A total of SR14 billion in electrical heat is wasted in the generation of electricity in Saudi Arabia – heat which would be turned into energy to be sold or used for power in the Kingdom. This is according to Engineer Salah Al-Afaliq, Executive President of the National Company for Triple Production of Energy, in a working paper he presented during a conference on energy use in the Kingdom, held on Monday in Jeddah. The technology used to convert the electrical heat is being used in a limited capacity in some European countries, he said. He said the heat from the operation of steam turbines and generation of electrical power, is wasted in the atmosphere without any benefit being derived from it. The conference is focusing on efficient use of energy, protecting the environment and reducing costs. In his working paper, Al-Afaliq said modern technology enables countries to benefit from electrical heat which is produced from the generation of electricity. Very hot steam can be produced and it can be used in the operation of steam turbines to generate electricity or in the production of cooled water for factories, he said. Consumers can get cheap energy that does not harm the environment. In addition there would be positive returns for the national economy through the export of the surplus energy. Al-Afaliq said the demand in the Kingdom for this new technology is worth SR30 billion in different regions of the Kingdom because of the determination to reduce costs and protect the environment. He said an industrial estate project in Jeddah has been started that involves the provision of energy to 250 factories. Similar projects are being set up in Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE, at a cost ranging between SR200 million and SR1 billion. He said the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) electricity grid link-up project could contribute to spreading this technology at reasonable prices. It will also ensure a greater number of consumers from different GCC countries. Al-Afaliq said local electricity companies need not fear any competition because the new technology would cater for industry and not residential energy needs. All local power companies receive subsidies in return for its social commitment to provide energy for the residential sector, he added. Al-Afaliq expects this technology to be widely used in the Kingdom over the next four years. It was only introduced four years ago. He said the Kingdom is the first Gulf country to use this technology and now there are projects on the ground. He said that his company is studying the establishment of similar projects in other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Al-Afaliq added that this modern technology will also not compete against nuclear energy, which many Arab Gulf countries have started planning for because of a rise in demand for energy from its growing populations. Nuclear energy would be complementary to the field he is working in, Al
