RIYADH: A Saudi solar company executive has called on the authorities to invest more in alternative energy sources like solar energy because of the country's growing energy consumption. Abdulhadi Al-Mureeh, Managing Director, National Solar Systems said Saudi Arabia by virtue of its climatic conditions could reap the benefits of solar energy. “Solar energy is best suited for the region because of the high solar irradiation in Saudi Arabia and the vast unutilized desert space,” said Al-Mureeh. He said rising domestic power demand has spurred the need for alternative energy projects in Saudi Arabia. Apart from projects initiated by King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST), projects in the range of five megawatts (MW) and 10 MW solar facility projects are currently underway. Al-Mureeh is slated to present a research paper at the first-ever Saudi Arabian Infrastructure Congress 2010 to be held in Riyadh from Oct. 23 to 25. Meanwhile, according to Business Monitor International's (BMI) Saudi Arabia Power Report for the third quarter of 2010, demand for energy in Saudi Arabia is rising by eight percent a year. The power consumption is expected to increase threefold in the coming years. BMI is a leading, independent provider of proprietary data, analysis, ratings, rankings and forecasts covering 175 countries and 22 industry sectors. Power consumption is expected to increase from an estimated 179 terra watt an hour (TWh) in 2009 to 208 TWh by the end of 2014, with a growing power generation surplus, assuming 5.1 percent average annual growth (2010-2014) in electricity generation. (One terra watt is equal to a million mega watts, or a billion kilowatts, which is the average annual electricity consumption of 45,000 households). These factors have propelled the expansion of numerous power projects, which includes the use of alternative energy resources, according to the BMI report. The Riyadh-based King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) is one of the key developments in the region that supports renewable energy projects. The recent launch is the National Solar Systems' 2 MW solar park, on the roof of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The first Saudi Arabian Infrastructure Congress will serve as a platform for delegates coming from regional and international countries to interact with key government developers for future cooperation deals in the energy area. About 40 percent of the delegates will comprise high-level government officials from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Government organizations such as the Saudi Electricity Company, Saudi Ports Authority and Saudi Railway Company (SAR) among many others, will present updates on ongoing projects.
