Wind energy predicted slow growth in Middle East

Governments in the region have to do more to support wind power industry, says Indian turbine maker.

The Middle Eastern wind energy market will remain small in size as governments have not yet moved to provide frameworks to boost the industry, the head Suzlon Energy said on Saturday.

Tulsi Tanti, chairman of the Indian turbine maker, told Reuters on the sidelines of a conference in Manama, Bahrain, that he expected the Middle Eastern market for newly installed wind energy capacity to reach 10-15 gigawatts over the next two decades.

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In comparison, the European market was estimated at 100-150 gigawatts over the coming ten years, he added.
"Currently there is no political framework, the governments have to come with clear targets as to what they hope to achieve by 2020," said Tanti.

In contrast, Europe and India have set the target of generating 20 percent of their energy production with renewable energies by 2020.

GCC governments are increasingly considering investments in alternative energies to meet the rising energy consumption of its growing economies and consume less of its fossil energy resources at home so it can instead sell these on world markets.

But authorities have yet to launch large scale investments or regulatory frameworks.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, Egypt plans to generate some 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, including through building wind farms along its eastern Red Sea coast.