GCC power generation to rise by half in four years

Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest growing consumers of energy in the Middle East.

The GCC’s power generation capacity is predicted to grow by around 44% to over 1,609 terawatt hours (TW) by 2013.

With current installed capacity at around 75,000MW, the annual 9.5% growth in demand will require more than 55,000 MW of additional power through 2015.

That’s the assessment of the organisers of the upcoming GCC Power 2009 Conference and Exhibition, which is sponsored by Saudi Electricity Company and which will be held between October 19-21 at the Riyadh Marriott Hotel in the Saudi capital.

Saudi Arabia is fast emerging as a massive market for the utilities sector, and demand for electric utilities is expected to increase at an average of 5 to 7 per cent annually.

The country is also expend to invest around US $120.2 billion to generate at least 35 GW of additional power generating capacity by 2023 to 2025, which is more than double the 2005 estimate of installed capacity of 30.5 GW.

The event will bring together 500 international delegates and discuss more than 50 papers on electricity and energy.

Topics to be covered by GCC Power 2009 include System Operation and Control; System Planning, Development and Technical Studies; Substations; Reactive Equipment; High Voltage Equipment; Power Transmission Lines; HVDC and Power Electronics; and Rotating Electrical Machines.

“GCC countries are expected to fund as much as SAR 187.5 billion in power projects between now and 2015. They will need to acquire detailed information on the technological, ecological, logistical, economic and regulatory implications of each of these critical investments to ensure power needs are met within the next decade,” said Fadi Kayrouz, Project Manager of GCC Power at Riyadh Exhibition Company.

“CIGRE’s participation in GCC Power 2009 will provide valuable direction on the region’s power strategies as its members pursue their respective development agendas.”

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