MENA Power Projects 2022 starts with a focus on renewable energy that will dominate the $250 bn power projects landscape in the Middle East

The MENA Power Projects Forum starts today (September 07, 2022), at Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Tower, with more than 200 industry experts and government officials discussing on growing opportunities in the sector on the first day.

Abu Dhabi, September 07, 2022

Arab World will witness US$700 billion investment in renewable energy transition between 2020 and 2050 with a target to generate more than 70 Gigawatts of power from renewable energy by 2050;

Hydrogen and Electric Vehicles future up to 300 million vehicles by 2040 and more than 60 percent of the total active vehicles by 2050;

The MENA region is expected to add 5.6 GW of installed capacity from renewables in 2022, nearly double the 3 GW which came online in 2021. By 2026, the region is expected to add 33 GW by installed capacity of renewables, with around 26 GW as utility and distributed solar PV;

Investment in the MENA power sector will exceed a total of US$250 billion, the highest of all energy sectors. Of these, nearly US$60 billion worth of power projects are being developed in Saudi Arabia, followed by Egypt where US$37 billion worth of power projects;

Global energy investment is set to increase by 8 percent to reach US$2.4 trillion in 2022.

A shift from fossil-fuel to renewable energy sources – solar, wind, hydro and green hydrogen – as well as clean nuclear energy, dominates the US$250 billion worth of power projects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, according to officials and experts who gathered at the two-day MENA Power Projects 2022 conference that took off at the Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Tower, UAE.

The MENA region is expected to add 5.6 GW of installed capacity from renewables in 2022, nearly double the 3GW which came online in 2021. By 2026, the region is expected to add 33GW by installed capacity of renewables, with around 26 GW as utility and distributed solar PV, according to a latest report published by Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP).

More than 200 delegates including senior government officials, project owners, project management professionals, project developers, contractors, sub-contractors, technology providers, utility suppliers, industry experts and key stakeholders participated at the MENA Power Projects 2022 that started today. For two consecutive days, September 07 & 08, 2022, experts will continue discussing project opportunities in the power sector, at the conference.

The UAE is at the forefront of the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and green hydrogen eco-system, officials said.

“The UAE Energy Strategy 2050 has clear objectives: Increasing the share of clean energy in the total energy mix to reach 50 percent by the year 2050; reducing the carbon footprint of power generation by 70 percent and increasing consumption efficiency of all users by 40 percent,” H.E. Yousif Ahmed Al Ali, Assistant Undersecretary for Water, Electricity and Future Energy Affairs, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, UAE, told delegates at the two-day MENA Power Projects 2022 conference.

“Over the next decade, the UAE will focus on driving clean electrification through solar and nuclear power, implementing transparent policy, improving energy efficiency, reducing methane emissions and turbocharging innovation to commercialization of hydrogen, accompanied by strategies to unlock capital flows in support of clean energy transitions and ensure reliability and affordability.”

He said, supporting the UAE’s national agenda and the developments in the Power and Water sectors, the UAE Government has launched strategic projects to transform the sector, namely nuclear, which is a pioneering initiative in the Middle East, leading the region’s first large-scale solar PV plants, first solar thermal, battery storages, hydro-storage, waste-to-energy, etc.

Mohammed Al Taani, Secretary-General of the Arab Renewable Energy Commission, said, the Arab World will see more than 300 million Electric Vehicles (EVs) in operation by 2040.

“Arab World will witness US$700 billion investment in renewable energy transition between 2020 and 2050 with a target to generate more than 70 Gigawatts of power from renewable energy by 2050,” he said. “Hydrogen and EVs future up to 300 million vehicles by 2040 and more than 60 percent of the total active vehicles by 2050.”

According to the Pan Arab Clean Energy (PACE) initiative by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Arab World is committed to raise the power generation by renewable energy to 80 GW by 2030. This will bring a large number of renewable energy projects online in the next few years.

According to APICORP, investment in the MENA power sector will exceed a total of US$250 billion, the highest of all energy sectors. Of these, nearly US$60 billion worth of power projects are being developed in Saudi Arabia, followed by Egypt where US$37 billion worth of power projects, country-wise data shows.

Among the current top 25 power projects in MENA region, 9 of them are in the UAE. In terms of project value, the UAE comes third with US$26 billion worth of power projects under planning and development.

Global energy investment is set to increase by 8 percent to reach US$2.4 trillion in 2022, with the anticipated rise coming mainly in clean energy, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

“Investment is increasing in all parts of the energy sector, but the main boost in recent years has come from the power sector – mainly in renewables and grids – and from increased spending on end-use efficiency,” IEA said in the report.

“Clean energy investment is – finally – starting to pick up and is expected to exceed US$1.4 trillion in 2022, accounting for almost three-quarters of the growth in overall energy investment.”

Due to the high cost of fuel, the total energy bill paid by the world’s consumers is likely to top US$10 trillion for the first time in 2022, it said.

Global investment in the renewable energy sector climbed 11 per cent to $226 billion in the first half of 2022 amid higher energy prices, according to a report by research company BloombergNEF (Bnef). Investment in new large- and small-scale solar projects rose 33 per cent to a record-breaking $120 billion, while wind project financing grew 16 per cent to $84 billion, the report said.

MENA Power Projects 2022 aims to foster innovation and diversification to achieve energy transition, discuss on the development of clean, green and renewable energy and secure more businesses in this sector. Delegates at the forum will listen from more than 40 experts discussing a set of wide-ranging subjects.

A number of senior government officials involved in the development of public power and utilities projects will speak at the forum and interact with the suppliers for business opportunities. International and local industry exhibitors will display their latest technology, products and services to secure contracts in the power and utilities sectors.

On the first day, the discussion topics for the MENA Power Projects Forum included increasing efficiency of power generating units, wind power, nuclear power projects, retro-fitting power plants with new technology, MENA energy future, electricity energy demand, clean energy strategy and implementation plan, new project announcements and updates on latest power projects etc.

The first panel discussion was on future of power and energy at the MENA region where panelists, Faiza Al Harthi, Energy Sector Head, Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit and Fawaz Al Muharrami, Executive Director, Masdar Clean Energy, Shuvendu Bose, Consultant, Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, United Arab Emirates, Mohammed Al Taani, Secretary General of the Arab Renewable Energy Commission, Vice Chairman of the Jordanian Renewables Energy Society, Prof. Galal Osman, Vice President, Founder, World Wind Energy Association, President, Egypt Wind Energy Association, Egypt discussed MENA’s energy visions and goals, region’s power sector and the key factors behind it, opportunities in the local markets, and strategies to overcome the labor shortage challenge etc.

The second panel discussion of the day was on the topic ‘Improving transmission and distribution efficiency in the region’, which was moderated by a senior executive from EOSOL. The panelists Dr. Bruce Stedall, Director of Asset Management, Abu Dhabi Transmission and Despatch Company (TRANSCO), Mayure Daby, Head Net Zero Energy, Middle East, Atkins, Shaikh Sahid Hossain, Senior Vice President & Global Director for Product and Strategy, ETAP and Ahmed Awad Al Saeedi, Head of OHL Section, Al Ain Distribution Company discussed about tackling extreme weather challenge, strengthening network resilience, exploring top solutions to enhance grid stability, renewable energy connection, utilising innovative automation etc.

Faisal Ali Rashid, Senior Director, Demand Side Management, Supreme Council of Energy, United Arab Emirates, gave an exclusive presentation on the topic ‘Dubai approach towards clean energy strategy and implementation plan on the horizon of 2030 & 2050’, followed by country briefings for UAE, Oman and Egypt and project spotlights.

For the third panel discussion of the day, ‘Nuclear power in the MENA region – opportunities and challenges’, Sara Rashad Al Saadi, Director Nuclear Safety, Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulations, FANR, David Haboubi, Head of Nuclear & Net Zero Energy, Middle East & Africa, Atkins SNC-Lavalin and Dr. Rahaf Ajaj, Assistant Professor, College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi University were the panelists. The panel was moderated by Imteyaz Ahmad, Managing Director – Power and Water, Future Water and Power Consulting (FWPC). Panelists emphasised on exploring the new nuclear plant projects and opportunities in the region.

This panel discussion was followed by an exclusive presentation on ‘Wind power in the MENA region’ by Prof. Galal Osman, Vice President, Founder, World Wind Energy Association, President, Egypt Wind Energy Association, Egypt.

The two-day MENA Power Projects Forum will end with closing remarks by the event chairman, Frank Wouters, Senior Vice President, Reliance Industries Limited, Director, EU-GCC Clean Energy Network, followed by networking lunch break.

The official wind turbine partner for the event is Envision and official decarbonising partner is Emerson. The exhibitor is NL acoustics, and the strategic partners are PGESCO, MOTWANE, OZEE Energy, and ETAP.

The speakers for the event comprised high-profile industry leaders including: H.E. Yousif Ahmed Al Ali, Assistant Undersecretary for Water, Electricity & Future Energy Affairs, Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, United Arab Emirates; Nawal Alhanaee, Director of Future Energy Department, UAE Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure; Frank Wouters, Senior Vice President, Reliance Industries Limited, Director, EU-GCC Clean Energy Network; Eng. Yacoub Marar, Director of Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Department, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Jordan; Faiza Al Harthi, Energy Sector Head, Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit; Faisal Ali Rashid, Senior Director, Demand Side Management, Supreme Council of Energy, United Arab Emirates; Fawaz Al Muharrami, Executive Director, Masdar Clean Energy, United Arab Emirates; Dr. Eng. Abdelmuti Ahmed Murad, Head of Energy Strategies and Policies Division, Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure, UAE; Mohammed Al Taani, Secretary General of the Arab Renewable Energy Commission, Vice Chairman of the Jordanian Renewables Energy Society; Prof. Galal Osman, Vice President, Founder, World Wind Energy Association, President, Egypt Wind Energy Association and many other industry leaders.