Pollutants emitted by thermal power plants in Saudi Arabia cost the national economy between SR7.52 billion and SR11.98 billion, according to a research scientist at the Energy Research Institute of King Abdul Aziz City of Science and Technology (KACST). Addressing the attendees of the ongoing 4th International Water, Electricity and Power Generation Conference at the Dhahran International Exhibition Center, Dr. Abdulhadi Varnham said the atmospheric pollutants – carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and Sulfur oxide (SO2) – are the byproducts of burning fuels like natural gas, diesel, crude oil, and heavy fuel oil. “These pollutants are not only the cause of heavy economic loss, but are also causes of health and environmental degradation,” he said. Varnham said carbon dioxide, for example, is a greenhouse gas, while sulphur oxides can cause respiratory illness, acid rain, and bring about damage to plants, soil and water. Nitrogen oxides also contribute to the creation of regional haze, ozone smog, and acceleration of eutrophication. It is also a greenhouse gas. Varnham said the figures are just initial estimates of the economic costs of atmospheric emission generated by electric power plants across the Kingdom. According to studies conducted by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Arab Gulf states emit about 50 percent of the Arab countries' total annual carbon dioxide emission of 254 million metric tons. This is because the Gulf region is the hub of global oil production, ESCWA reported. __
