Dubai, UAE, 18 June 2018: The GCC region offers huge potential for renewables, said Dr Floris Hendrikus Schulze, Managing Director and Head, CESI Middle East, citing it as one of the most ideal places in the world for renewable energy to thrive. This, he said, is because the region enjoys two of the main elements needed for solar power – climate and ample available land. “We anticipate that the GCC will become a key powerhouse energy source,” he said, “with the capabilities to support a significant part of the world’s energy demands of the projected 10 billion population in 2050.”

Dr Schulze added that not only is each country individually investing in the industry, the region is fully understanding of the power of connecting the GCC to other countries and continents further afield. “In 2001, the GCC Interconnection Authority (GCCIA), was established to interlink all the national power systems,” he said, adding that now there are 25 interconnections amongst the GCC countries – a mix of electricity and gas – and the potential to connect with neighbouring countries and into Africa and Asia is being actively pursued. “The region also doesn’t have a choice,” he said, “with the steady decline in oil prices, it has to reduce its reliance on oil and look at new revenue streams.”

Hannah Jo Uy is Assistant Editor at Climate Control Middle East magazine. She may be contacted at hannah@cpi-industry.com