fastest growing markets worldwide and can help diversify national economies, create jobs, reduce dependence on energy imports and establish the basis for sustainable energy supplies. “Germany already developed a social consensus in this regard and supports the decision to quit nuclear energy and cut subsidies for the extraction of coal.” According to Hofmann, following the German example would allow Saudi Arabia to generate all the electricity it needs, target the problem of unemployment and conserve mineral resources as raw materials for the petrochemical industry rather than extinguishing them in power generation. Applying the DESERTEC Industrial Initiative (DII) would also guarantee the country's position as top energy exporter in the future by not relying exclusively on oil production. The DESERTEC initiative aims to generate sustainable power from the sun-rich deserts of North Africa and the Gulf and export electricity into the European Union. Desert sites can be used thanks to High-Voltage Direct Current transmission (HVDC) that can carry electricity generated from renewables over long distances with only a 3 percent loss over 1,000 km. Hofmann added: “Dr. Khalid Al-Suleiman, Vice President of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, participated in DESERTEC's last annual conference early in November in Berlin, showing interest in the project from the Saudi side. “Solar energy is free and abundant in the Gulf region. All Saudi Arabia has to do is build up the industry and the infrastructures. “The Saudi government has already announced the ambitious goal of reaching 41 GW of solar power generation capacity by 2032. “In addition, 9 GW of wind energy capacity is being envisaged.” The exhibition also included promotional posters of German and Saudi companies such as Phonix Solar and Green Gulf that operate in the solar field. These companies understand the huge potential for solar power plants in Saudi Arabia and the opportunities offered by a newly born solar market in the Gulf region. CEO of Saudi Company Green Gulf and Co-Organizer of the Exhibition Ramy Assad Yaghmour explained his vision. “Green Gulf is the first industrial initiative in the Arabian Peninsula to extend the solar energy value chain beyond the production of polysilicon. “Our aim is to become a strong pillar for the Kingdom's economy by setting up an ingot and wafer plant in Yanbu that will be fully operational by 2015 and a smaller setup for module assembly in Dammam that will be ready for production by the end of 2013.”
