Power generation capacity in the Mena countries will have to rise by almost 150GW to reach 440GW by 2020, an increase of just over 50 per cent on the current available capacity of 290GW, to meet the demand created by population growth coupled with industrial and economic expansion, a report said.
The launch of the first phase of Saudi Arabia’s 9.5GW National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP) early this year provides the latest illustration of the major changes occurring in the Mena power sector, explained the new report titled “Mena Power 2017”from Middle East business intelligence service Meed.
This has led to a raft of alternative energy projects being planned or implemented in the region.
The report shows that governments across the Mena region are making increasing commitments to achieve diversification in their power sectors to improve energy security and reduce reliance on gas imports, including detailed analysis on more than 60GW of planned renewable energy projects.
The move towards integrating renewable energy into development programmes has been facilitated by the sharp drop in photovoltaic (PV) solar technology costs in recent years. Read more
