Leading energy specialists and experts from Saudi Arabia shared the many developments and progress made by the Kingdom in energy management and sustainability at the United Nations COP19 climate change conference in Warsaw, Poland, held Nov. 11-22.
The specialists and experts from Saudi Aramco, King Abdullah City for Atomic & Renewable Energy (K.A. CARE), SABIC and The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu presented Saudi Arabia’s programs at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Pavilion held in conjunction with the COP19. Their presentations covered carbon management and energy technologies; energy efficiency; energy sustainability; renewable energy; and gas recovery, flare management and minimization.
A presentation on Saudi Arabia’s Carbon Management Roadmap was made by Dr Ahmed Al-Eidan, Petroleum Engineer and Upstream Carbon Management Coordinator, Saudi Aramco. Al-Eidan outlined research and development taking place related to carbon capture and storage (CCS) from both mobile and stationary sources such as from vehicles and CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) initiatives. In his presentation, Al-Eidan highlighted Saudi Aramco’s breakthrough project ‘Carbon Capture Car’; an environment-friendly car capable of capturing carbon emissions.
“Carbon management should be driven by technology,” Eidan said, stressing to delegates that “Saudi Aramco has a long history, for many decades, of continuous environmental stewardship through prudent energy management, flare reduction and carbon management.”
The following day, the side event was about “Renewable Energy in GCC Countries”, which provided an insight about the GCC’s Renewable Energy Outlook and Strategy while illustrating current and future projects in the GCC and opportunities for innovation.
In a presentation titled “Building the Renewable Energy Sector in Saudi Arabia” by Amr S. AlMadani, Executive Director, Mishkat Interactive Center from King Abdullah City for Atomic & Renewable Energy (K.A. CARE), AlMadani emphasized the importance of engaging relevant stakeholders in the renewable energy discussion. He highlighted growing interest in renewable energy in the GCC region and introduced K.A. CARE’s efforts to integrate renewable energy and atomic energy into Saudi Arabia’s energy mix.
Noting that energy consumption in Saudi Arabia is projected to increase in the next twenty years, AlMadani noted that “the best renewable energy source is conservation,” while underscoring the importance of breakthrough renewable energy technologies to meet energy needs.
AlMadani introduced the National Renewable Resource Monitoring and Measurement (NRRMM) initiative to monitor sun, dust accumulation, wind and temperature, providing high quality solar and wind monitoring to assess available renewable energy capabilities. The NRRMM is expected to help procure more accurate data.
In an overview of Saudi Aramco’s “Renewable Energy Activities”, Nour O. Shihabuddin, Renewables Engineer, at Saudi Aramco, demonstrated how a solar testing facility using different technologies from several companies reacted under the region’s “harsh weather conditions.”
Noting high-energy intensity in Saudi Arabia, she explained that there is plenty of room for efficiency gains and renewables would complement existing fossil fuel energy sources, especially during periods of peak demand. She identified three focal areas for Saudi Aramco: technology assessment; project development, including resource mapping of wind, solar energy and geothermal potential; and market intelligence, and in conclusion noted that consequently the GCC could potentially become a solar energy hub.
Saudi Arabia's Aramco, the largest crude oil exporter in the world, recently bought solar panels from Canada that it will install in one of it's power plants (Courtesy of Zawya)
Via SyndiGate.info
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